The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-29
The First Fortnight.
THELEGISLATURE WE'LL
ADVANCED WITH ITS
WORK.

The first fortnight Of the annual ses.
sion of the general assembly has now
passed aud the body is much further
advanced with its work than any one
supposed it would be. II begins TO
look as if the members intend to get
through as quickly as possible and 60
home and that without the necessity Of
night sessions. The house is getting
along spleodidly with its calendar, and
by holding sessions from 10 a. IL. to 2
D. a., manages 60 do about all 1t could
be expected to do in one legislative
day. The members of the house do
not indulge in long speeches on any
subject, at least they have Dot so far,
aad the change is a most welcome one,
while at the same time it facilitates the
business. This and the new rule doing
away With the reading by the clerk Of
a whole bill When it is called up for
final adoption, has brought about an
agreeable aud money saving transform
alton. Most of the speech-maklng
thus far has been confined to the senate.
In the house the ''previous question"
has been the certain enemy of long dis
cussions on any subject.
The new bills pow being Introduced
in the two houses are few and far be-
tweep, and it looks rcw as if the intro
duction of new bills aftor Feb. !, save
by com mittees, will be cut off. Both
houses have goodly number of bills
on their calendars. but the constitutional
prohibition against special acts has bad
a marked effect and the total number of
bills is but little more than fourth of
the usual number.
Nearly all the important general bills
have already been introduced and are
On their way through the regular chan
nels. The anti-lynch law bill has
gone through all right; the election
and registration law bills have been
started on their way all right; so have
the bills on education and corporations,
and most of the other leading bills, the
main features of which are similar
to the provisions Of the new Consti-
tuition.
Positively the only bill making any
radical changes, not outlined by the
Constitution, that has made its appear
ance is that to redistrict the State into
judicial circuits so as to create two new
iudgeships. two new so'icitorships and
two new Offices for stenographers. This
bill has not yet come up for its second
reading, but there seems to be good
chance for its passage 10 case it is
passed, it is said that Solicitor Bellipger
and Mr.. Breazeale will very likely be
the new judges, while one of the solic-
itorsbips will 60 to Mr.. U. x. Guuter,
now private secretary to Governor
Evans.
The two houses are badly divided on
the question of the salaries of the Us
tices and attaches Of the supreme court
and the bill is hanging ire on that ac-
count. The bill was pushed ahead in
order to have the election, so that the
new Justice could hear some of the
eases to be heard before the present
session Of the court adjourns. AS it is
the committee on conference has failed
to agree aud it has been cecessary to
appoint committee of free conference
on the bill. Mr.. L. j. Williams, who
had most Of the cuts made, is a mem
Der of the committee. Tuis committee
will hardly report for several days.
In the meantime. no election will be
ordered. 1t looks now as if Speaker
Jones will practically complete his term
as speaker of the house and his sue
cessor, when elected, will have the op-
portunity to preside but few days, un-
less be be reelected to the Legislature
this summer AID is then reelected
speaker by the new house. The geuer-
al assembly has other elections ahead Of
it also-for members of the board Of
directors of the State peoiteuaiary, but
the bill providing therefore has not yet
even received its second reading.
Several bills on special matters have
been introduced, but each and every one
Of them have met with prompt annibi-
lasion.
Mr.. L. J. Williams has shown dis
position, which is general in the house,
20 look into the management of the
higher educational institutions and see
that no public money is wasted on big
salaries. He tried to have an invest.
eating committee appointed to examine
into the management of each of the ln-
stitutione eff higher learning. but the
senate has ended the career Of his reso-
luton When the appropriation bill
comes in. interesting fights may be
looked for.
The feature Of the past weeks work
IN hoth honses has been the battle over