The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-31
The State Lcgislature...A Short anu
Valuable Session.
lNpme nDI HIH)iPr.l

lNcws and Cumrier.l -,
The General Assembly OF South CaIoiil
was In session Just thirty days. over wv
= hundred bills and joint resolutions oeca"i
y laws. The whole cost of tho session was j
:. the ncigliborlloOd Of forty thousand aoil'Is
I So far as w can discover, there WAS 40 ulMiS
or needless legislation. The measures whici
: were not finally acted upon do not appear u
.. be of any particular Importance. cXccptlnt
!. the different bills in relation To the reSistIa
5 ton OF voters. 1t was wrong To neSiecI ~
coz ply with the plain mandate OF inc S.tt'
Constitution, and 1t was impolitc, NJ least, u
: lose II favorable opportunity or liinlilnS nn'
regulating, by law, the volume oil 'elinfIh
;. voters. Against this omission can DC SCI tl'
paSsa.c of several measures of the. hlEnes
Importance. The chief Of these are mere ue
scrlbcd: ,
The Joint Resolution amending the ConSti'
tuition relative to the homestead, iutioii"c'
and rrn uircS such subsequent lcslSialion "
shall extend the benefits of the hoilcsteau u
every head of Il family in the State WIcincl
land owner or tenant. and such as Will Slft
the benefit "f the homestead exemption III
personality to every person whether lie Is en-
! titled to II for land or realty, or NOT. ilis
will obviate the hardship of the present law
which operates to deprive tenants ana non
land holders of the protection oi INC ho''e-
stead.
The Columbia Canal Bill as finally passed
codes the water power Of the state AZ q UNI
bia to Mcssrs. Thompson ana N.s,S, Ho.. III.
err contractors, and provides that they sNHli
be furnished with 80 conrlciS 10 WORK AZ NC,
v~eloping the power. These will be clothed
and guarded by the State, remaining unueI
the direction Of the Board of Directors OF Tie
Pcnitentiary, but will be fed by the contrac.
tors, who are to complete the canal ana erect
IA cotton factory within three years. not lnclu-
ding the time lost from ovcrllnM anu ut,r
unavoidable miSllaps. Whcu tie "aleI pNM-
er is developed, IN ainOu equal 10 ,o'o MORSE
power Is to be coded TO the state ior pubic
use and benefit. The Canal properly IL 10 pc
transferred to the contractors only upon inc
! rhnl,1ntjnt Dr tl,pir contract, tllcS IOIIclIlIlS
their Investments in case OF failure 10 COM
ply: o on
preparation OF $751; 1U to be used In CONSTRUCT
ing n canal across Charleston Neck. the
money to be expended only when Il contract
is entered into by responsible persons 10 Pur,
chase from the State II sufficient amount Oh
rock from the QUERIES ut COLUMBIA 10 relil-
bursc the State for the outlay. me canal Us
to be built between Line street on inc south
and the city boundary OH the north, anu IL
will not cross any street without the permis-
sion OF the City Council. Cannl Coinnls-
sioncrs will have authority 10 authorize any
either terminus of the canal by switch. THIS
Canal is expected to give the CITY unsurpRss-
ed terminal and shipping facilities, Without
any charges for wharfage.
The Bill to provide for the investment anu
use of the Agricultural College Fund restores
to the Fund an amount equal TO inc procecus
OF the Agricultural Land Scrip, gwen 10 tle
State by the United states, which proceeds
WSIcl lNCSlcu III llt ooliNiN "hhS Z,
poihccated and lost TO the State, IN ltaalcai
days. The State Treasurer Is required tolssue
to the Board OF Trustees OF the Soutl carroll
ma University q ccrtiiicatco OF state stocM LI ~
Slgl, 800. bearing interest at six per cent. when
interest shall be used by the Board Tor the
purposes for which the Land Scrip was origl'
naliy issued TO the State by the United states.
The Board Of Trustees Is authorized 10 estao-
lish u College of Agriculture and Mcchanics
for the benefit of white students, using the
University buildings and grounds, and cstao-
fishing scholarships to be used equally ny SUI
dents from various sections of the state.
either by counties or Congressional dlstrictS.
The Bourd will also have power TO estaDllsh
scholarships for white male graduntcs oi chta o
tered colleges Of tho State, the tuition 10 DC
free. This new College of Agriculture ana
Mechanics Is In addition to the Agrlculturni
College and Mechanics Institute. for coiorea
students, which is IN successful operation az
Orangeburg and the two Colleges VIII he
hereafter maintained out OF the income OF
the Lanu Scrip fund.
The Act to extend the time for the redemp.
ton Of forfeited lands provides that all lands
heretofore forfeited to the State, for the non
payment of taxes, may be redeemed by the
payment Of onc-half Of the simple taxes OF
the taxes, costs and penalties Of the year 1878,
provided that such payment be maze on or
before the 3Ist May, lSSU. After that date uh,
redeemed Lands will be sold for the benefit OF
the sinking Fund Of HE state.
