The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-16
Editorial Correspondence.
COLUMBIA, S. g., Dec. 10, 1880.

chinery soome TO bo running smooth
ly, and without some tremendous jar
we will be able 10 finish up our work
and cat our Christmas turkey at home.
This Legislature seems to be more
practical and less disposed to fritter
away its time in buncombo speech
making than it's prcde ccssor; yet
there are few of its members who
seem 10 be impressed with the idea
that the interest of tho State rests
upon their shoulders, and if they do
not mako two or three speeches each
day tho people will forget their im-
portance and the State will bo ruined.
The House has boon having night
sessions this week, and have yet q
large amount of bills to dispose of,
most Of them are, however, of local
characte or of little general import.
ance, and no great harm will bo
done if they goaovor to the next scs-
sion.
The bill to define and punish the
crime of duoling passed its second
reading in tho Senate several days
ago, but when it came up for q third
roading to day, was postponed and
made n special order for Saturday
next. Tho bill! makes all persons pre-
cent at duel in any capacity guilty
OF murder if any one is. killed. For
this reason the law will be dead
letter on our statute books. for the
State will not be able to procure wit
nesses to convict any one. The only
feature about the bill which is likely
to provo of any benefit, is the oath
which every member of the Legisla-
tare, Or othor officer of the State or
County is required to take before en-
tering upon tho dutios of his office,
TO tho effect that they have not, subso-
quent to Januar 1st 1881 participate
cd in duel in any capacity. This
may prove to be check upon this
evil habit, and in my opinion, is tho
only feature that is worth anything.
The time for funding the bills of the
bank of the State under the provisions
of the act of the last Legislature has
closed, but it seems that certain par
tics failed to avail themselves Of the
opportunity offered them by the State
and now seek to come in by an extcn-
sion Of the time: Some of these parties
had attempted to pay their taxes with
the bills. Under the requirements Of
the tax bill, the Treasurers held all
such bills until their validity should
be established in the courts. These
parties, it is claimed, were not able to
SECURE their bills from the County
Treasurers in time to fund them under
the act. They now desire to come in
and fund thier bills at SO cents on the
dollar. Others, it is claimed, were
ignorant Of the time when the law ex.
pirod. The Comptroller General es>
Inmates tho bills yet unfunded at $22,.
143. Othors assert that there are,
perhaps, over q million of them yet
uDfunded, and that it would be disas-
trous to the State to open up tho
question again. This / think an OK
egeration, but it is we'll enough to
wait and get more light on the SUBJ
ject. No serious harm can como TO
the State until the next session of the
Legislature Then if the estimate of
tho Comptroller General, or anything
in its noighborhood should prove to
be true, it would be to the interest of
the State to permit the holders to
come in and fund their bills Until
all those bills arc disposed Of ID some
way they will be q soHroc of trouble
10 tho State, for they will ba con,
stantly rendered for taxes Fhs Bill
proposing an extension b time was
defeated in the Senate on yesterday
byn vote OF IA to l3. A similar bill
has, however, passed tho House, but
t will be killed when it reaches tho
Senate.
Tho bill for codifying the laws will |
,ass.
The question of calling COnstitna
;onnI rnnvantion bna baen r.f..rred |