The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-02
HARD AT WORK,
PROCEEDINGS OF THE .CONSTlTU-
TlONAL CONVENTION.

Constitutional COnVentlOu may LOW
he said to have passed through the pre-
liminary stage, and come to the con
sider.tion of actuel measures. This
is not saying that the body has been
idle. A most important, responsible
ami. in ,nle respects, difficult part OF
the work has been quietlG going on
Every MEASURE introduced has been
referred to its appropriate committee,
and the number of these has be en- such
as tu entail much labor in their proper
cousi leration. It seems to be the pur.
pose of the committees to compose and
digest all the measures submitted and,
ont nf the whole, to frame provisions
which shall embody the best features
of all the many and diverse schemes
thus far brought forward. The com
mittees-certainly the more important
of the,n-have been very hard worked.
MORE NEW PROPOSITIONS.
Monday was the last day on which
new measures could he introduced. d.
Notwithstanding the number of these
already brought forward, there was
rather rush of them at the last mo
ment. Among them the following
only are of public interest:
By Mr.. Austin of Greenville: To
require license for carrying conceal
ed deadly weapons; also to impose a
poll tax of one dollar on all ablebod.
led male citizens between the ages OF
81 and so.
By Mr.. George Johnstone of New,
berry: That it shall be deemed a part
of the charter Of every corporation
created under the provisions OF any
general law, and every charter grant
ed, renewed or amended by Act or
joint resolution of the General Assem-
bly, that such charter and every
amendment and renewal thereof shall
always remain subject to amendment,
alteration or repeal by the General
Assembly.
That all citizens of the United States
who are residents of this State shall be
citizens of this State, and no person
who is not a citizen of the United
States and of this State shall be enti-
tied to vote or to hold Office.
That the boundaries of the several
counties of this State shall remain as
they now are established: Provided
that the General Assembly shall have
the power at any time to organize new
counties by changing the boundaries
of any of the old ones, but no new
county shall be hereafter formed of
less extent than four hundred and tif.
ty square miles, nor shall any existing
counties be reduced to a less extent
than five hundred and fifty square
miles. Each county shall constitute
an election district.
By Mr.. McMahan of Richland: To
empower the Legislature to regulate
the cutting of forests, to forbid the
taxing of mortgages; to authorize
criminal prosecution for the publica.
ton of the names of persons connected
with indecent crimes.
By Mr.. OTIS of Union: To substitute
salaries for fees in paying all public
officers.
By Mr.. w. G. MCGOWAN, of Able
vile: That no woman shall legally
consent to marriage or sexual inter-
course who shall not attain the age of
16 years.
By Mr.. w. J. Montgomery of Mar
ion: To compel the children between
the ages of 6 and 16 years to attend
school for not less than "a months in
all; to levy tax Of three mills an
nually for the support of the free
schools; and to increase the poll tax to
$l.50, the proceeds thereof to be ap-
piled to the support of the common
schools.
By Mr.. McWhite of Florence: That
no portion of any fund or tax now
existing or that may hereafter be rails
ed or levied for educational purposes,
shall be appropriated to, or used by,
or in aid of any church, sectarian or
UNCONVENTIONAL school.
By Mr.. Kennedy of Chesterfield: To
make the school tax two mills, to put
the poll tax of one dollar on all able
bodied male persons between the ages
Of 81 and 80 years; and to apply to the
schools all moneys derived from fines,
forfeitures, escheats, licenses and leases
or sales of public lands.
By Mr.. Patterson of Barnwell: To
fix the school tax at three mills, and
the poll tax (on all ablebodied male
persons from Is to 6O at one dollar.
By Mr.. McMahan of Richland: To
make each county liable in damages
for the murder of any person within
its bounds.
To authorize the Legislature to es
tablish boards of physicians and pro-
viding that no man shall be compe
tent to marry within this State unless
after a critical examination by one Of
said board; he shall receive a certif
cate therefrom to the effect that he is
free from all diseases that would rem
der him unfit to be husband or 6
father.
A memorial was received from sew
eral citizens of Aiken county, urging
the Convention to making provision
for pension of at least $50 per annun
to every disabled Confederate soldier
or to the widow of such soldier.
A memorial was received from 6
number of colored citizens of the city
of Sumter, asking that so much of the
regulation as to voting in municipal
elections as contains the provision tha
any person may vote, who, though
unable to read, may give ''reasona
bic construction" of any section of the
State Constitution.
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
The first work bearing directly upor
the actual framing of the new Consti
tuition came up on Monday in the
consideration of the report of thu
committee on the executive depart