Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-12-01
Correspondence of the YorkviIle Enquirer.

journed with prayer by the heV. y. L.
Scaife.
Correspondence Of the YorkviIle Enquirer
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.
COLUMBIA, November 29.-The work on
State House not being completed, the Cen
eral Assembly met and organized in the
State Agricultural Department building
last Tuesday at ~ o'clock M.
of the previous General Assembly, except
that ex-senator Henry A. Gaillard, of Fair
field, was elected Clerk of the Senate in
place of IT. Stobo Farrow, who has clerk
ship in Washington.
The House is composed in large part of
new members, although several of these
new members have seen service in the
House before. A critical survey of the
House as a body gives the impression that
in intelligence it is fully equal to that OF past
years, and probably more truly representa-
tive than any since 1876. "
The work for the session has not yet been
fully mapped out and will not be before
the last of this week but enough is already
known to show that many changes will be
attempted in the mode of administering
the affairs, especially with view to cur
failing expenses. '.... ~ TO- -.
The Senator from York ischairman of the
committee on claims and grievances, and Is
member of the committee ion incorpOra-
tions, of charitable institutions, and the
medical committee.
w. M. Walker is on the committees on
claims and privileges and elections; W. B.
Wilson, Jr., is chairman of the committee
on mines and mining and is on the judicia-
ry committee. J. D. Hamilton is on the
committee on Federal relations, and w. II.
| Stewart is a member of the committees on
agriculture and accounts.
The Bill to charter the town of Yorkville
has been introduced.
A Bill to limit the number of trial JUS
tices in York county, fix their territorial
Jurisdiction and provide for their compen-
sation, has been agreed upon by the York
delegation and introduced into the Senate
and House. This Bill has been introduced
to meet general desire of our people for
some change in our trial justice system, and
will be of great interest to our people.
give synopsis of it as it now stands.
This Bill contemplates reduction, not
only of the cost of the present trial justice
system to the county, but Indirectly in our
Circuit Court expenses, and in Jail fees, by
removing all temptation to trial justices and
constables to send up cases to the circuit
court for trial for the sake OF the costs. DO
not believe we have single trial justice in
York county who encourages criminal pros
ecutions, for the sake of the fees and costs;
but I do believe that to make judicial Of
fcer dependent upon his fees for his COM
pensatiOn is wrong in principle, and fire.
quently works harm in practice.
The Bill provides that York county shall
be divided into six Judicial Districts, as fol-
lows: 1st district, Cherokee township; End
district, Broad River and Bullock's Creek
townships; 3rd district. York and Bethes.
da townships; 4th district, CataWba and
Ebenezer townships; 9Th district, Fort Mill
township; 9Th district, Bethel and Kings
Mountain townships. There shall be one
trial justice only for each judicial district,
making six trial justices only in this coun-
ty. The trial Justice shall be resident of
the judicial district for which he is appoint
ed, and shall have exclusive Jurisdiction
therein; but removals of criminal prosecu-
tiOns may be made from one trial justice to
another for the causes and in the manner
now provided by law. The Bill further
provides that the trial justices shall each re-
ceive the following salaries in lieu of all
costs and fees in criminal prosecutions, to
wit: 1st district $50; End district, Sl0O; 3rd
district, $3.50; 4th district, $3.50; 9TH district,
$50; 9th district, s100. In addition, the
trial justices receive the following sums as
constable fund, if so much be necessary: 1st
district, End district, 5tfr district and 9Th
district, $75 each; and in the 3rd and 4th
districts $100 each. This makes the ex-
penses of our trial justice system to our
county, including constable fees, sl,12O.
By reference to the report of the Board of
| County Commissioners you will see that the
County Treasurer paid out, last year, to
trial justices and constables, including Court
constables, the sum of 81, ,706.66 cents, in
round figures, $500 more than they would
H. cfo nf 10 M
the Bill provides for still further reduc-
ton of the expenses by requiring the trial
justices to collect and turn over to the coun-
ty treasurer, for the use of the county, all
fees and costs in all criminal prosecutions,
whether tried or compromised, to which
they would be entitled but for the passage
of this Act; also, all constables' fees and
costs and the Bill further provides that the
sheriff shall receive no fees for service of
summons by trial justices. The trial JUS
tices are further required to file with the
clerk of the court for the inspection of the
grand jury, at least ten days prior to each
term of the Court of General Sessions, GER
tilted transcript of his criminal docket,
showing the amount of costs taxed in each
case, and the amount collected thereon.
One of the greatest burdens our people
hove to bear is our system of county gov
e, lment. It is expensive and cumbersome,
an, it's benefits are not commensurate with
it's costs and besides, is not adapted to the
economic conditions of our State. If we
could abolish the office of County Commis-
soner and School Commissioner by an
amendment to our constitution and adopt
instead thereof some simple and less ex-
pensive plan, modelled perhaps upon our
form of county government before the Car
pet Baggers established the present one, it
would relieve us of a large share of the bur-
dens of taxation our people now have to
bear. There is no question in our State
that compares in Importance with that of
the urgent necessity Of doing something def
mite and decisive toward the Improvement
and reduction of the expenses of our county
government.
Another evil much complained of, and
that comes home directly to our people,
is the present system of assessment of prop
erty and collection of taxes. The present
system is not uniform and equal between
individuals, nor between counties. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the present Leg"
islature will have the wisdOmtO adopt some
plan whereby uniformity and equality may
be obtained
The supreme court of this State has de-
cided in the case of the Carolina and Cum
berland Gap Railroad Co., VS.. NJ. T. Trim
BILE, that manufacturers are not exempt
from taxation, or to be more accurate, are not
entitled to refund of their taxes, by town.
ships for railroad purposes. Thiswill prove
of interest to the people of CataWba and
Cherokee townships in connection with the
subscriptions of those townships to the e. G.
d G.. r. r. -,
The Inauguration of the Governor will
20 rIoco of tho onara hOuSa on next