Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-02-02

nays 44.
There was no debate, and in this way
was disposed Of ono of the most important
measures before the General Assembly DUR |
ing tho present session. The defeat Of tho
resolution was overwhelming when it is
thkeu into consideration that in order to
have passed it two thirds voto was required.
There is no chance Of resurrection Of the
matter, because motion to reconeider was
laid on the table.
TIE EnUUATIo IoNAL AMENDMEST.
Tho next constitutional amendment pro
posed by tho commission was to amend Soo-
tion 9, Article y of the Constitution of the
State so as to provide for State Board of
liducation and tho appointment Of County
School Commissioners.
Mr.. Haskell moved to strike out tho re-
solving words of the resolution.
Mr.. j. NJ. johnson said that tho rcsolu.
ton Ind been suggested by tho present
efficient Superintendent Of education 1t
| was intended to correct the evils of the
present systcm by which men nre very free
qucntly elevated to the Office of school
commissioners purely on personal or political
grounds and without regard TO their quai-
licatons. The amendment would allow the
people the opportunity of correcting this
defect in the Fundamental law. 1t would
also improve the composition Of the State
| Board of Education.
| Mr. Haskell said he had made tho mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone tho joint rcso-
lutiou without reading it, but after cxami-
| uution Of il lie was still unable to support
it, He considered that the power of the
| Legislature to alter the Constitution should
DC exercised only in emergencies lie did
| not consider that any emergency now ox.
listed. lie had favored the calling Of
convention because therc were defects in
the Constitution which might with ndvan-
tagc be corrected. The Legislature is not
fitted to deal with these matters. They
were distracted by local issues md ovcrrun
by routine matters. lie thought il dan
gerous to place before the people y mcas..
ure to take away from the people tho cleo
ton Of the Officers which they have had for
years.
Mr. Simonton said tha. the gentleman
from Nichar,l protested against hurryins
through tho General Assembly ut this
time i'll considered matters This matter,
he said, was printed aud in the hands of
every mcu,bcr Of tho House before the
!
NChluna aays ho has not read line Of it
| object to the statement that We arc hur-
ryng through thc House this matter when
it has hccu in the handa Of tho members
| for weeks. Under the present Con; ;ituton
| tho State Board Of Education is composed
of one commissioner from each county Of
| the State. This body Of thirty three mcn
soon to be thirty four, meets in Columbia
Il y
pcrinicDaent Of Education thinks this body
unwlcldy and unsuitcd for practical pur-
poses This amendment proposes instead
Of this large body a small commission. In
order to keep this question out of politics,
end to prevent man from being elected
school com mmissioncr simply bccousc of his
popularity or bis necessities, without rcfer-
cncc to his qualifications, the power is given
this commission, selected by the Governor
and approved by the Senate, TO secure the
best men in the State II VIC are going to
pass any Constitutional Amendments at all,
let lis pass this one. agree with my
friend that the proper place to amend the
Constitution is in convention, but the
House has voted down that question.
Mr. Haskell disulaimcd any intention to
charge the committee with forcing upon the
House i'll considered cgislation and he
had in mind too wildly the fate Of the
youth who tauntcd the baldhcadcd prophet
charge the venerable gentIenanfrom Charles.
ton with any such intention.
Mr.. Murray said that the General AS.
scm6ly twelve months ago had placed its
sea! Of condemnation on the Constitution
aud especially on the present school system,
and as evidence of this they had selected a
commission to suggest such amendments as
they might deem proper. We have said
that the Constitution needs amendment, and
now if we vote down all these amendments
because we have refused to call Convcn.
ton think VIC will place ourselves in
position which will lay us open to severe
criticism by the people in the coming elcc.-
ton.
Mr.. Parker argued that the Legislature
last year did not set its stamp of condcm-
nation upon the Constitution. He claimed
that the instrument itself contained much
Of good. ]. had been mndc up largely of
the old Constitutions, while its preamble
vas perhaps the greatest political lie ever
written. While H. should have read: We
the recently cmancipatcd slaves of South
Carolina, together with handful Of carpet.
baggers upheld and supported by the bayo~
nc's OF the United States Government, or.
dain this to be the Constitution of South
Carolina &c, yet it was not wholly bad and
nc did not believe IN tampcring with it in
the way proposed. There wns but one
amendment proposed by the commission
which was at all necessary and that was