The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-22


scribed for State electors as practi-
cable.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Tie sessions of your honorable body
lave been changed to the second Tues. .
day in January, with time limit OF 4o
DAYS. This limitation does not apply
TO the first tour sessions under the new
Constitution. I trust, however, you
will consider the burdens placed upon
the taxpayers by the prolonged session
of the convention, and will not at
tempt to enact all the legislation re-
quired by the Constitution at this ses.
sion, but only such as may be urgent
and necessary. There is great deal
that may be continued to another ses.
sion of your honorable body, but 1 feel
that this will impress itself upon you
without further comment from me.
Much time may be saved by chang
ing the rule of your body which re-
auires that every bill or joint resolu,
ton shall be read in full on its third
reading. The present Constitution al
lows you to read such by their titles on
the first and third readings.
All elections by your honorable bocy
are now required to be viva voce, and
tho votes entered upon the journal OF
the house to which the members res
pectively belong.
You arc expressly forbidden to en-
act local or special laws upon the fol-
lowing subjects:
l. To change the names of persons
or places.
1 would respectfully recommend that
this power be vested in the court OF
common pleas, to be done upon the
petition Of the person or persons IN
terested.
2. To lay out, open or work roads
or highways.
This power is now vested in the
county board of commissioners, and
no additional legislation is required.
8. To incorporate cities, towns. vii
lages, or change, amend or extend the
charters thereof.
a. To incorporate educational, rell-
gious, charitable, social, maaufactur-
ing or banking institutions not under
the control of the State or amend or
extend the charters thereof.
These are all covered by statutes,
with the possible exception of banking
institutions. With slight amend
ment to the general banking act ne-
curing the secretary of state to issue
charters upon the came terms as to 9th.
or industrial corporation the law will
be complete.
S. To incorporate district schools.
This is covered by statute.
6. To authorize the adoption or le-
gitimation of children.
This power should be vested in the
probate Judge. who is the public guar
dian.
z. To provide for the protection Of
game.
This is covered by general statute:
8. To provide for the age at which
citizens shall be subject to road or pub
lie duty.
This is fully covered by statute.
9. To fix the amount of compensa-
tion to be paid to any county officer,
etc.
This will require an act to grade the
salaries of the cDunty officers accord
ing to the proportion of population
and the necessary service required.
Some are now on salaries and some
on fees. The Constitution contem-
plates all to be on an equal footing.
s.sIn all cases where general law
can ade applicable, no special law
shall be enacted"
Let me commend this section to your
careful consideration. If you heed it,
there is no reason why your delibera-
tions should be prolonged beyond the
heretofore ordinary session. Tho
curse of the State has been special
legislation.
1t is your duty to enact laws limit
ing the number of acres of land which
any alien or any corporation controll-
ed by aliens may own within this
State. I have recently visited the
coast section of our State and it's fer.
tility and susceptibility of improve
ment by drainage surprised and as
founded me. 1t is as fertile as the
valley of the Nile, the soil in some
places being five feet in depth. AS
our State increases in wealth and popu-
lation this section is bound to be the
garden spot of the country. The de-
moralizations and paralysis of energy
caused by the results of the war drove
tie owners of these plantations to the
cities and other States to engage in
other pursuits, and they have been
abandoned to the deer and wild tur-
key and free negro, only to be bought
up, however, and converted into hunt
ing preserves byrich capitalists of the
north, who now s-ow fat upon our
misfortunes. Over one hundred thou
4