The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-23
LEGISLhTIYE PROCEEDINGS,

LEGISLHTIYE PROCEEDINGS.
Tho Troubles ofa Country Editor With Re
gard to tho Snmc-The Difficulties Attend
Brief yet Intelliyiblo Synopsis Our NJ an
Gives up In Something Akin to Despair.
Last winter an intelligent gentleman
in conversation with one Of the editors
of THE News AND HERALD took occa-
sion to express the opinion that our re-
ports of the proceedings of the Lcgisla-
turc wore very good-in fact, he used
stronger language thar that, which
our we'll known modesty prevents us
from repeating. We felt good. We
were a little surprised. That man
didn't owe us for subscription, wasn't
getting his paper free, and we hadn't
dunncd him for money. He must
have meant what he said. We say we
felt good. So we did. We had been
wondering how we succeeded in CIV
ing an intelligiblc account of the Legis-
laturc's work without having report
cr prescnt-sccing that those papers
that do have ono put in things that zoe
can't at all understand. And whom
our friend congratulated us, we took
new heart, and resolved to do even
better during the Session Of '79. But
we don't feel SO good just now. We
feel disapointcd-humblcd, a little.
Our reports Of the proceeding haven't
quite como up to our wishes. They
contain some things we don't like, and
they don't contain many things that
we think they should.
OF course we've got a method in
getting up our synopsos of the proceed
ings. Ours is methodical establish
ment, as it were. We run whole
month sometimes without taking in a
nickel. Our method in the matter Of
these proceedings is as follows.
We first try to put in everything d.
rectly bearing upon tho town and
county. So, when we come across "a
Bill to establish two new school dis
tricts in Fairfield county," we natur-
ally put it in; for we admire the zeal
and enterprise ofour Feasterville and
Monticello friends, and we wish them
all success. But it seems to lis we
have had that bill in our paper 10 less
than forty times. You see, bill, be-
fore it becomes law, goes through a
good deal. First is tho introduction in
ono house, and the reference to COM
mittee, then tho report, then three sue
cessiye readings; next it goes to the
other house, and suffers like persecu-
ton; then they ratify it, as they say !;
and then the Governor returns it with
or without his signature. This makes
just dozen times that bill appears
in print before it becomes a law. It's
hard to keep up with this sort of thing,
and Of course we get behindhand some-
times. In the case Of local measures,
we try to get the bills themselves.
But that doesn't help us much. The
bill is printed as reported by the COM
mittcc and before becoming law may
have undergone thirteen amendments
in the House and eleven in the Senate
say two dozen in all. So it wouldn't
be safe to rely on the printed copy.
Next we try to report measures of
general intercst-such, for instance, as
any changes in the jury law, tho lien
law, the fence law, tho criminal laws
and the like. But what are we to do
when wa come across ga Bill to
amend all Act entitled sAn Act to
amend subdivision ID of section 63 of
Chapter LXVIII., of Title V. ofthc Re-
vised Statutes We give it up, and
don't say anything about it. Again,
we come to "a Bill for the further
protection of migratory fish, Now,
we like migratory fish, and think they
should be protected in all and singu-
lar their rights, privileges, immunitics
an, franchises, SO to speak. And we
put that bill in. But who's the wiser,
we'd like to know?
Then those private bills-they're
specially interesting. Take for in
stance: "a Bill to enable Thomas JEFF
terson Blackstone Smith and Richard
Ceur de Lion Jones to apply for adj
mission to the barr" ga Bill for the
relief Of Aaron Drinkerstrong;" ga
Bill to authorize tho erection Of toll
bridge over Pine Log Greek in Horny
county;" ga Bill to amend all Act en-
titled tAn Act incorporating certain
towns and villages therein mention-
ed." Can anybody got any practical
information from thisp We can't
that's certain.
In the past day or two the difficult
ties In the way Of any brief yet intelli-
gible report have but increased. Both
houses have put on extra steam and run
at full speed. Bills and resolutions sstoo
numerous to mention" have been pass
ed or rejected. Committees have made
reports, which have been duly consid-
cred. In brief, there's been so much
Inna that wa can't onf a . cnrrook {xJoo