The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-22
Making Laws.
The House Of Representatives
Hard at Work.
NEW BILLS IN THE SENATE.

will complete all the necessary work
at much earlier day than was an
ticipated and the session will prove
comparatively short one.
The House agreed to the amend.
ment to the rules offered by Mr.
Bacot which provides that bills are
to be read by title on the third reading.
The more important bills ordered
to third reading were:
To provide for county treasurers
visiting accessible points for the COL
lection of taxes.
For the election of Code com.
missioner at S400 per annum.
For the changes of venue in GER
tain criminal cases.
To make the Statutes and Constitu-
ton comply as to the law as to mar
ried women.
To permit surety companies to go
on bonds for estates, etc.
To require court stenographers to
supply free copies of testimony where
wanted for appeals.
To provide for the pay Of defend
ants witnesses.
To provide for the new county Jail
in Spartanbnrg.
TO carry out the constitutional
provisions against lynching.
An effort to repeal the law in
reference to foreclosure of mortgages
passed last year failed.
When the anti.lynching bill came
up there was disposition to provide
punishment only in cases where
death ensued, but it was found the
Constitution provided for cases of
injury to prisoners. The section
providing for the trial of violators of
the Statute as to lynching was
stricken out on the recommendation
of the committee. The bill was then
verbally amended and passed in it's
third reading as follows:
Section 1. That in the case of
any prisoner lawfully in charge,
custody or control OF any officer,
State or County or municipal being
seized and taken from said officer
through the negligence, permission
or connivance Of such officer by a
mob or other unlawful assemblage of
persons and at their hands suffering
bodily violence or death, the said
officer shall be deemed guilty Of
misdemeanor, and upon true bill
found shall be deposed from office
pending his trial, and upon convic-
sion shall forfeit his office, and shall,
unless pardoned by the Governor, be
ineligible to hold any Office Of trust
or profit within this State 1t shall
be the duty cf the prosecuting at
torney within whose circuit or coun-
ty the offence may be committed to
forthwith institute prosecution
against said officer, who shall be
tried in such county in the same
circuit other than the one in which
the offence was committed as the
Attorney General may elect. The
fees Of mileage Of all material wit
nesses, both for the State and the
defence, shall be paid by the State
treasurer on a certificate issued by
the clerk and signed by the presiding
Judge, showing the amount of said
fee due the witness.
Section 2. In all cases of lynch
ing, when death ensues the county
where such lynching takes place
shall, without regard to the conduct
of the officers, be liable in exem.
plary damages of not less than two
thousand dollars, to be recovered by
action instituted in any Court of
competent jurisdiction by the legal
representatives Of the person lynch
ed, and they are hereby authorized
to institute such action for the
recovery of such exemplary damages.
A county against which a judgement
has been obtained for damages in any
case of lynching shall have the right
to recover the amount of said iudg.
ment from the parties engaged in
said lynching in any Court of compe-
tent Jurisdiction. and is hereby au.
thorized to institute such action.
THE SENATE.
The Senate met at 8 O'Clock p m.,
10 accordance with the resolution adopt
ed at ad journment on Friday night.
When on the third bills, the Que pro-
viding for the appointment of magis-
trates and to provide for their jursdic-
ton was reached, Mr. Mower, in the ab-
sence of Mr.. Barpwell, renewed the OBJ
jection made by the junior senator from
Charleston on the second reading, by
Offering resolution striking out the
provision giving the governor authority
to remove from Office magistrates for
inca pacity, misconduct or neglect of