The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1885-12-09
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Monday, November 80.
SENATE.


Although the Senate calendar re-
corded at noon to-day nearly thirty
measures, all but half dozen were
disposed Of before two O'Clock. There
was very little speaking. Nobody
seems to have been thoroughly thawed
out yet. Debate is at discount.
There actually was not q word Of
argument on the joint resolution pro-
posing q constitutional convention.
Tho. special order for the day was
the second reading of Senator You
mans joint resolution calling Con-
stitutional Convention. The report of
the committee had been favorable.
There, was no debate. The yeas and
nays were demanded, and the vote
resulted: Yeas, II; nays, IA; not
voting,4.
The Chair announced that the joint
resolution had passed its second read
Senator Smythe made inquiry wheth-
er the resolution could come up for a
third reading, having failed to secure
the two-thirds constitutional majority.
The Chair stated that in his view the
constitutional provision applied only
to the final passage of the resolution.
The yeassand nays had not been called
today under the constitutional mall
date, bat at the demand of two mem
bers. On the final reading the Chair
would order the vote by yeas and nays
as required by the Constitution. In
the view of the Chair the requirement
of two-thirds majority did not apply
TO the votes during the transit of the
resolution through the Senate, but
ouly to tbs last vote when the question
of passing it must arise.
After . short executive session, in
which the Governors nomination Of a
supervisor OF registration for Aiken
county was confirmed, the Senate ad-
journed.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The entire day was spent after the
usual formula of the morning hour in
the discussion of the bill to utilize the
labor sf prisoners confined in county
iails and the insurance bill. The first
named was passed and the latter de-
feateti. The convict bill was taken up
first The bill il brief provides that
all courts and municipal authorities
which under existing laws have power
to sentence conviets to confinement in
prisons other than the penitentiary,
Shall within their discretion impose
the further punishment of hard labor,
and the convict so sentenced shall be
required to labor upon the highways,
roads, bridges and ether public works
of tho county, or upon the streets or
other public works within the limits of
the city. the work to be under the
supervision of the county commission
ers or the municipal authorities, as the
case may be.
Mr. G. w. Brown, the author of the
bill, supported it in short speech, in
which be showed the advantages of the
measure.
Then followed = long discussion and
the usual tinkering of the bill. Mr..
Douglassrof Fairfield, advocated its
passage in o very clever and earnest
speech, In which be pointed out the
necessity which existed for the passage
of such 8 law. 1t would give, he
urged, to the counties and municipali-
ties an increased laboring force, and if
the House passed the bill he wonld
seek so to amend it that the peniten-
tisry Ewoeid be, relieved of quite q
number of short term convicts, who
could be utilized to solve the vexed
question of public roads, which had so
long agitated the public mind ia South
Carolina.
Mr.. Ansel, Of Greenville, who has
jusEarrived,st the capital, opposed the
bill in his Sususl vehement style. It
would, he said, cucumber the counties
with the cost of building stockades,
hiring gaards,etc.,, and its practical
result after all woGld be to commit the
State to the principle Of working the
public rosds by taxation, and he didn't
believe .tkat The people Of the State
were-eady vet to commit themselves
to theEheory.
Ar. Haskell, Of Colunbis, said that
the more he looked into the bill the
more he was convinced that it would
be . fruitful sonrcc of trouble TO the
State. He moved to reccmmit it.
MIR. Bravley doubted whether the
measure would be of economic value
in its practical operation; that, he said,
was the Judgment of the judiciary
committee last session, and that was
the reason it had been reported uri-
favorabiy. With certain amendments,
however, he thought the scheme might
be worth trying. The amendment he
suggested provided that such convicts
should be employed as labor only in
thosescounties or towns where it shall
be made to appear; to the satisfaction
of the Court that suitable provision
can be made for the use Of such labor.
The amendment was lost.
Mr.. Douglass offered an amendment
authorizing the superintendent of the
penitentiary to turn over to the sheriff
Of eonnty such convicts as are sem
fenced to terms Of less than one year,
upon the demand of the county COM
missioners. Agreed to.
After some further discussion the
motion 10 kill the bill was lost, sves
46, nays 81, and after undergoing some
additional amendments the bill was
passed and ordered to be engrossed
for third reading.
After an extended discussion, in
which number of Representatives
participated, motion to tables motion
to reconsider the vote was then adopt
e0-yeas 81, nays 55-Which put 8