The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-03-04
The General Assembly.
Columbia State, March End.

Columbia State, March End.
The heavy tapestry of uncertainty
which has obacured even q glance at the
hopeful prospect Of an end to the SEEM
ingly endless session Of the general as
sembly up to q week ago has been pulled
aside at last and the weary eyes Of worn
out, patience-exhausted newspaper men
have been permitted to rest IN the cheer
ing vision Of next Saturday standing with
arm raised and holding q placard on
which appeared the inscription, "Final
adjournment March T." the emblem Of
rest and relief from a six months mo-
notony. These long weeks have not been
like woman-"varium ct mutabile sem
per femina." It has been the same wea-
~ sdemnition grind" that all men chafe
under. And 1t may be said that the ar
rival of the last week of the session is
mor OF less joyousiy received by many
members and the mass of the people.
But all things must come to 10 end on
earth sooner or later, and the long session
Of the South Carolina parliament will
conclude with this week. That Is what
the concurrent resolution says and what
every one is expecting. though there may
be some opposition still to changing s'sub
juries" to "sui %juris," when the phrase
appears in q new statute.
During the past week the general'as-
sembly has accomplished more real work
than during any preceding fortnight.
Nearly all the important bills-the bills
that had to be disposed of-have been
gotten out Of the way in the house, and
are on the road to final disposition in
ample time to allow the adjournment to
take place at the appointed time.
The general appropriation and supply
bills have been sent to the senate. OF
course there was Of necessity much hard
work on them. The q mill levy has
been definitely decided upon at last, and
The taxpayers feel easier, while the in
come tax scheme has died the death it
vas destined to die. Governor Evans has
been given his Sc, 900 in rather q s~atisfac-
tory way, and there won't be any trouble
in the senate over it. The house has Civ
en- the State Fair $1,000 for premiums. It
was not thought that there would be op-
position to this in the senate, but the sem
ate committee has reported unfayorably
as to the item. It will scarcely result in
its being stricken out, however.
The pension bill has also been disposed
of during the past week, making q liberal
appropriation for the Confederate vete-
rams, their widows and their orphans,
and a committee of free conference is
o settling the differences between the
two houses.
The general school law has been pretty
thoroughly worked over in the house,
and the county school superintendent
are gong to stay, unless the committee
adjusting the differences decides to leave
them out after all.
The election precinct bill has been dis
posed Of finally, also in the house.
On Saturday, the bill to prevent the eI-
travagant printing Of reports Of State off,
GERS was disposed OF, passing the house.
The other printing bill-the important
one reducing the compensation for the
public printing-is still resting easy on
the senate calendar.
There was an interesting fight in the
house over the bill to transform the dis
pensary law into q temperance law before
It was killed, and for the first time voices
were raised against the great d~ispensary
system.
The house has also passed the impor-
tant bill providing for a Stete bank ex-
aminer, though the senate wished to i'm
pose the duties Of that Office on the State
treasurer.
Nearly all the other general bills have
been disposed Of by the house, and the
special order calendar is well nigh empty
at last. Mr.. OTIS school book bill is on
it now, as is also Judge Townsend's bill
relating to telegraph and express compa-
MES. The railroad bill relating to the in
terchange Of freights has passed the
house and the senate all right, and there
will be no further trouble over it.
The house made a vigorous attack or
its calendar on Saturday, and a couple Of
more days work Of the same kind will
get it pretty well cleared. The senate
bills will be passed owe for a couple of
days more.
The house election of q public printer
has been fixed for tomorrow. Mr.. Calvo,
the present public printer, will stand Tor
reelection, and will be opposed for the
position by Mr.. T. S. Bryan, also of this
city. On the same day two trustees Of
the Winthrop Normal College win be
elected, as will also the State Code Com
missioner. MI. Breszeale is expected to
be elected to the latter position.
The bill providing for ten judicial cir
cults has never been considered yet, and
it is moi likely now that it will be touch
ed at this session, but will be left hang
ing in mid-air when the body adjourns.
MI. Earle's bill to provide for q system
Of county courts is also s. far down on
the calendar that it stands little or no
opportunity of passing at this session,
even though should it encounter no OPP
position.
The fight over the metropolitan police
bill was fought in the senate during the
week just closed, and no changes will be
made in the law as it stands.
The bill providing for the number and
pay of the magistrates in the State
has also been successfully engineered
through.
One of the features of the past week in
the senate was the attempt to pass q pro-
vision in the tax exemption bill over the
veto of the Governor, and another was
the fight in the house over the railroad
rate bill.