Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-12-17

ton, bought by w. A Sanders for 500; 200
acres belonging to the same, bought by
Frank Melton for s555 16O acres, belonging
to the same, bought by G.. T.. Foote for
1910; 3O2 acres, belonging to NJ. j. Johnson,
acres eUSgP beoSHgne oS to H. TyS ~ WRes H bought BY
| w. H. Wise for $2,269; 235 acres belonging
to the estate of Thomas Woods, bought by
J. L. Glenn for $3.50; 80 acres belonging to
the same, bought by S. B. Massey & Son for
$3.50. The low price of land is due to the
great scarcity Of money. NJ.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
| COLUMBIA, November 1.-THE most of
the time to this date has been consumed by
the General Assembly in the introduction
of Bills and committeesWQrk and now the
Calender shows the matters to be disposed
of. There are an unusual, number of Con-
stitutiOnal amendments proposed.
1. An amendment providing that the poll
tax shall not be less than one dollar and
strikes out of the Constitution the proviso
that no person shall ever be deprived of the
right of suffrage for the non-payment of poll
tax. This amendment has passed the House,
but has not been acted on by the Senate.
| 3. An amendment striking out the pro-
vision requiring a State census every ten
years, and authorizing the General Assem-
bly, to adopt the preceding U. S. census as
correct enumeration of the inhabitants Of
the State for the purposes of a reapportion.
ment of the representation of the several
counties of the State in the House of Rep
resentatives. This has passed the Senate
and has received two readings in the House.
This will almost certainly pass, but fight
will be made to take State census this
year, many up country members not feel
ing willing to wait two years to secure q
reduction of the representatives from the
low country. 70 take a census will cost
a good sum of money for very small adj
vantage.
The proposed amendment to equalize the
representation in the Senate, which would
deprive the county of Charleston of one
Senator was defeated in both Houses.
A new section was proposed to the Constl-
tuition providing that the Legislature shall
have no power to authorize any county or
other corporation or subdivision of the
State to issue bonds or lend its credit to any
corporation, association or company, which
was defeated. If this had passed it would
have been a good thing for the railroads
now built, as it would have practically put
an end to railroad building in this State.
Another amendment proposed to vest the
election of Superintendent Of Public Edu-
cation in the General Assembly, to increase
his term of Office to four years and to give
the appointment of School Commissioners
of the counties to the Governor. This was
| rejected by the Senate. The argument used
for its passage was that by divorcing this
office from politics that more efficient officers
would be secured, the argument used against
| it was that it was giving too much power
and patronage to the Governor.
An important Bill has passed the House
and is now on the Calendar of the Senate.
1t is a Bill to establish the priority of liens.
| The liens prescribed are in the following
order: 1st. Landlords lien for rent and
supplies Ind Laborers who assist in max
ing the crop. 3rd. All other liens for agricul-
the calendar to await the result of the action
of the Senate on Bill from the House to
repeal the lien law in toto, which passed
that House by large majority. The indi-
cations are that it will also pass the Senate.
If it does this disposes of the above named
Bill.
The Bill which required emigrant agents
to pay license of $500, which passed the
House, was rejected by the Senate.
A bill! has passed the House to regulate
municipal and special elections so as to re-
qure the electors to register as in general
elections.
A Bill TO authorize county commissioners
to work short term cOnvicts on the pub
lie highways or on the streets of towns or
cities will probably become law also
Bill to require the Superintendent and Di-
rectors of the Penitentiary and the Agricul-
tural Department to pay all money receiv-
ed by them into the State treasury, and to
be drawn out by them on warrants from
the Comptroller General.
A Bill to renew and extend the charter of
Yorkville has passed the Senate and is on
its passage through the House, also Bill
to amend the charter of the town of Blacks
by extending it's limits half a mile further
westward; also bill to renew the charter
of the town of Rock Hill.
The question of continuing the canal has
not been settled yet. think the majority
of the General Assembly are opposed to
any further aid to this project except convict
labor.
The Bill to abolish free tuition, in South
Carolina University, and the Bill to abolish
the Railroad Commission have not been
acted upon.
The Bill providing a stenographer for our
Circuit was rejected by the Senate. A Bill
to repeal the law giving to the militia the
annual appropriations of $4,000, was de-
feated in the House. A Bill passed the
House to exempt all persons who served in
the confederate army from road duty.
A Bill to fix the rate Of interest at per
cent. instead of 10 per cent. as is now al
lowed on contracts, was, after long discus
sion in the Senate, killed.
The Bill to repeal the Prohibitory liquor
law in Oconee county, and place it back
under the operations of the local option law
passed the Senate, but do not think it will
pass the House. w
The fight of the session on the prohibition
question, which it was understood would
come off in the House on the 10th, drew
large crowd ofspectators. Delegations were
present from Anderson, Chester, Sumter,
Oconee, and Barnwell. There were double
delegations from each of these counties-one
seeking repeal of the prohibition laws now
in force, the other asking that the status
quo should stand. The county of Anderson
upon which the fight was made, asked that
the county of Anderson be allowed to vote
upon the question as to whether license
would be granted in the town OF anderson.
After a long and spirited discussion by
members on both sides, the question came
up on motion to indefinitely postpone the
Bill, the result of the vote on this motion
was, ayes 56, nays 81. A motion was then
made by the enemies of the Bill to reconsid-
er that vote and lay that motion on the ta-
bic, which, if agreed to, would bury the Bill
beyond any hope of resurrection. This vote
resulted, ayes So, nays 55. So the motion
was not agreed to. Friday night the fight
was again resumed on a motion to recon-
slider, which was lost, ayes Al, nays 5l.
This ended very hard fight, in which
neither side had anything to boast of. The
result was generally accepted by the dele
cnffl irC %