The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-01-08

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THURSDAY MORNING, JAMS, 1850.
THE WORK oF THE SESSION.
The Legislature which has just ad-
joprned has done many things which it
ought not to have done, and has left un-
done many others which it ought to have
attended to, but, despite these short COM
ings, it has done great deal for which
it Is entitled to commendation. To begin
with, it has kept the length of the session
within one month, thereby setting an ex-
ample which the people, if wise, will
insist shall always be followed in the
future. a short session is the only safe
guard against extravaganza and multi
plicity of laws. The Legislature costs
the State about twelve hundred dollars
per day, and it is decided economy to
have the session reduced to the lowest
figure at which the business can be at
tended to. We have too much legisla-
ton, and nothing is so fruitful of it as
long sessions. The real interests of the
State WILDE promoted by only making
such changes in the law as may be shown
to be necessary, and not going into the
theoretical legislation which long sessions
are likely to entail. With short sessions
once firmly established, the members will
hereafter prepare such bills as are i'm
portant before the meeting, and present
then promptly, whereby their considera-
ton will be assured, and all the necessi-
ties of the country amply met. The
Legislature has taken this step in the
right direction.
Another good measure, for the passage
of which the Legislature deserves credit,
is the aAct to prevent the intermarrying
ofraces,n which is necessary for the pu-
rity ofsociety and the proper protection
of both races. Nearly every State in the
Union, North, South and West, has such
alaw, and our Legislature has done well
imposing it. Capt. Massey, of York, is
entitled to the credit of introducing the
measure in the House.
The Act to prevent railroads from rum
ming or loading freight trains on Sunday
was passed in such shape as to prohibit
the loading of freight trains on Sunday
or the running of any trains except those,
carrying passengers, the mails and ex-
pres. It's good measure, and meets
thesaac,ion of the Christian sentiment
of the State.
The Joint Resolution amending The
Constitution as TO tbs homestead law
psssed both Houses, and IS to be voted
on by the people. It viii, no doubt, be-
come part of the Constitution, and
then all trouble about the unfair distinc-
ton, which is made by the present law,
will be remedied. There were several
Joint Resolutions introduced to accom-
plish this purpose, and the Judiciary |
Committee of the House reported sub
stitute for them, and finally they were
all tabled. The Senate resolution was
taken up and greatly amended, and in
that shape it passed SO as to allow the
exemptions equally to every class of our
citizens.
The Actto require railroads to furnish
consignees an itemized statement of
freight charges over the different roads
upon which freight has been brought,
and requiring them to settle their bills
according to the contract as set forth in
the bill of lading, has become law, and
how persons receiving .freights are enti-
tied to q full statement of the charges on
each road, so that errors and discrimina-
tions may be detected. The Act also re-
quires railroads to settle their charges ac-
cording to the contract as set forth in the
bill of lading, which, in effect, requires
the railroads to adjust oyercharges among
themselves without inconveniencing the
consignee by requiring him to pay the
oyercharge and trust to having it refund
ed to him in the future. This, of course, |
only applies to cases where the rate of
freight is expressed in the bill of lading. |
out IL VII corre1t inc eais coFoplaiued Of
in very may c2sse. Thc1e tie aes"y
penalties on tleagaasp the :ailroad nac
disobeys this Act. unlcs- h. IS ordered TO
90 30 by q superior officer Of the railroad,
sTdip tlas case such superior offices-is
subjected @ double. the -'eenaities pre-
scribeti soy tFe d. The Bill was in
troduced by nlr. Murray.
An Act to require railroad corporations
to carry cotton by weight instead of
measurement was passed to prevent ex-
ceasiye freight charges by some compa-
nies which have been charging by the
cubic feet instead of by the pound for
transporting cotton.
An Act to require Trial Justices on
going out of Office to turn their books
and records over to some other Trial JUS
tice of the County was introduced by DR..
Brown, and will remedy in future the
evil ofhaving to bring new suits on judg-
ments given by a Trial Justice who has
gone out of Office.
One of the most important and valua-
BILE Acts that was passed is the Act to
create Department of Agriculture,
which provides for the collection of ag-
ricnlturall information and statistics as
toiours mineral and agricultural wealth, |
With tDanar. .lo... cf ln,niiprnL;on. al