The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-15
SENATE.

SENATE.
The following bills, &c, were introduced and re
fcIrvl:
Nv senator Fishburnc-Bill to provide for the ii.h'
! of opp, ~ Itom he decision of II Trial Justice to three
irreho!drrs acting under 4 certain section OF the Gen
rr"l Statutes.
! The f"ilpM in. resolution, introduced ~ Senator lien
: lcrson. was adopted.
RrSOirtd by the -enHt", the ll"lse o. Representa-
liy..s crncll ring, That U1r Senators AMI RrI +, s'nth
lives In Congress be. and they are hereby, earnestly re
ours:rd Ia u-r their Influence AID rnirayOrs tor til,
passage Of tie bIl now ~IrnAi,g before Congress emit
tIcl "A bill To apply tn" proceeds "f public laIlIs u
the educrti' II II the people" c"mm My known rs tn,
"ti""dc Bill" and that the secretary o. state be, ant
III, is hereby, instructed t. forward t""ur said Senators
and REPRESENTATIVES ~crrllfh,d copies OF this resolution
The Committee IN Printing s.bmiitel n cninmnnl
| cltinn from the STATE printer III rrlrirncrt to his dr'ay
in the printing Of bills, stating that his force OF print.
crs Was lnin. its utmost to Keep nl'tIe Nth The WORK
of the senate. The communication was received 4:
! information. -.
The following were rcnl TIL third time and passed
BiIlto repeal the . 9Th, 295Ih .06th. .9ith aud 436tf
Section. Of The Code Of Procedure, so Il, I" abolish the
use If Referees and establish the office Of Master n III,
vi. io.s counties of the STATE, tofiN The fees W Masters
and to make Judges OF Probate eligible to office "
Master.
Bill (lIousc) to a%ntl"ris" and empower the Governor
to execute The bond required by Ac, of Congress As So
cur t. for four guns and carr ia2rs fur the Use Vi the
! Marion ARTILLERY, of Charleston. :. &.
Fill ul0usr) IL amend the law In relation to grant
! ing Of letters trstanentury, d~eprivinG the executor OF
an executor Of al author ity OYER the estate of the FIRST
tcstator. and pr"vi'iin. Tor the administration OF estates
not fully administered.
Bill to amend an Act to pr"hibit persons living TO-
! cethrr In adultery. upl,rorci December 20. ISIS. and
! define the crimes of adultery and fnrnication.
Joint resolution ~(iousrl to authorize tn" County
Commissioners OF AbbcyIllc C unty To apply to the
payment Of the ordinary expenses "f said county Tor
the fiscal year 1919. laon the unexTcndrd balance OF the
pioce, lis If the special tax II We'd to I@y past indebted
n, ss ard thu expenses Of erecting and maintaining
,,,.s ,tli }. limit lf SriIp nunfr
joint resolution l1ouse) to mike an appropriation
In aid Of the centennial celebration of the battle oil
Cow pens.
Bills upon the calendar for second reading were then
taken up for consideration, rs follows:
Biil to ~ tluriZe and empower the County CotnmiS.
sinners Of GrccnviIlr county To sell certain personal
property in the city Of Grrcnriile passed and rhere'i
for II third reading. :,
bin to prohibit the hiring out of convicts for asri.
cultural purposes.
Senator Muller moved to strike out the enacting
clause.
senator Fisbpurnc luprd that the motion would not
prevail. lie said that the treatment Of cunricts mt
side The walls Of the pcnitcntlnry hal IN many III
stances b, en- characterized by great cruelty, anu re-
frrrc,i to the report of the Board Of Directors ot the
pcnitcntiary on The subject. Some persons VII" hired
rOnvicts had not sufficient means To Keep them IN n
healthlul and comfortable condition.. and Others did not
guard them with sufficient vigilance to prevent thrir
escape.
On motion If Senator Smythc. the bill was laid on
the table, and u bill to REPEAL oil Acts allowing the Di.
rrcturs ul the Prnitrntiury TO iarn out convicts WAS
taken up.
senator Calli.on moved to strike out the cnacting
clause. He thought the time had arrived for the state
To define her policy In regard I" the question oil convict
labor. lie WAS In favor OF utilizing that labor Tor de-
vrlOping the great resources of the state ny rutlhs
the cunvicis ont upon works Of public enterprises. He
had M sickly sentiment In reference to ~cunvictS. they
had transgressrd the law; they had preycd upon the
lives and property of the people If tho State. and they
deserved to be punished but he Was not in favor Of
hirip, tbnn nut Pa rnrDprutiDnH that would luhUInauly
treat them. He said that one reason why south Car
DINA was nifty years behind oth-r states WAS because
Of tho luct that 1t was governed by sentiment Instead
VI by practical ideas.
Senator Smythe was not opposed to the hiring out
Of convicts, but he desired. IN the name oi humanity,
that all Acts whereby opportunity was Afforded Tor
their brutal treatment should BE- wiped ont.
Senator Fishburne read the report OF DIR. Pope, As
sistant Surgeon of the PenitrntiaIy. in reference to tie
drplurablc condition aud brutal treatment Of the con.
yicts nj work on the Eigriirld and Trenton Railroad.
Senator Bradley claimed that that case was nm en-
ccptionul one. He said that all the railroad companies
did not treat their convict laI"rers badly, IN read
from The report Of the I'enitentiary officials rs tn The
humane treatment OF The prisoners employed on the
Atlantic aud French Broad Valley Railroad.
Senator Henderson hoped that the cnacting clanse
Of the bill would not he stricken out. The proper pol
Icy of the State. he said, was to fix n lire nj which the
hiring out of the ~cnnvicts should be stopped, AMI sug.
gcsted June Isl, ls>2, rs the time. The present sys-
tim WAS IN expense to the State and worked harshiy
with the prisoners.
Senator Wylic was Of the opinion that the State
should practice humanity tn her convtcts so lar as IL
did not Interfere with the Sentences Of the courts.
The convict labor should 10 utilized so as I" make tia
source Of revenue To the State, and the best course 10
be adopted would be to place the labor OF the States
convirts absolutely In charge OF the Board Of directors
of the Trnitrntiart, they being better qualified 10 'l''
wise the mrans whereby that desired end may be ac-
com plished. Refer ng To the matter Of leasing con-
victs to railroad COMPUTATIONS. he said that some u' The
companies were pay ihg the State we'll i"r the services
pf fhI Ipnylrfs Wlil. UtIlrS hail not IEllu Il Cen y