The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-08
THE TIME OF HOLDING ccunrs.

III lts coHWeuts upon PUBIC, matters, n
no little provoked at the unfortunate
effect in Oconee and Pickens Counties of
the Act 10 change the time of holding
Courts in the Eighth Judicial Circuit,
and, ,says:
| The errors and bungling Of our last
| Legislature has no parallel In the past
history Of South Carolina. We do not
know where the fault lies, but no one can
deny its existence and burtful influence.
Hurrying to adjourn before the holidays,
they left with their most important work
unfinished. This necessitated their re-
assembling, and the work of the extra
session has proved still moro disastrous
TO our people. H
10 trying at an extra session to change
the time Of holding otir courts they pass
o bill on the goth of February, which
must have defeated our courts In some
counties, even If known ct once, but be-
ing unpublished for some time Judges
and lawyers were deceived, and our ex-
lpensive court Is held tn be 40 court.
What need TO be eteEnally tampering
with the courts and the mode Of drawing
juries 2 We have held q court of two
weeks, at which seven persons were tried
for their lives, the cost of one case being
to the county over ono thousand dollars,
.and now court as 10 these trials and MI
civil judgments 10 believed to be illegal
end void.
AZ Pickens no jury trials could be had
either in civil or criminal cases, while q
number of persons are there held in Jail
at the expense of tie county.
IF the body had confined itself 10 the
business for which II was called together,
passed registration law and law pro.
hibiting the carrying of concealed wea.
pons, and then adjourned, it's action
would have met the general appreciation
of the country. As Ehe matter stands all
is confusion, and whether criminals can
be retired or not, certainly oil civil bus.
iness transacted amounts to o nullity.
For above ten years there has been o
constant tampering with the law regu-
lating the holding Of courts and drawing
of jurics. We trust this kind of legisa-
tion will now stop aud that our next
Legislature will repeal oil such laws and
incorporate the whole matter of holding
| courts in one Act and the jury law In one
| Act. Surely in ten yeara our people all
over the State should by this time know
what period the holding Of courts will
suit them. They should also know that
forty lawyers can hardly work out the
jury lew, which should ;ce simple and
permanent. We can remember but ore
change as to time Of holding the courts
made by our Legislature before recon-
struction, while il the jury law was ever
changed We cannot remember it. Now
ne see all over the State illegal courts
with attendant litigation and expense.
Ia it not time Che matter should be re-
duced TO simplicity and be made perma-
nent9
The above sweeping condemnation of
the whole Legislature by our neighbor
appears to us entirely too ganeral, for
certainly none of the members Of that
body, except those from this Circuit, can
possibly be to blame for the troubls that
has arisen as TO Oconee and Pickens
Court under the late Act, The members
from other portions of the State supposed
che members from this Circuit knew what
they wanted and how to get it, and,
therefore, they were not to blame for
allowing the bill to pass. The members
from che Eighth Circuit were the enly
ones interested in the bill, and it was the
Abbsvills delegation which Yves most
anxious for .he change. The; Act Us
amended ip,posadn nc trouble upon Abbe-
Vile, Anderson Or Greenville counties,
snd tho Representatives from the Circuit
iaiie2 70 .sis ..lyssisss shie ts5aSss i.k@szso be
fall Oconee aud Pics;ens. The result hao
been very grave 90 far as Ocones is con-
Gerned, and b little expensive and vexa-
tious SO far % Pickeus is concerns-,', but
the greater part ofit oil comes iron, The
failure TO obey Che law rather than the
Flaw itself. The papers published the
fact that an Act Ind been passed chang.
Ing the timea for holding the. Courts in
thd Eighth Circuit and any officer in the
counties therein could have Informed
himself as TO the provisions of the law BY
writing to Coiumhia and procuring o.
copy Of the new Acs. IF they did not do
leo, and by their failure TO inform them.
selves tho jnries we're improperly SUM sui 4
moned, how can the Legislature be
chargeable with ilY In all fairness. ne
think that body. has sins ofomiai5n and
commission enough to syswer for without
shonldering other peoples shost.cominga
uponit. We did not ESQ any necesaIty
for the change in the time Of holding
Courts in this Circuit, and should not
have consented 70 any change, but Tor;
tho fact that the Abboyllle delegation,
Including Judge McJ5owen, before h:s
election 70 the Bench. were anxious Cor
it on account OF the hot and unhealthy
season at which the Fall Court was for
nierly held in that County. The change
will nos hurt any one, aud would not
have hurt either Osoues or pickans If.
che law had beea obeyed. Nov, no do.
not think the County q ssaacsrs are the only
ones to blame abose the Oconee Court.
Jnage Thouison sas ceftainly derelict In
nos snformine himself abeut ehanxe in
Tho time of holding Courts ia the circaitl
upon which he was presiding. If be
e.sa.la The senanaEs ls4 l.,nst l,ass lAo-.
ticed there was q change, and he shonld#
have Informed himsolf about il. 10 bis.
neglect aiIiofi the tsonblei la 0conee, aitcr'
she enpaneIliug Ok ths jngiss, iagaatriba.
table. 4 Jndas Il prerumed to know the
law hnaS II this fiction 81 iaW had hssn5
Esalin this oasss elk OF seven men woala