The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-02

=. ri VI ANNll
Mr. G. J. G. Hutson off. red an amend
ment to M. Johnstonr's amendment
so as to clarity the meaning: of.thesec
ton.
Mr.: JohnstongSshed that the seskol
be passed over for: time. The reques
was granted.
Section. 10 waspassed without com
n1ent = =.
Mr.. RNyersTsfoposed to amend Sec
tion-1l so as to require the Governor
to have recommendation from ma
jorityUf the members os the board o
pardons before he could grant a par
don.
Mr.. Efrd opposed the motion ane
took the position that the Governo
should be able to act Independently O
the hk$ecommendation of the board O
yaraons.- That the board of pardon'
was only intended to relieve the Gov
ernor Of onerouss duties in" ordinary
cases, but in extraordinary cases the
Governor should be allowed to act a!
he saw fit.
Mr.. Ragsdale supported Mr.. Efire
in vigorous speech.
Mr.. George Johnstone offered the
corresponding clause in the presen
Constitution as substitute for the
whole section. He said that if fhs
Governor was responsible for all par
dons he should notbe numbered with
board of pardons; on whose recon-
mendations he could act or not as he
chose.
Mr.. E6rd opposed Mr.. Johnstone's
motion. He -called-especial attention
to the fact that the section required
the Legislature to provide for proceed
ings under. which the board of pardons
should act ans he had in mind spe.
.cies Of .triatGould be had. That the
present Constitution provided for nc
such proceeding and that, as pardons
were now issued, more men were par
doned because the Governor did not
have sufficient information. -
Mr.. B. R. Tillman, speaking from
experiences said that the matter OF
granting pardons had given him more
trouble than any other matter during
his Gubernatorial administrations,
and that he had no hesitation in say
ing that the board of pardons would
be of great relief to t Governor, and
he hoped the section would besadopt-
ed unchanged. -
Mr.. Sheppard agreed fully with Mr..
Tillman, and said that the power to
pardon should be taken away entirely
or he should be giEen some assistance
in getting correct information upon
every petition for pardon presented to
him. He moved to indefinitely post
pone the whole amendment.
:. Mr.. Jehnstone<in sapport Of his no.
ton said that he did snots desire the
Governor to be relieved of any respon1
sibility in the matter of executing the
laws in mercy. That he did not favor
the formation Of a system which would
give those who opposed the granting
Of pardon an opportunity to become
seekers after vengeance.
: Upon. the Question of the Indefinite
postponernent of Mr.. Johnstone's mo-
ton being put the motion was indef-
Gttely postponed. Mr.. Rodgers mo-
ton was laid on the table.
.:.Fhe question was then on the adop-
ton of the section. !
Mr.. Sheppard moved to amend by
making the Attorney General a mem
ber Of the board Of pardons, instead Of
the Comptroller General. The motioa
was lost. ::
Mr.. Smith, of Horny, sent up sub.
stitute, leaving the matter of the for
nation Of the board of pardons to the
General Assembly.
At this point the discussion was ad-
journed for the day.
When the Convention, yesterday,
resumed the consideration of the arti-
Gle on the executive department, the
pending question wss,on the amend
ment offered by MIR. Derham, as fol
lows, the purport of which was to
leaye: the makeup of the proposed
board Of pardons, and its powers to
the action of the General Assembly.
Mr.. Derham, in supporting his
ameadment; said there seemed t6bs
an assumption that the Governor is
worked to death while the other State
officers Had nothing to do, and should
therefore be required to help him in
his work. As matter of fact, the
StateofceS are harrassed to death by.
shsir aRrn bership on boards. j Mehs
bers Should remember that the action
taken here would be final. If the
General Assem- bly,, made mistake in
composing the board it could .be-easily
corrected. If experiments were to be
tried. they should-not be put in the
Constitution.
Mr.. w. j. Montgomery offered a
substitute that the board of directors
of theState penitentsary constitute the
board .of-pardons,. and proceeded to
speak in its favor. :
Mr.. B. R. Tillman said the matter
of pardons affected men whose lives
are at stake and whose cases the board
would frequently be unable to consid-
er in time without special meetings.
Mr.. Montgomery withdrew his substi-
tute.
Mr.. Derham's amendment was then
without debate, leaving the
section as follows:
''Sec:: II. He shall have power to
grant '7eprieves, communications and
pardons after convictions Except h
cases Of iinpeachmenT. in such man
ner, on such terms and under such re-
strictiens as be- ShalEAhiuk propef;
and he shallhave power to remit fines
and forfeftures, unless otherwise a:
rected By law. Itshar be.his duty Is
rep0tteashe General Assembly; at saazs
next regular session thereafter, ,sat
paraops granted by him 4tAeares
port. Of the board of pardons.. EyerX
petition for pardon or comt1utation of
sentehce shall be first referred by. hin
to aboard of pard0ns;.to be proyidA
by 4e General Assembly, which Board
shaR hear all petitions, unog sGeh
rules and regulations as the GEnefl
Assembly may provide. The ,g0TEr-