The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-25
Senate. but it is believed that it will pass

their back taxes, and, when this was not
granted, then their object was to put off
the collection until another Legislature
is elected, with the hope that majority
of the new body will be favorable to
them. They have succeeded in putting
off the collection, and it remains to be
seen whether they will ever be compelled
to pay up or.not A Bill to establish
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE
has passed both Houses, and provides
for the collection of Agricultural infor-
nation and statistics as to our mineral
and agricultural wealth, with a depart
ment of immigration, and also tho in
spection of phosphates and the collection
of the phosphate royalty. The Bill is
very excellent one, and if carried out
properly will be of very great service to
the State. twas originally intended to
put tax of five hundred dollars on each
phosphate company to sustain this de-
partment, but was amended in the
House, on motion of Mr.. Beasley, SO as
to put an inspection tax of twenty-five
cents on each ton of phosphate. This
will raise sum of about twelve or fif-
teen thousand dollars, and will, instead
of increasing the expenses of the govern
ment, decrease them, for it abolishes the
offices of Fish Commissioner, Phosphate
Agent and Phosphate Inspector, which
will save the State thirty-seven hundred
dollars per year, and the fees of inspect
ing phosphates will, instead Of going to
one man, as they have done heretofore,
go to paying the expenses of this depart
ment, which will do the work of all three
of these officers. There was lively little
fight over abolishing the Office of Phos-
phate Inspector, Messrs. Haskell and
John ]. Hemphill opposing its abolition,
and Messrs. Humbert and Murray favor
ing it. A great many amendments were
attempted, which would have injured the
Bill if adopted, but for the most part they
were defeated. The Bill goes to the SEN
ate for concurrence in the amendments,
and will no doubt become law.
The passage of the Columbia Canal Bill
by the Senate was the occasion of more
than usual demonstration in that body.
This Bill, which passed the House in
three hours, occupied nearly two days in
the Senate, and was finally passed with
immaterial amendments by vote of %
to Z. During this debate the Senate
chamber was filled with ladies and gen.
tlemen Of Columbia intensely interested
in the success of the measure, which they
believe is destined to make this city
second Lowell, and be it said to the
shame of Columbia, that this excitement
was allowed to SO so far as to induce
some of the ladies to throw bouquets to
Taft. the carpet-bag Republican Senator
from Charleston, because he spoke in
sayor. of the Bill. When the Bill passed
there was applause in the Senate, scene
which perhaps was never witnessed thore
before under Democratic adininistra-
ton. Not only this, but on Saturday
night the Columbia Band serenaded Gen.
Gary at the Wheeler House, and after
wards, in the morning Of Sunday, went
to the house at which Taft was boarding
and serenaded him also, These things
are not approved by avery large number
of the citizens of Columbia, and are most
strongly condemned by the Democrats
from other parts of the State who are
here.
Instead of improving the Appropria-
ton Bill, the Senate has actually raised
it by some thirty or forty thousand dol
lars. When it came back to the House,
on motions of Messrs. Murray, Moody,
Brown and Austin, the House refused to
concur in the amendments, and con-
ference committee was appointed to ad-
Just the differences, which has not yet
reported. In the appointment Of this
committee Speaker Sheppard violated
every parliamentary precedent by ap-
pointing committee who had every one
voted, we believe, with the minority Of
the House. He did not put single man
on the committee who had fought the
high appropriations, and thus it is very
likely the Senate amendments will be
adopted yet, although a majority Of the
House is clearly opposed to them.
The last session of the Legislature
passed an Act appointing a Railroad
Commissioner, whose salary and ex-
penses were to be collected by the Comp
troller General from the railroad compa-
nies and paid over to the Commissioner.
The South Carolina Railroad has refused
to pay its portion of the salary, amount
ing to eleven hundred dollars, and Gov.
Bonham, the Commissioner, asked the
Legislature for an appropriation from the
State to pay it. The appropriation passed
the Senate, and on its passage in the
House very interesting debate sprang
up, Messrs. Cooke, Bacon, Aldrich and
Gaillard advocating paying it, and Mr..
Murray opposing it. The appropriation
was passed by vote Of Sc to 46, and thus
again the Legislature has been liberal
enough to give away the peoples money
for what the State does not owe, while
they refuse to pay the just claims due
some of the Judges. The effect of this
action will be to induce every railroad i'll
the State to refuse to pay anything on
this salary next year, and then the State
will be called on to foot up all of the ex-
penses of the Office, amounting to more
than four thousand dollars. The office
was created for the mutual advantage of
the railroads and the people. The origi-
nators of the measure assured the Legis-
lature last session that the railroads de-
sired the creation of the office, and would
willingly pay its expenses. The Act twas
so drawn as to require them to pay these
expenses, but the Legislature, feeling
that the State is very rich, have, by the
action above referred to, relieved the
railroads of this burden.
II Il.