The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-20
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
seial Correspondence Of The Imeuigeneer.

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All of the articles that are to make up
the new Constitution have been touched
upon with the exception of the article on
the judicial department. The expecta-
ton now is that the session of the Con-
.vention will be about sixty days and
that shorter time will involve hasty
work.
The Convention spent most of last week
in the consideration of the articles on
corporations and education. A little
time was spent in the effort to make
some constitutional provision which will
be calculated to minimize lynching. The
Convention seems to be pretty well
agreed that something ought to be done
on this line, and section to beincorpora-
ted in the article on jurisprudence has
been about agreed upon. The main
feature of the sections are that 1t makes
the removal of the Sheriff who permits
the interference with prisoner possible,
and it provides for damages to the party
injured by a mob or to the representa-
tives in case Of death. The minimum
damages is fixed at 81, 900.
The article on corporations has been
passed to a third reading and contains
some new law in relation to incorpora-
t.ons as we'll as Incorporating some of the
existing statutory laws In the Constitu-
ton in relation to corporations.
SO far as the public Is generally inter-
ested 1t might be mentioned that bank
examiner has been provided for and the
stock holders in banks and banking insti-
tutions are made liable "to depositors IN
q sum equal to their stock over and above
the face value Of the same"
The article as 1t now stands is thought
to hedge around the railroad corporations
quite carefully. The chief features Of the
changes in this regard are: the denial of
the right Of railroads to limit or relieve
themselves Of the common law liability,
or, In a word, to deny the right to make
special contracts for shipments or In
regard to the value of baggage; to do
away with the present law in the State BY
which railroad Ia not made liable for
Injuries to its employees who may be
Injured by thea Of the fellow-servants;
TO REQUIRE all corporations doing business
in the<State to take out charter under
!: the laws of South Carolina.
The impression seems to be that there
will be another fight on this report on Its
third reading. The effort was made to
FIX the liability of bank stockholders at
the equivalent Of the holdings as Is the
case with national banks. -
The Educational Committee report is
receiving the earnest attention Of the
Convention. Up to this time the Com
mittee report has been accepted in almost
every detail as II has been reported. MI.
Mitchell, Of Charleston, the chairman,
has made q gallant and successful fight,
and has made splendid impression on
the body with his views. The impress
sion is that the very best possible Is TO be
done for the educational system in the
State. and already the State has taken a
long stride forward In the upbuilding OF
the common schools. The Com mittee's
idea Is to have the school term in every
part of the State extend over five months,
and to guarantee IS per capita dor every
school child in the State, which is very
decided Improvement on the present
plan. The Committee plan in founda.
tion Is to levy constitutional tax OF
three mills for the schools, and 81 poll
tax, and In all cases where these do not
make up the s. per capita then. the Comp
stroller General is to levy a supplement
itary tax on all property IN the State to
make up such deficiency as may occur.
The Impression is that there will be no
occasion for such a special tax, especially
IL the Convention agrees to the Commit
tees suggestion that the Dispensary pro-
fits, the Penitentiary profits and escheated
estates go to the general school fund.
6oe5 oil Ixy4 or II q
all State and County officials connected
with the school system should be paid
out of the general State fund. There was
q hard fight first to leave the matter Of q
school tax to the General Assembly,
which failed. Then the effort was made
to fix it at two mills, or not less, but the
Convention seemed set on the three mill
tax and It was agreed to. Those who
favored a 81 and q $1.50 poll tax made a
gallant fight to have the poll tax increased
but in vain, very few of the mem bers
being willing to 90 on record as in favor
of an increase In the poll tax. Governor
Tillman has long had as one Of his hob
bies small school districts 80 as to make
all territory come within easy reach of a
school. There was decided opposition to
the plan, on the grounds of expense and
change, but it was carried.
q The sixth section contains the back bone
Of the plan and is given on account of its
vast importance. It reads as follows as
adopted:
Section s. The existing County Boards
Of Commissioners Of the several Counties,
OF such officer or oficers as may hereafter
be vested with the same or similar pow
of three mills on the dollar upon all the
taxable property In their respective
Counties, which tax shall be collected at
the same time and by the same officers
as the other taxes for the same year, and
shall be held In the County Treasury of
the respective Counties, and the said fund
shall be apportioned among the school
districts Of his County in proportion to
the number of pupils enrolled in the pub
lie schools of the respective districts. and
notify the Trustees of the respective
school districts thereof, who shall expend
and disburse the same as the General
Assembly may prescribe. Not less than
three trustees for each school district,
who shall be qualified voters and tax
payers Of the school district, shall be
selected in such manner and for such
terms as the General Assembly mGy
determine, except in cases Of special
school districts now existing, where the
provisions of law now governing the
same shall remain until changed by the
General Assembly: Provided, the man
ner of their selection need not be uniform
throughout the State. There shall be as
sessed on all taxable polls in the State,
between the ages Of q and go years, an
annual tax OF one dollar on each poll, the
proceeds OF which tax shall be expended
for school purposes In the several school
districts in which it is collected. When
over during the three next ensuing fiscal
years the tax levied by the said County
Board OF Commissioners or similar off,
GERS and the poll tax shall not yield an
amount equal to three dollars per capita
of the number of children enrolled in the
public schools of each County for the
scholastic year ending 3lst of October,
1896, as it appears in the report Of the
State Superintendent of Education for
said scholastic year, the Comptroller
General shall for the aforesaid three next
ensuing fiscal years, on the first day Of
each Of said years, levy such an annual
tax on the taxable property Of the State
as he may determine to be necessary to
make up such deficiency, to be collected
as other State taxes, and apportion the
same among the Counties of the State in
proportion to the several respective def
cienoies therein. The sums apportioned
shall be paid by the State Treasurer to
the County Treasurers Of the respective
Counties on the warrant Of the Comp