The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-14
EDITORIAL cORKEspoSDEScE.
COLUMBIA, S. G., Dec, II,


being the las, day for the introduction
OF bills, every member has Ject! working
to get his pet measures in, and as con.
sequence a very large number of bills of
local nature have been introduced dur.
ing the past week, ending on Monday
with perfect shower Of bills. The Ju
dietary Committee alone hns had over
one hundred bills referred to it during
the session, and the other committees
have also had their fair proportion Of
work. It is, however, a fact upon which
the people may congratulate themselves
that the majority of the bills introduced
are nearly always killed, otherwise there
would be more law. enacted than the
most erudite Of the profession could pos
sibly keep up with, much ess the non
professional citizen. | believe, however,
that the proportion of bills killed this
year is greater than it has ever been be-
fore. This Legislature is eminently
conservative, and 81 far has been very
conservative in all Of its policy. Very
f.w changes indeed will be made in the
organic law, though some Of them will
probably be changes Of very great consc.
quence. The effort to
REPEAL TIE LIEN LAW
has met with more opposition than | an
tcipated at first, and the result is very
uncertain, though atil think repeat
is probable. The Anderson delegation
is inclined to vote for The repeating bill,
but it is not certain, IN some Of them will
not finally decide until they have heard
all the reasons on both sides. The ques
tion which produces the doub, il the po.
lticsl condition Of the State. If it is
thought, with good show Of reason in
the argument, that the repeal Of the law
will have a tendency to give us trouble
in the election of 1884, it is pretty safe
to predict the bill will fail, but If such
showing in not made npprehend that i,
will paRs. The whole matter has been
made the special order for Friday, n,
which time the House will dspose Of it.
As reported from the Agricultural Com
mittee the bill repeals the landlords
lien for rent, and all other liens on
crops. hope that clause will be in
serted retaining the lien Of the landlord
to the extent of one-third of the crop,
for otherwise fear great trouble will be
experienced by many in renting lands n,
all, and also in the Fall that there will
be innumcrable suits and contentious
about the collections Of rents. /, at
least, shall feel bound to vote against the
bill unless such q provision is inserted.
1t will be enough to change the whole
system Of credit without also taking from
the tenant the easy means of giving Ne.
curity for his rent.
By far the most important measure
before the General Assembly at this ses,
sion is the proposition
TO REPEAL TIE UsURY LAW,
30 rs to allow persons lending money by
written contracts to that effect to charge
as hisI as ten per cent. The judiciary
Committee of the House, which had re-
ported unfavorably on q bill 10 fix the
limit at twelve per cent by majority of
one, reported favorably on the pfopos-
tion to extend it to ten per cent. The
immediate reason assigned for this, in
addition TO the usual arguments advanced
against the usury law, is that compa-
ny of English capitalists want to put one
million dollars at interest III South Cnr-
olina on security upon real estate, pro-
vided they can charge by law ten per
cent. interest. The State Grange has
memorialzed the Legislature to pass
shis law, aud it has very many support.
ers. both in The House and the Senate.
It's passage will be vigorously opposed in
both Houses, but its enactment at this
sessi on is by no means improbable.
The annual fight to repeal tho law
which exempts new Manufactures from
taxation for ten years came of in the
House yesterday on bill introduced by
Mr. Bobo, Of Spartanbnrg. 1t was ably
advocated by Messrs. Bobo, scudday,
McCrady, Davis and Farley, and wns
vigorously opposed by Messro. Croft,
Mauldin, Murray, Brawly and McNiaster.
The bill was defeated by vote of 63 to
20. Messrs. Vandiver and Murray voted
against the bill, aud Messrs. Scudday
and Clinkscales for it.
In the Senate yesterday the Columbia
Canal came up for discussion, and quite
an interesting debate occurred, which
will be continued to-day.
DIr. j. B. Moore, of Anderson, said: !
was member of the committee to whom
this bill was referred aud voted against
the bill in the committee, although I did
not bring in minority report. Mr.. Lee,
the engineer, says that this work can be
completed in three years with an annual
appropriation of $1,000 and the work of
$50 convicts. have taken il upon my.
self to go and look at this work and, al.
though not an engineer, 1 give as my
opinion that it will require half million
Of dollars before it is completed. i have
made inquiries Of the committee if they
knew of any offers to make up this water
power when 1t Is developed, and they
say they do not, but similar canal was
dug in Augusta and is now operating
several factories. I regard it as private
measure and think that it will prove an
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