Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-01-26
Legislative Correspondence.
CoIuMprA, s. c., January 90, 1882.

EdttofS 0T heonee courier:
reached tho city Of The capitol in due
time on Monday evening last and found my
o.reprcsentatiyes, Messrs. Shanklin and
Werner, both in good health,ond at the post
Of duty as faithful sentinels of tho people.
During the few days of my absence the
House had taken up several important
measures, which had been onrried over
until after tho recess, and was making
progress, but had finished pone Of them.
On Tuesday last tho consideration of the
bill reported by the Commission on the
subject Of registration and tho election
laws of the State was resumed and several
amendments proposing notifications Of somo
of the loading features of the bill were
voted down and iually tho call of "thc
upon tho whole meter, the operation of
which was to cut off all further amend.
mcnts and discussion of tho measure and
tho bill pressed to 3oto upon it's passage
to third reading, waich resulted ina de,
feat thereof by vote of IS to SO, which
brought the advocates Of the measure to
their sonscs and gave timo for reflection
and doliberation. Or Wednesday mo-
tion was madc to reconsider the action uf
tho House whereby it refused to pass the
bill and order it to third reading, which
motion prevailed, and the question being
ogain opened for consideration was re-
| fnrro1 70 II &c
posed Of two from each Congressional
District in the State, fsc of whom were to
be appointed from the friends ond five from
the opponents of tho measure, as it then
stood, to sec if they could not harmonizc
the conflicting views Of the members on
this most vcxcd question. This special
committee submitted their report on Satur-
day morning which brought in several i'm.
pottant amendments which were adopted
and the bill fiually passed aud ordered to
third reading by a vote of 81 to 80, and go
| presume the measure will now certainly
become law, through much tribulation and
not without serious opposition. The regis
tration feature is Objectionable in some of
its details, but to some of u.s. ut least, the
multi box system was much moro so, and
in my judgment not a necessity, and should
therefore have been ciminaed; but now
that it will, presume, certainly become
tho law, it bcloovcs us all to accept
it rs such and to uuito upon it and
forgetful Of our differences here, press
forward to achieve political success under
it. Whatever may have bccn our ind"
vdual views upon tho subject before, now
that it will become the law, those views
should be merged in the action of tho
majority for the common safety ond veal
of the State; for VIC 'canbot, at this timc,
afford to divide politically upon this or any
other question, however seemingly vital to
many Of u.s.
The bill reported by the commission
on the subject Of common carriers is an
important measure, which will soon become
law. This provides for only one Railroad
Commissioner to be elected by the Lcgisla-
turc, but en'argcs his powers and duties,
empowering him to regulate frcights and
farce and prevent Determinations and other
abuses; in fact it undertakes to regulate and
control the whole system Of railroads in
this State, and the amendment which was
proposed and passed in the prcscn, interest,
as il is alleged, Of the Blue Ridge md
other routes seeking to penetrate the noun
tains to the West, allows one railroad com
pany to subscribe to tho stock or guarantee
tho bonds of another, which was inhibited |
undor the provisions Of tho bill as origin
oily reported, because it was feared tho
privilege would foster combinations and
destroy competition. Under this amend.
mcnt it is suggested and expected that the
Richmond and Danvllc aud South Caro-
lima Railroad Companies with other in.
tcrestoa capitalists of New York, will
unite their strength and efforts for the
completion of the Blue Ridge to Knox
willie.
The till on the subject of the assessment
aud collection of taxes has been under cons
sideration during the past week and some
changes and new features nro introduced
into the systcm. 1t provides first for tho
lease of delinquent lands at public letting
after duo advertisement for period of not
more than seven years to tho person who
will take the least number of acres of the
land for the shortest period Of time and