The Act repeating "thc Act to alter ana
"umcnd the law regarding elections rcpca!s
the "twu-boX' law, passed during the session
Of 1873. providing for separate Gat,1'-S9"es
officers and Presidential electors. The old
oile.boX system Is restored.
The substance OF the Bill to provide for the
settlement of the Consolidated debt OF the
Stale, the Fickrn bill, provides for Il final set
cement OF the public debt on the basis OF the
recent Il ,ci>ion OF the supreme Court. IL pro-
vidcs Tor the payment of the interest on the
entire debt Tor loSU, and the payment or tiie
UNPAID interest Tor 1919 on the valid dcnt.
The details OF the settlement are entrusted 10
Special Commissioner James Colt. VINO VIII
examine the debt under the light OF the ue-
cislUu OF the Court, and report month"; toLne
treasurer. For bonds and coupons declared
partly valid, the holders Will receive tonSoi-
luation bonds for the portion dcclarcu V;t!iu:
The public value of the Act lies III inc iact
that 1t WAS passed by the common consent OF
the whole General Assembly, and can be si.'e.
~ regarded, therefore. as II settlement mai
the people, by their representatives, approve
Of and will faithfully carry out.
Provision is made III a separate Act LOT Tic
funding of all State indie btedness which by
law is iunduble, and for theconsoiidation ana
funding OF interest on the uhiunaed FaIlu
debt from 1874 up to and Including iSt3; lille
of tho Bank OF tie State authorizes thcir.
funding In Consolidation bonds at the rH'Go
fifty cents OIL the dollar, tho fist coupon pc
Ing payable In ISL. This relieves the Slale
of another chronic trouble.
The AC. creating Il Department OF AGricui,
turc places it under the control OF n Botrd
consisting of the Governor, the Master ol Tue
State Grange, the President OF the state .\sil-
cultural and Mechanical Society, and W
other persons to be selected by the Gencrai
Assembly. The commissioner of Agriculture
and his clerk Will be under the coitrol Vi
this Board, which shall also have power 10 re-
uuire County Auditors to furnish such statlS-
Teal and other information as may lie ncedca.
ii shall investigate all subjects regarding aSrl,
culture, Immigration. &C., superinlchu ana
.-A ., - I ,n fix,. sfNny fax lnnfHH OI III
Fish Department, exact and issue licenses lor
fcrtlIizcis, (rcplacIng the present. phosphate
Inspector and agcnt,) inspect lertll'Le,s, No.'
and generally devote Itself 10 .ne aav " ti,e
State. ..
The Act to declare the law regarding liens
provides that hereafter, at the expiration OF
twenty years, II lien or Judgement snail DC
presumed to nave been satisfied unless some
acknowledgment by the debtor, such MS pay
merit of interest, or payIncn on ACCOUNT, DC
recorded with the Judgment or lien.
The Act to require Railroads 10 lurnisn Goh.
sicnccs un itcmlXcd statement OF 1relgnt
charges, and requiring them TO settle accord
ing To the Till of lading, expresses US scope IN
It's title. The penalties for Violation OF its
provisions are, first, u penalty OF double inc
amount of the charges to be recovered by the
consignee by civil process; anu 6ecolu, tnat
the agent so offending shall be guilty OF q
misdcmeanOr, and punishable by anne OF not
less than $40 or more than 500, or impriso1i-
mcnt for not less than five or more than thlr-
~ DAYS. unless he be acting under orders OF q
superior officer, in which case the latter shail
be subject to double the above penalties.
The Bill to alter and amend the law relatc
ing to juries and jurors provides that no petit
juror Shall be required to serve more than one
week at any term Of the Courts OF Genera
Sessions. or Common Pleas, and that thlrty-
six Jurors shall be Drawn for each week.. NO
Jury, however, charged with q case snail De
discharged before It's completion; by reason
OF this Act. and the County of Charleston IL
| a ~ pfad from ifa provisions.
The Act fixing the time for Legislative en-.
actments to take effect, provides that on and
after the first day of February nextno Act or
Joint Resolution sinai take effect until twen-
ty days after It's approval, unless otherwlse
The Act regulating the running Of trains
OH Sunday prohibits the running or loading
of freight trains on that day, aliowlne encn
road to run only one train for the transport
alton OF mail and express matter and passeh-
gers.
Tho Act amending the law relative to steal
ing crops from the field extends the provision
OF existing statutes (Which make the stealing
OF crops growing In the felds q iciony) 10 INC
stealing Of crops gathered but left In the
The Bill to provide artificial legs for citizens
manned in the service of the State from 1861
! TO 1866 was amended by the Senate son to FUR
nish arms also, and SO passed.
The Supply Bill fixes the State levy Mt four
and one.half mills, and the general county
levy ut three mills. except when otherwise
specified. With the addition OF the two mill
school tax the tax in Abbeville County Will
be 1917 mills.
This is indeed a brilliant record. The legis-
latiou concerning the Homestead, tho State
debt. the Columbia and Charleston Canals
and the Agricultural Colleges, stamps the ses-
sion Just ended as the most practical and use
full, in the largest sense. that the state mas
,.itroccod cince the adontiOn of the COnStltu-