Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-02-26
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS.

| LEGISLAIIfE MATTERS.
as Last Year-The Insurance Bill-Went
to Charleston.
Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
COLUMBIA, February 24.-The legisla-
ture is still here and has lot of work
to do. 1t would not take so much time if
the members could only get at 1t; but so
many of them think it is such good poll
tics to get on record by having something
to say, that it seems impossible to hold
them down. Maybe it is all right; but it
is quite expensive. This machine is cost
ing 81, ,OO0a day, and it seems to me that it
might be better if surplus gas were allow
ed to escape through the pores rather
than through the vox humana. Had it
not been for the gas impeachment, 1 am
satisfied that we could have gotten through
by the lst of March.
There is still much work to be done, and
the legislature is in session day and night.
The senate used to be the talking
house. Such is not the case now. The
talking is left to the house, the ''reforma-
tory school for youthful statesmen"
while the senators put in good deal of
their time waiting for something to do.
They even have leisure to drop into the
house quite frequently and listen to the
gyrations, gesticulation and gymnastics
of some of the inmates"
The supply bill goes into the house to-
day. 1t fixes the State levy the same as
heretofore, AZ mills, and were it not for
the additional one mill school tax,
year. 1t is to the dispensary earnings
that we owe this good result, and still
think that the dispensary earnings should
have been applied to the general fund all
along. The school fund is well enough
provided for with direct taxation. Not
only this, they say that dispensary earn
ings is blood money" If it is, that is all
the more reason why it should 90 to pay
the interest on the State debt. That .is
blood money also, unless am mistaken.
Most Of it was saddled upon us while we
were under Radical rule. Anyhow, the
dispensary earnings will be received most
acceptable this time to help reduce that
otherwise big levy for State purposes,
Among the wisest bills that have been
passed at this session, is the one which
knocks what is known as the three
quarter clause" out of insurance policies.
The three-quarter clause is a provision
whereby the insurance companies allow
a man to insure his house for and pay
premiums on any amount of money he
wants. 1t works beautifully until there
is fire, and then there is friction. For
instance, a house may be worth only
"a, 900, and the owner has it insured for
and pays premiums on $4,000. The in
surance company makes no objection to
this; but just takes the money without
murmur. Then comes fire, and the in
rsurance company points to the insured
little clause in his policy which says that
he can recover only three-fourths OF the
actual value of the building. By the
change in the law, the insurance COM
pany is made to value the property at the
time it issues the insurance, instead Of
waiting until there has been fire. The
companies are not required to insure for
more than three-fourths value if they do
not want to but in case of loss, they are
compelled to pay the full amount on
which they receive premiums. There is
nothing wrong about the bill that can
see. 1t will just make the insurance
companies do business on business prin-
ciples without any unfair advantage over
the insured.
Saturday being legal holiday and
there being no work to do, majority
of the members of both houses accepted
an invitation to visit Charleston. They
report a great time. Immediately on
reaching Charleston, they were taken on
board vessel and carried for short sail
out on the ocean. There were plenty Of
good things to eat on board the vessel.
On returning, the members went to the
Citadel academy, where they were receiv-
ed with an artillery salute. Afterward
there was review of the city troops and
Citadel cadets. The whole thing passed
off pleasantly, and the members returned
home without expense, broken shins or
headaches. Your correspondent has been
unwell for several days and was unableto
20. He is now better, however, and able
to attend to his regular duties. R. C.