Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-02-02

In TIE HOUSE, bill to provide for the
further operations of the Lunatic Asylum,
after lengthy debate, was amended in sever
al particulars and passed to third reading.
The bill to define the duties Of County Com
missioners, County School Commissioners and
County Treasurers in reference to the audit
ing, allowing and payment of claims, and to
require annual reports OF all claims audlted,
allowed and paid by them, to be made to the
Court of General Sessions, with sundry bills
pertaining to the same, was also PASSED to
third reading.
A number of bills were read third time
and sent to the Senate, and at 3 P. NJ. the
House adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, January 25.
In TIE SENATE, Il number OF bills lncor-
porating various railroad companies in the
State were passed to third reading.
The joint resolution to pay certain claims OF
the State conStabulary force for 1876 and
1877, passed to it's third reading, and also the
bill for revising and consolidating the Gener-
al Statutes.
The election bill was postponed.
In TIE HOUSE, a number of reports on bills
of no general Importance were submitted by
the respective committees to whom they had
been referred, when
The report of the commission on the constl-
tutional amendments was considered. For
weeks past the report of the commission has
been at the head of the column of special
orders, and has regularly every morning been
discharged for the day. Mr.. SimontOn said
that in his opinion the matter should be- dis
posed of, and in order to test the sense OF the
House on the question of calling constitu-
tional convention, he submitted resolution
declaring that "the General Assembly are Of
opinion that it is necessary to call Conven-
tion of the people to revise and amend the
Constitution" and providing vote on the
question at the next general election.
Mr.. Parker, of Abbeville, moved to jndeh-
nitely postpone the resolution.
Mr.. Simonton called the yeas and nays,
which resulted in the adoption of the motion
to indefinitely postpone, which resulted IN
yeas 63 nays, A.
There was no debate, and in this way was
disposed of one the most important measures
before the General Assembly during the pres
ent session. The defeat of the resolution was
overwhelming, when it is taken into consider
alton that in order to pass it, two-thirds
resurrection Of the matter, because motion
to reconsider was laid on the table,
The house then proceeded to the considera-
tion of the several joint resolutions reported
by the Commission, embodying proposed
amendments to the several articles of the Con-
stitutiOn.
Tie first was joint resolution to amend
section 2, article 10, of the Constitution of
this State, so as to provide for State Board
of Education and the appointment of county
school commissioners.
Mr.. Rice moved the indefinite postpOnement
of the resolution, and Mr.. Haskell moved to
strike out the enacting words.
The resolution was debated at considerable
LENGTH when the question of indefinite post
ponement was carried by ayes, 81 nays IA
two-thirds vote.
The next amendment to the Constitution
proposed by the commission was to amend sec
tion s, article 8, respecting disqualification OF
electors. The amendment proposes to alter
the section so that it shall read ''The Gener-
al Assembly shall never pass any law that will
deprive any of the citizens Of this State OF the
right of suffrage, except for treason, murder,
burglary, larceny, perjury, forgery, or any 9TH
er infamous crime, or duelling, whereof the
person shall have been duly tried and convict
ed.'
Mr.. Aldrch made strong argument IN ia
vor of this amendment, in which he showed
the inconsistency of the present article of the
Constitution which disqualified a person who
fought duel, but allowed thieves and perJu-
rers and burglars to enjoy all the rights OF the
franchise.
The amendment was adopted by vote of
101 %.
The next suggestion made by the commits
sion proposing to amend the Constitution OF
this State was by adding an article thereto, to
be known as article II relating to the term OF
office of members of the General Assembly and
other State officers.
Sundry amendments were proposed to the
resolution as submitted by the commission:
AS finally agreed upon and ordered to a third
reading it is as follows:
Section |. The terms of the Senators and
Representatives chosen at a general election
shall begin on the Monday following such elec-
tion and continue for four years.
Sec. 2. The Governor, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
Comptroller General, Secretary OF State, Treas
urer, Attorney General, Adjutant and Inspect
or General and Superintendent of Education
shall hold their respective offices for the term
of four years and until their successors shall
be elected and qualified.
Sec. 3. All county officers shall hold their
respective offices for the term OF four years ana
until their successors are elected and quallfled.
Sec. 4. The general election for members OF
the General Assembly and all State officers
sIAAAS3
in such manner and in such place as the Gen-
eral Assembly may provide.
5. Anyprovision of this Constitution in con-
fict with the foregoing amendment isannulled.
That the question of adopting this amendment
shall be submitted to the electors as follows
Those in favor of the amendment shall deposit
a ballot with the following words printed or
written thereon: constitutional amendment
relating to the term of office Of members OF
the General Assembly and of State officers
Yes.n Those opposed to said amendment
shall cast a ballot with the following words
printed OF written thereon Unconstitutional
amendment relating to the term of office of
members of the General Assembly and of State
The joint resolution suggested by the COM
mission to fix the constitutional area Of coun-
ties at 400 square miles was laid on the table
by Il two-thrds vote-5S to 81.
On motion of Mr.. Simonton all the other
amendments proposed by the
commission were then indefinitely postponed.
A night session of the House was held, III
which number of bills on the calendar were
disposed Of The bill to limit the exemption
from taxes of manufactures to such as may he
started by 1884 was killed.
THURSDAY, January 26.
In TIE SENATE, the bill authorizing the
development of the Columbia Canal property
by the State passed a third reading and was
sent to the House.
Several third reading bills, mostly Acts OF
were taken up and passed and
ordered to be enrolled for ratification.
The bill to incorporate the Southern Land
I A III