The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-30
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THE CONVENTION DISCUSSES THAT
IMPORTANT MATTER.
A Long and Interesting Debate About the
Number of fCounties--What the ConHeh-
tion Did With the Article.

"A
Number of fCounties--What the Conven-
tion Did With the Article.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Oct. 22.-Special
The Constitutional Convention began
this week with the consideration of a
subject that has engaged much of the
public attention, and which, in the
convention itself, brought about one
of the most animated and interesting
debates of the session. ;.
After rapidly disposing of prellmlc:
naries the convention, on motion OF
MIR. Otis, took up the report on coun-
ties and county government-the pa
per which bears this peculiar title:
REPORT of G.. D. Tillman, A. K.
Smoak, J. w. Kennedy, J. 0. A.
Moore, J. G. OTIS and R. r. Stack
house. who constitute the half OF what
was once the whole committe on coun-
ties and county government, and who
have no chairman, no clerk, no pa
pers. no resolutions and no name by
which to designate their half OF the
committee. was read as follows:
Sec. 1. The several counties of this
State are each declared body polite
and corporate. Each county shall
constitute one election district.
Sec. 2. The boundaries of the sever
al counties shall remain as now estab.
Iished, EXCEPT those of the county OF
Edgefeld, which shall undergo such
changes as are made necessary by the
forma ion of a new county from a
portion of Edgefeld, to be known as
Saluda, the boundaries OF which are
set forth in constitutional ordinance;
Sec. 8. The general assembly shall
have power at any time to organize
new counties, by changing the bound
aries of old ones, but no new counties
shall be hereafter formed of less area
than 400 square miles, nor shall any
existing counties be reduced to less ex-
tent; provided, that no old county
shall be reduced to less than 10, ,OOO In
habitants, as shown by the last State
or national census, nor be reduced to
less amount of taxable property than
ST. 500, 900 as shown by the last tax re-
turns.
Sec. 4. Whenever 300 freeholders
within the area of proposed new
county shall petition for organization
of a new county, the governor shall
order an election within a reasonable
time before the meeting of the next
session of the legislature, and if ma
iority of the qualified electors voting
in each part of the county or counties
proposed to be dismembered and en-
braced in the new county shall sepa-
rately vote therefor, it shall be the
duty of the legislature to established
such new county at its next session;
but elections as herein provided shall
not be held in any proposed county
oftener than once in four years.
Sec. 5. All counties formed in ac-
cordance with the above sections shall
assume an equitable portion OF the
debts of the existing county or coun-
ties from which it's territory is taken.
Sec. 6. The legislature may provide
for the consolidation of two or more
existing counties if majority of the
qualified electors of such counties vot-
ng at an election held for that pur-
pose shall vote separately therefor, but
such elections shall not be held often
er than once in four years in the same
counties.
Sec. z. Each county shall elect a
sheriff, clerk of the court and cor
oner, whose respective terms of office
shall be four years, and whose duties
and powers shall be defined by law;
provided the sheriff shall not be eligi-
Bile to reelection until the expiration
of four years.
Sec. s. A chaingang shall be estab-
lished in every county in the State;
provided that this section shall not
prevent two or more counties from
consolidating their respective chain
gangs.
Sec. 9. Each of the several town
ships of this State, with names and
boundaries as now established by law,
shall constitute a body polite; but
this shall not prevent the legislature
from organizing other townships.
Sec. 10. The freehold voters of each
township shall elect at such times and
for such terms of Office as may be pre-
scribed by law, three discreet persons,
to be known as the board Of township
directors, who shall have charge of
the township roads, bridges and fer
ries, the public schools, appoint the
managers of all Federal, State, county
and township elections, shall register
all qualified voters of the township
and shall discharge such other duties
and receive such compensation for
their services as the legislature may
prescribe.
Sec. IL. The general assembly may
exempt any county from such town,
ship system of government whenever
a majority of the freehold voters OF
the county shall petition therefor.
Mr.. Gary had moved to indefinitely
postpone it, when the president an
nounced that Mr.. Harrison's action in
adding his name thereto had made il
the majority report; therefore the
other report was the minority report
and must be considered first.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. Otis moved to indefinitely post
pone the minority report.
The article reported by the minority
read as follows:
Sec. 1. The legislature may from
time to time establish new counties IN
the following manner:
Whenever one-third of the qualified
voters within the area of the proposed
new county shall petition the COVER
nor for the creation of a new county
the governor shall order an election