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

loi3-l4 q memorial signed by q
large number of the citizens of An
derson, petitioning and suggesting
legislation on the subject Of drain.
age, was sent to me to be presented
to the House. In accordance
Herewith I offered ga Bill to con.
stitute the County Commissioners Of
Anderson County Commissioners Of
Health and Drainage and to define
their powers and duties" [See
House Journal, page 250.] This
Bill was acted upon favorably in
both houses and approved by Gov
ernor Moses, March IA, 1874. 1t is
well known that this Act accom-.
plished some good, but in some in
stances failed to secure so favorable
result as was anticipated. This
Act being imperfect and deficient in
detail, from want Of experience in
such legislation by the General
Assembly, al session Of 1S74-75 [see
Senate journal, page 1861 | sub:
mitted a Bill to amend the original
Act in various particulars, remedy
ing as far as possible any defects
in it. This Bill was defeated upon
its third reading in the House,
but a House Bill was taken up and
acted upon favorably (Which was
similar in its main provisions) and
became a law, to which I yielded
my cordial support.
JUSTICES oFTHEPEACE-TRIAL JUS
TICES.
In my endeavor to carry out the
plain provisions of the Constitution
of the State which provided Justices
of the Peace should be elected by
the people, I introduced two Bills
for such election. [Senate Journals,
1874-75, 1S75-76, pages SO and 10.]
Both of these Bills were defeated.
After the defeat Of the first,
as will be seen by reference to
Senate Journal 187475, page
175, I offered ga Bill to regu.
late the Courts of Trial Justices for
the County Of Anderson" Among
other things this Bill provided for a
fixed and definite salary for each
Justice, to wit: twenty-five dollars
for all State or Sessions business.
This Bill passed the Senate, but was
defeated in the House. Notdismayed
I again, at the regular session ol
1S75-76, page 1868, introduced "a
Bill to reduce the number of Trial
Justices in Anderson County and to
! define their powers snd duties"
This Bill provided for nine Trial
Justices, one for every two townships
and one for the town of Anderson,
and fixed their salaries at fifty dol
lars each per annum. This Bill
passed the Senate but was indeG-
nitely postponed in the House.
Hearing of this, I went to members
of the House and succeeded in hav.
ing the measure reconsidered. On
this the Billpassed after being amend
ed in several particulars. Now it
will be readily perceived that the
object was not only to curtail and
keep all Trial Justices within reason
able bounds in Anderson County, but,
if possible, make the fines collected
sustain and pay the expenses Of their
Courts, and, by giving salary, pre-
vent any officer from encouraging
litigation for the sake Of fees OBJ.
tanned thereby, and by COMPARE
son, at least, effsctually prevent and
check other like officers in different
Counties from having their bills of
costs paid, which, in some instances.
amounted to thousands of dollars for
a single Justice, which tended to
swell the County expenses to an un-
reasonable degree. Anderson was
selected as a mere example of what
could be accomplished in securing
efficient officers at reasonable sala.
ries to perform the official duties on
the criminal side. This Act was ap.
proved by Governor Chamberlain
and accomplished the object for
which it was intended. Afterwards
I offered a general Bill, [session
1876, Senate Journal, page 96,]
which, if it had been adopted. would
have secured similar reforms
throughout the State.
INSPECTOR OF PHosPHATEs.
I presented three Bills referring
to the duties of this office. The
first will be found in House Journal
Of 1928, page 1884; the second
in Senate Journal of 1874-75, page
$40, and the third in Senate Jour.
nal of 1877, page 40. My object,
amongst other things, was to reduce
the fees of the Inspector by requir-
ing portion of it to be turned over
to the State Treasury. The Inspector
and his friends were too strong for
me, and the Bills were defeated.
REWARDS.
During one or more Republican
administrations the Governor had
offered large rewards for the appre.
hension of persons who, it was al
legged, had violated the law, and