The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-12-08
HOUSE..
COLUMBIA, S. c., November 80.

COLUMBIA, S. c., November SO.
Two measures monopolizcd the time
OF the House yesterday. There was a
bill to utilize the labor of municipal
convicts and to empower the courts and
municipal authorities to impose the pun
isment Of labor within their respective
Jurisdictions and the second was the
valued policy insurance bill. Both came
up MS special orders and produced a
long and uninteresting discussion.
On the convict bill" the committee
had made an unfavorable report. Mr..
Haskell moved that the enacting words
be stricken out. Mr.. Brown of Darling
ton said he thought the bill Of consider
able importance and he hoped the men,
bers would see it in the same light He
described how it would benefit the
counties. Convicts did not consider
confinement any punishment. The OBJ
ject Of punishment is not attained by
confining prisoners in Jail. 1t does not
act as preventive of crime. One of the
great advantages which will result from
the passag. Of the bill will be the i'm
provement Of the highways. The pro-
posed road work il f. re lone under the
proper authorities-rne County Com
missionerS.
nv. Douglass spoke briefly in faypr Of
the bill and suggested some changes
which he thought would improve it.
This amendment proposed to make
amcndahle to tEis law all convicts in the
penitentiary who are sentenced for n
term of less than three years.
Mr.. McIvcr said he was heartily in
sympathy with the bill and trusted it
would pass.
Mr.. Anson opposed the amendments
and gave several reasons why, in his
opinion, it should not be accepted.
Mr.. Haskell spoke briefly but earnest
ly in support of his motion to strike
out the enactins words, but suggested
that perhaps it would be best to recon-
NIT the bill to the judiciary Committee.
He did not like the idea OF working
roads by taxation.
MIR. Brown rejoined that we will
never have good roads until they are
worked by taxation.
Short speeches were then made by
Messrs. Douglass, Robertson, Bowen.
Graydon, Williams, Davies, Pope, Lyles.
Jones and Pettigrew.
The yeas and nays were then taken
or Mr.. Haskell's motion with the follow
ing result yeas 46, nays 81. The bill
was then passed to its third reading.
The insurance bill now came up on
its merits, and Mr.. Kaysor of Orange
burg moved to strike out the enacting
words.
Mr.. Graydon, the author OF the bill,
spoke long and ably in it's defense. He
adduced sundry reasons why the in
surance companies should be held down
to thier contracts and made to pay the
amount they agree to pay in their
policies.
Mr.. Pettigrew and Mr.. Pope followed
in few appropriate words ,favoring the
bill. The latter said that he regarded
the matter as an eminently just one.
TO pass it will be to put an end to
much litigation with tho insurance
companies.
Messrs. Raysor, Lyles and Kennedy
then put in few words against the bill,
and they were responded to by Mr.. Folk,
who msdc telling little speech in its
favor.
Messrs. Scuddy, McCrady and Me-
Master followed in short arguments
against the proposed Law, and Mr.. Parker
took sharp issue with them in q we'll
considered argument Of ten minutes'
length.
Mr.. Simonton then delivered the
strongest speech yet made against pass
| ing the law.
He was followed by Mr.. Ready aud
Mr.. Doyle for, and Mr.. Dantzier and Mr..
McHugh against the bill. which ended
the debate. {s,5
The bill was then rejected by a vote