The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-01-02

homes.
"In parting with each other, my
brethren of South Carolina, let us
us cherish and keep fresh in memory
a. nat has been and is a living joy
and pride. As to the dead past may
it bury it's dead. I heartily wish you,
one and all, God-speed and happy
Christmas, and invoke benedictlon,
the benediction which cannot be too
often repeated: Peace, God of Peace
peace in all our hearts and peace in
all our homes
"Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I
ask your unanimous and hearty as
sent to the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the unfeigned
thanks of this House are due and are
hereby rendered to the Speaker Of the
House, Hon. Ira B. Jones, for the con.
spicuous ability. efficiency and court
esy with which he has discharged the
important and onerous duties of his
high Office.
"Resolved, further, That this House
gratefully appreciates the services SO
ably rendered by the honored Clerk OF
the House, Gen, J. Walter Gray. and
by Mr.. S. w. Vance, Assistant Clerk,
and also by Mr.. J. S. Withers, Read
ing Clerk, T. G. Hamer, Bill Clerk,
and the other officials as we'll as the
pages of the House.
8Resolved, further, That these reso.
lutions be spread upon the journal OF
the House."
The resolutions were unanimously
passed. On again taking the chair,
Speaker Jones thanked the House for
its kindness and esteem: He said that
he could truthfully say that he had
never presided over a better House. It
had worked hard and intelligently. He
then wished the members a happy
Christmas and prosperous and con-
tented future. ~..
THE AGONY OVER.
It was 1:1O o'clock when Clerk
Hemphill of the Senate appeared in the
hall of the House and so1emnly an
nounced that the Senate had finished
it's work and was ready to adjourn.
Clerk Gray of the House went over to
the Senate and performed the same
duty on the part of the lower body.
The two bodies next sent committees
to the Governor to ascertain If he had
any further communications to make.
The Governor answered that he was
reading the appropriation bill and
would know in q short time whether
he would have any communication.
Thirty minutes later the Governor
signed the appropriation bill and mott
fed the Assembly that he had no fur
ther communications. Adjournment
was then taken. T..
LIVELY IN THE SENATE.
The closing hours of the session in
the Senate developed some lively and
interesting incidents, some of which
were wholly unexpected. When the
two houses adjourned Saturday night
they were in sort of deadlock over
the legislative appropriation, general
appropriation and Dispensary bills.
During the interregnum, so to speak,
these matters were adjusted by com
mittees of free conference, whose ac.
ton is fully setforth in the account OF
the proceedings in the House. The
Senate adopted without discussion the
reports from the conferences upon the
two appropriation bills, which was to
be expected, as those reports practical,
ly endorsed the entire stand taken by
the Senate.
The Senate spent considerable time
in executive session, and there were
some lively discussions over a number
of the appointments made by Cover
nor Evans, several of which were re-
jected. The Senate only makes public
its action upon such nominations as it
confirms, but the enterprising newspa-
per man does not let that bother him
much; it simply entails a little extra
work upon him, and, in the language
of a certain little classic poem, he
'gets there all. the same" The execu-
tive sessions might as well be done
away with for all the secrecy that is
obtained by their holding. Somehow
or other things will leak, and it is fun
ny how quickly the aforesaid enter
pris1ng newspaper man finds out where
such leaks are. The unsophisticated
wonder how the reporters get. on to
the secrets of the executive sessions.
Well, they will have to continue to
wonder, for no newspaper man was
ever known, to give away the sources
of his information as to matters sup
posed to have been conducted on the
''dead quiet" When bothered with
questions on that score, he simply
looks wise and refers with knowing
smile to the familiar old grape vine,
or to the newer kinetoscope, and
leaves his interrogation to figure out
how from them he obtained the infor-
nation about matters too sacred for
the public or the press to see conduct
ed.
But that is too long an introduction
upon matter that required no very
great skill to obtain.
The Charleston appointments caused
a great dealof talk, some rather warm
at that, but they stood. Senators
Buist and Barnwell, particularly the
latter, were much opposed to the NOM
inees sent in by the Governor, partic-
ularly to his refusal to nominate JUS
tice Burnet, who has held his position
ever since re, and who has the esteem
of the entire Charleston Bar. The talk
was simply wasted breath for the ap-
pointments went through with a rush.
When Richland was struck the re-
suit was somewhat different. The first
appointment for this county opened a
fight. Senator Sloan did not want the
appointment of DR.. Hopkins as Coun-
ty Auditor confirmed, and talked out
in meeting. He had not word to say
about DIR. Hopkins personally, nor