The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-11-20
Constitutional Convention.
COLUMBIA, : c.. Nov. IS, '95

beginning to see the end of it's great
work. All of the Articles that are to
make up the new constitution have
been touched upon with the excep'
ton of the Article on the Judicial
Department. The expectation now
is that the session of the Convention
will be about sixty days and that a
shorter time will involve hasty work
The Convention spent most of last
week in the consideration Of the Ar
ticle on Corporations and Education.
A little time was spent in the effort
to make some Constitutional provis-
ion which will be calculated to mini
mize lynching. The Convention
seems TO be pretty we'll agreed that
something ought to be done ca this
line aud section to be incorporated
in the Article on Jurisprudence has
been about agreed upon. The main
features Of the section are that it
makes the removal of the sheriff who
permits the interference with a pris.
oper possible, and it provides for
damages to the party injured by
mob or to the representatives in case
of death. The minimum damages is
fixed at $1,000.
The Article on Corporations has
been passed to third reading and
contains some new law in relation to
interpretations as we'll as incorposa-
ting some ofsthe existing statutory
laws in the Constitution in relation
to corporations.
SO far as the public is generally
interested it might be mentioned
that bank examiner has been pro.
vided for and the stockholders in
banks and banking institutions are
made liable "to depositors in sum
equal to their stock over and above
the face value of the same .
The Article as it 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 them
selves of the common law liability,
or in word to deny the right to
make special contracts for shipments
or in regard to the value of baggage
to Go away with the present law in
the State by which s. railroad is not
made liable for injuries to it's en-
ployees who may be injured by the
acts of the felIow.servants; to re-
quire all corporations doing business
in the State to take out charter un-
der the laws of South Carolina.
The impression seems to be that
there will be another fight on this re-
port on its third reading. The ef.
fort 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
committee report has been accepted
in almost every detail as it has been
reported. Mr. Mitchell, of Charles.
ton, the chairman, has made gal
liant 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 long stride forward in
the up-building of the common
schools. The committees idea is to
have the school term in every part of
the State extend over FIVE months
and to guarantee So per capita for
every school child in the State,
which is a very decided improve
ment on the present plan The COM
mittee plan in foundation is to levy
constitutional tax of 3 mills for the
schools, and a 81 pol! tax and in all
cases where these DO not make up
the IS per capita .hen the Comptrol-