The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-01
No. g..

, established, except those OF, tho count
OF Edgeheld, which shallS underg
such changes as are made neo sssary b.
the formation of a new county from
: portion of Edgefield, to be know,
as Saluda, the boundaries OF whicl
are set forth in constitutional erdi
nance.
Sec. 3. The general assembly shall
nave power at any time to organiae
new counties, by changing the bound
aries oil Old ones, but no new counties
shall be hereafter formed of less ares
than 400 square miles, nor shall any
existing county be reduced to less
extent; provided, that no old county
shall be reduced to less than 10, 600 in
habitants,. as shown by the last State
l or national census. nor be reduced tn
less amount of taxable property than
81 100000 as shown by the last tax
| returns.
Sec. 4. Whenever 800 freeholders
within the area of proposed new
county shall petition for organization
order an election within q reasonable
time before the meeting of the next
session of the legislature, and IL a
majority OF the qualified electors
voting in each part Of the county or
counties proposed to be dismembered
and embraced in the new county shall
separately vote therefor, it shall be
the duty of the legislature to establish
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 year.
sec. D. All counties formed In az
cordance with the above sections shall
assume an equitable portion of the
debts of the existing county or counties
from which its territory Is taken.
Sec. u. ghe Legislature may provide
for the consolidation of two or more
existing counties If a majority of the
qualified electors of such counties yot.
ing at an election held for that pur-
pose shall vote separately therefor, but
such elections shall not be held ofteSs.1<
than once in four years in the
Sec. I. Each county sbaY elect a
sheriff, a clerk of the court and cor
oier;--whbse PC respective 3>,. ms 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. .. chaingang shall be estab-
lished in every county in the State;
provided that this section shall not
prevent two or more counties from con.
solidating their respective chaingangs.
Sec. 9. Each Of the several town
ships OF this State, with names and
boundaries as now established by law,
shall constitute 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
ferries, 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. Austin, representing the other
half of the committee, announced that
its report would be ready later in the
day ana moved a vote of thanks to Mr..
Otis for his attempt at wit, which Mr..
Austin added, as an expression of indi-
vidual opinion, was an egregious fail
ure.
AT the evening session Mr.. Austin
submitted the report Of one half of the
county government committee hISS'
did not concur in the report l. ~'
the morning session, as follows: rice
Section l. 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 q proposed
new county shall petition the governor
for the creation of a new county the
governor shall order an election within
q reasonable time thereafter by the
qualified voters within the proposed
area, in which election they shall vote
yes or no upon the question of creating
said new county.
Sec. 2. If a majority of the qualified
voters within the several sections pro-
posed to be formed into new county
shall separately vote yes" upon such
question then the Legislature shall es-
tablisb such new county. Provided,
That an election upon such question
shall not be ordered upon the same
proposed new county oftener than once
in four years.
Sec. 3. No county hereafter formed
shall contain less than the one hundred
and twenty-fourth part of the whole
number Of the inhabitants of the State,
nor shall it have less assessed taxable
property than two millions OF dollars,
nor shall it contain less than four
hundred square miles.
Sec. 4. No old county shall be reduced
to less area than five hundred square
miles, to less assessed taxable property
than two million dollars, nor to smaller
population than fifteen Thousand in
habitants.
Sec. 5. No new county line shall be
run nearer to an established court
house than ten miles. Provided, That
this section shall not apply to court
houses located in counties not proposed
TO be dismembered.
Sec. e. All new counties hereafter
formed shall bear just appo.tionment
of the valid Indebtedness OF the old
county or counties from which they
have been formed.
Signed by j. Thos. Austin, II. l.. Hen
ry, U. f.. Johnson, f.. N. Readfearn, A.
j. Harrison and Frank b. Gary.
Mr.. Johnson and Mr.. Klugh had
their resolutions laid over until tomor.
row and printed.
THE DISPENSARY CLAUSE.
This subject came up in the report
| of the committee on miscellaneous
matter, and the section as presented
read: