The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-12-24

| Mr.. llcmphill moved to reduce the
appropriation for the support Of the
schools in the South Carolina University
at Columbia from $4,000 to So. 1GO.
| He took the ground that the law rcgu-
lating the admission Of bcncficiarics into
the University had been hagrantly vio-
lated. No student had been admitted
on the recommendation of delegations
from the respective Counties by appoint
mcnt Of the Governor. and after COM
i pctitivc examination. Every student
had been admitted FREQ, and the advan-
tagcs were open TO the son Of Jay Gould
or any other millionaire in New York or
elsewhere, for which the people Of the
State were required to pay. His pro-
posed amendment would allow $2IO to
each Of the thirty-four beneficiary stu
dents provided for by law. and FOR this
provision the amount Of $15,UOO in the
| Bill was nlomSt double what was rcuui-
site.
Pending the debate, at 3 O'Clock, the
House took recess until 7'3O p. NJ.
The House reaScmblcd ut 80 and the
following Bills were introduced to en-
corporate tho Troy Cotton Seed Oil Com
pany to amend All Act to provide for
the payment Of election expenses in the
State to amend An Act to authorize the
Town Council Of Georgetown to cstab-
lish n system Of registration Of births,
deaths and marriages to provide for
the more speedy development Of the Co.
luml'ia Canal to incorporate the town
| Of Waterloo to renew and amend the
charter Of the town Of Central to pro-
provide for the payment Of $500 to oSeph
F; +. Robinson for making certain indexes :;
petition of citizens Of Laurcns, praying
that the charter Of the town be not
amended.
Mr.. Doyle-That it he referred to the
Committee of Agriculture to inquire as
| to the cause Of the diminution Of shud
in the upper waters Of rivers in the
State.
The debate on the Appropriation Bill
was resumed, the question being on Mr..
llclnphill's amendment reducing the ap-
preparation for the University from $15.-
900 to rs. .lGO.
Mr.. Pope said that in consistency with
the position which he had taken in the
House, to opcos" every unlawful and
unnecessary expenditure Of the public
money, he was bound to give his sup
port to the amendment proposed by the
gentleman from Abbcville. lie claimed
| that the fund for the establishment Of
an Agricultural and Mechanical College
arising under the Ac. Of Congress, had
been divested from its legitimate use by
dividing it between the South Carolina
College and Clatiiin University. lie
would ruthcr see the whole Of that fund
given to the University and make it in
| fact, what it was now only in name, n
university. If the law Of the ST, tc
limits the number Of professors in the
| University to ten, ead their salary at
$1,000 each, and $4,000 has already
been appropriated to the Military Acnd-
cmy as part Of the University, it was
impossible, under the law, to appropri-
ate another dollar to the South Carroll
ma College.
Mr.. Simonton said that the line Of at
tack upon the institutions Of the State
had been now fully developed and it
must be fairly and successfully met If
the amendment proposed was adopted
it would close up the College this was
the issue. He charged that the argu-
mcnt Of the gentleman from Newbcrry
was the mcrcst sophistry, and proceeded
IN his usual clear and incisive manner
to make tho charge good. lie gave a
succinct history Of the Legislation by
which the educational institutions Of
this State had been rescued from the
degradation to which they had been re-
duccd by the republican party while in
control Of the affairs Of the State. lie
showed that the 10th Article of the Con-
stitution, when it used the term "frce,'
in connection with the system of public
education, it was construed to be fairly
applicable to that institution which was
wholly supported by the money Of the
people of the State, and that in opening
it to the son Of every man in South Car
olina, the Trustees, instead Of violating
this trust and the law Of the land, they
were indeed fulfilling in the highest
sense the spirit and letter Of the Consti-
tuition, as well as meeting tho very re-
quircmcnts and demands of the people
who created both the Constitution and
the trust by which its provisions were
to be made effective. He characterized
the spccious objections and himsy soph-
istrics of the opposition as coming from
those who showed that they did not
know what they were talking about, and
furnished the proof that they had bocn