The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-12-20
WIPlNG OUT TIE LIEN LAW.
Tho House Passed A Repeal Iill to Take
Effect Jan. l, 1885.
Rcpor!c,l for The INeus and Couitr.

Effect Jan. l, 1888.
Rcpor!c,l for The Nrms and Courier.
COLUMBIA, December 1I.-When the
bill wipiug out the whole Lien law, re.
ported by majority of the committee
on agriculture, came up on the Calendar,
Mr.. Lee, Of Sumter, moved TO make il
the special order for Thursday. Mr..
Murray opposed the motion, and it was
voted down. Mr.. Britton moved to in.
definitely postpone tho bill, thus bring.
ing the question squarely up and prevent
ing debate. The yeas and nays were
had and resulted, yeas II, nays III. So
the motion was lost. Immediately
thereupon, absent members were sent for
by both sides, md the hall gradually
filled. Mr.. Ansel moved to amend by
adding IL proviso that the Act should
take effect January !, 1885. \ motion
TO lay this amendment on the table was
made and lost.
Mr.. Stribling said that he believed the
House favored tho bill, but that he with
many others did not wish the repeal OF
the Lien Inv to take place Immediately.
Mr.. Montgomery moved to strike out
the cnnctng clause of the bill. Mr..
Murray moved to lny this motion on the
table, and his motion prevnied-yeas
so, nays As.
The question recurreI on Mr.. Anscl's Is
amendment.
Mr.. Brit.on moved to amend by max
ing tho Act take effect January |, 1856,
Instead of 1885. Mr.. Gary moved to lay
motion was agreed to.
Irr,A,,;nl, io,in-nl IS n...,.
burg, opposed Mr.. Ansel's amendment.
lie said that the question of the repeal
of tho lien law was matter of chronic
consideration in the Legislature. lie
had come here for the purpose Of voting
for repeal. No doubt the law had been
enacted for good purpose, but it had
been badly abused. and was doing great
harm. It's evil effects were growing
yearly. All of his constituents, white
and colored, to whom he had spoken on
the subject of repeal, had advised him
to go ahead and try to repeal the law
He wanted it repealed, and repealed ut
once.
MIR. Beckett, colored, of Berkeley,
said that he was sorry to differ from his
friend from Orangeburg,
but must say that the Lien law had done
great good in his section.
The previous question was ordered,
and on the adoption Of Mr.. Ansels
amendment the yea and nay vote result
ted: Yeas 81, nays %. The amend.
ment was agreed to.
Mr.. Murray now moved to modify
somewhat the only section of the bill,
and to add: provided, that such re-.
peal shall not affect the rights of land.
lords for rent and laborers to liens upon
crops and the remedies heretofore pro.
vided for enforcing the same"
Mr.. Montgomery opposed repeal or
conditional repeal. Never was there q
time when it was 80 improyident, mex.
pedient and unwise to repeal the law as
the present time. We were on tho eve
of political campaign, and if the law
were repealed it would be made an issue
in that campaign. 1t would be said ,hat
we were enacting class legislation. He
did not hesitate to say that it was legis.
lation in the interest of the landholding
element. That was tho kernel in the
nut It would put it in the hands of the
landholders to control labor, and would
handicap every small farmer in South
Carolina. The Legislature would be
assuming grave responsibility in pass.
ing this bill. He believed that those of
the members who might be fortunate
enough to return to the Legislature next
year would be only too glad to re-enact
tho lien law.
Mr.. Murray said that the law is not
normal one. 1t was now nearly twenty
years since the law had been placed on
the Statute book for the declared purpose
Of enabling the people of the State to
tide over a temporary emergency. If
Ibis emergency mad not been passed by
his time 1t was evident that the law had
failed to subserVe its purpose. There is
now great confusion in the law. 1t would
result in disaster TO our agri.
cultural interests. The law stimulated
and thriftlessness. It had
1ot borne out the expectations entertain.
ID for It. This bilf gave one year in
which to prepare for the change. That
lime would be sufficient. He considered
hat the lien law in South Carolina had
ate and compel that all.cotton culture
.iculture. The highest agricultural
authorities of the State were against It.
Let 1t bo swept away, and then the 10.
)OIer, az wen d8 tno LANDOWNER, Will reel
hat he is interested in raising the bread.
tufts we need, and will give additional
prosperity to our agriculture. As to the
political effect of the repeal, the matter
lad been agitated In South Carolina
very 6ession for years and years. It bad
,een agitated In The Democratic canvass.
. and In the Legislature. It had done
10 political harm and would do none.
de did not believe that for Ten years the
ime would come when immediate re-.
ZEAL would DO practicable, bnt 1t was