Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-12-16

most practical way of amending tho con
stltutlon. Tho constitution requires th
call of convention to be submitted TO
popular vote at general election. Th
next general election would havo to b.
passed before tho convention could b,
called, and it is said that our present no.
ccssIties demand a change Of that law. i,
some respects, which con be no longer do
layed.
"A bill to revise the tax laws of tho State
has also been introduced. This bill will
DC referred to tho commission to codify the
laws. 1t seeks to abolish the office Of
County Auditor, and to SO simplify the mode
OF collecting taxes os to reduce the expenses
OF this department. of the government, q
much needed reform.
| have also bills under INV charge to
require County missioncrs, School
Commissioners and Treosurors to make
annual reports to the spring term of the
Courts of General Sessions, in oil tho
counties, OF the amount Of taxes levied aud
collected for county purposes and school
purposes, tho amount of claims allowed and
paid aud to whom paid 1t requires .also
tho publishing in county newspapers, two
weeks before opening of court, all cluims
allowed and ordered paid by these officers
Tho object of tho bill is to draw these
officers under the immadiute supervision of
the court and people. This law also pro
vldes the mode Of paying county claims. 1t
requires the Clerks Of the Boards of Com
mlssloncrs to number tho claims in tho
order in which they arc filed from number
ono continuously upward 1t also forbids
Ireasurcrs from paying any claim, except
upon order of the County or School Com
m'ssloners. Thus the bill prohibits any
claim from being preferred.
The attention of tho Legislature is being
directed especially to county matters. It
is said that while the State expenses have
been cut down ono fourth, county expenses
are as great as under Radical rule. This
is IN grent measure true. The expenses of
carrying on the county governments arc too
l1lllg hA:and ehould aaa will be ,ou,xai,ea Tho
are high and under our prcseot system uro
burdensomc, and the system ought to be
rcmodcled. The expenses Of our county
the last year have been very high indeed,
aud this, too, when accounts Of tie County
Commissioners, for their own salaries, aud
bridge expenses have been less by half
than any Commissioners who have ever
served the county The system itself of
the courts is burdcnsomo and ought to be
so changed that tho laws can be admins-
tered more chcaply.
Major Dendy has also introduced bill
to change the time of holding courts in
tho 9th Circuit. This bill has been refer
red, after favorable report, from the Judi
ciary Committee to special committee,
consisting of the members Of the 9th Cir
cult. The object Of the bill is to fix such
time for holding our courts as will be
convenient to our people and not interfere
with. thei. fall nnd spring farming
The bill to repeal tho law allowing plain
tiffs and defendants costs was also voted
down by an overwhelming vote. The
theory of the law allowing costs is that he
who is ut fault shall pay the costs to which
by his wrongs he has put his opponent.
This law is just. ue who sues his neigh
Dor upjustly or carries him to law without
right should pay for his folly. If this
was not 80 tho courts would be crowded
with all kinds of claims without founda-
tion.
The codo has been amended in one or
two particulars by bills which havo passed
three readings in tho House and sent to
Senate. Ono amendment was tho limita
tions of actions for the recovery of real
estate. The law, US it now stands, forbids
any one to bring al action for securing ol
real estate unless he or his ancestors were
in actual possession within ten years from
the time tho right of action accrued, al
though he may have the legal title thereto
| This amendment seeks to remedy this de-
! feet Tho law in relation to On executor
being an executor of the will of first tesla
tor, because he happens to be the executor o
tho second testator, has been SO arranged
that if person die leaving will and hi
executor die leaving will, that tho cxccu
tor Of the last will cannot bo the execute
of the first by reason of being cxccuto
of the last.
Many bills of local character have bee,
introduced, but special legislation is no
looked upon with much favor.