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

particular persons to erect gates on
public highways. This was causing
dissension and dissatisfaction in GER
tain localities and among the trav.
cling public from the fact that one
person obtaining the right to erect
Il gate often Inconvenience entire
neighborhoods and benefited but
himself. In order to avoid all
objection I introduced see Senate
Journal 1876, page $685. ga
Bill to provide for the issuing Of
licenses to persons wishing to erect
gates across the public highways"
which provided that after public
notice the Clerk of the Court, upon
application and upon certain condi.
tions, should issue license for the
purposes set forth. This Bill did
not pass the House, though approved
of by the Senate. At the session Of
1S77-78, [Senate Journal, page 81,
I again offered "a Bill to authorize
the County Commissioners in the
several Counties Of the State to
allow the erection of gates upon the
public highways whenever in their
judgment the same may be expedi-
ent." This was acted upon favor
ably by both houses and was ap-
proved by Governor Hampton,
February 16, 1878. This Act re-
quires that application must be
made to the County Commissioners,
; who are assumed to be conversant
with the affairs of their several
Counties, can insure justice to all,
and avoid expense to the State. The
adoption of the no-fence or stock
law by many of the Counties Of this
State will almost render the above
Act inapplicable and unnecessary
to such Counties.
The mode Of legitimizing chill
, dren by Act of the General Assem-
bly, was in my judgment bad in
policy and sometimes mischievous
in its results. These applications
increased in number year after year,
and some passed without notice to the
} legitimate children. I introduced a
Bill Senate Journal 1877, page
/ ALL which required that all such
, applications should be made in open
Court, and orders granted after due
notice in the County papers of the
parties applying, &C., and thus pre-
vent surprise, mistakes or injustice.
This Bill was acted upon f;lvorably
i in the Senate, but never became a
, law.
Referring back to session 1866,
pages II and 276, it will be observed
J that I submitted certain amend
ments to the Constitution, of which
, I shall say more hereafter one of
. them being similar in character to
the fundamental law of several Of
the States of the Union, and pro-
viding that the General Assembly
| should enact general laws Of incor.
poration, and torbidding the passage
of special Acts for the following
purposes:
Granting divorces;
- Nh fbo no IF n Olnnnq
Laying out. opening, altering and working
roads or highways;
"Vacating roads, town plats, streets, alleys
and public grounds;
I" locating or changing County seats:
" Regulating County and township AFFAIRS;
Regulating the practice in Courts OF JUS
Regulating the jurisdiction and duties Of
justices, Of the ,Poace' Police Magistrates and
Providing for changes of venue in civil and
Incorporating cities, towns or villages. or
, changing or amending the charter Of any town,
city or village;
"Sammoning and empanclling grand or
Providing for the management of common
schools;
The opening. and onducting Of any elcc-
ton. or designating the place OF voting;
The sale or mortgage of real estate belong
ing to minors or others under disability;
The protection of game or fish;
"Chartcring or licensing ferries or toll
bridges;
Creating. increasing or decreasing fees,
percentage or allowances of public officers dur
ing the term for which said officers are elected
or rappointed;
This amendment passed the Sem
ate, but was defeated in the House.
EDUCATION.
Being convinced that the sduca-
tion Of the masses of the people was
the most certain means of gradually
and finally delivering the State from
the dangers which beset her-that it
would prepare and elevate the large
number who were cropping in igno.
rance for an intelligent discharge of
the duties of citizenship early
and continually favored any aud
every reasonable measure that
tended to the advancement of the
educational interests of the whole
people.
Under the provisions of the
school law, passed 1901, the
County School Commissioners were
required to withhold the tax levied
and collected by the State for school
purposes from any school district
that declined or failed to vote
special tax, and apply it to such
school districts as levied such tax.
In my judgment, this was arbitrary