The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-15
The Coming Legislature.

The Coming Legislature.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Jan. l2.-There Is
necessarily the greatest interest IN the ap-
preaching session Of the General Assem-
bly, which will begin on Tuesday, Jan
uary IA. It follows close In the wake
OF the Constitutional Convention and has
great deal of work in hand that will
mean very much to the future welfare
and prosperity of the State. A great deal
of the good that has been done by the
Convention may easily be undone by
efforts to discourage the good feeling that
seems to be 30 prevalent and 80 cnmu-
lative. .
There has been much speculation as to
the length Of the session of che General
Assem- bly. Some seem to think that 1t
will last several months. A general esti-
mate Is that it will last two months.
From the present lights there Is no oc-
casion for as long session as many peo-
ple seem to look for. Thirty or forty
days ought to suffice for everything that
is urgent. It must be remembered that
the Legislature will not have to deal with
the perennial crossroad legislation, and
that when one general bill Is passed tne
whole subject Of municipal, mercantile
There will probably be several bills on
the subject of general legislation and the
general drift will be to place all charters
In the hands Of the Secretary Of State, and
to abandon the present plan Of making
uniform change for all charters, but to
make the charges in proportion to the
scope and capital of the company seeking
q charter.
Speaker Jones, in talking about the
length OF the, session, did not Seem TO
think that it should last near as long as
expected, and 1t Is known that Governor
Evans will use every influence to have
the session as short as Is possible. he
will urge that only imperative Legislation
be undertaken and If such plan Is pur-
sued 1t ought not to take over the GUS
tomary thirty days In which to finish the
work. At the outset there was good
mittee,, In the Convention, but taken all
In all, that institution was one OF the best
things ever conceived, and 1t would not
be at all out of place for Its use In the
Legislature should there be any eyiden
ces Of sautomatic mouths" The Senate
will hardly need the '.steers" bat the
House will have some need for them II
the idea for the sake of SIS Gay should
become evident.
1.-THE members will just put their heads
to work It will be comparatively easy
matter to finish what is to be done in a
short time, and 1t would seem better to
do extra work for q few weeks than to
let the session drag out for months.
The frat thing the General Assembly
will be called upon to do will be to elect
such officers as are to be, elected at this
session OF the General Assembly. There
is but little interest In the elections of
the South Carolina College, Penitensiary
and the like. Everyone Is talking about
the election OF the members Of the Sn.
preme Court Bench. Justice Pope will
hardly have any opposition, AS TO the
other place 1t would appear that speaker
Jones has the inside track at this time,
although there Is some limiting at an on-
slaught on his candidacy. or course,
there ls no telling what may happen In
politics, cr what com binatIons may or
may not be. effected. The present calcu.
fations do not seem to figure on any Con-
servative in this particular election. The
General Assembly will also have to ill
the position Of codifier, which 1t appears
is to be made ten-year position, and
which, all in all, will be quite 9 nice lit
tie berth.
There seOms to be q growing disposition
to increase the numb Der of Circuit Judges
instead Of creating the proposed County
Courts. The contention is that ten CIR
cnit Judges can do more effective and
satisfactory work than the County Courts,
and, that IL would be cheaper. If this
could be decided upon at the outset 1t
would be very we'll to have these elec-
tions at the outset of the session and stop
any possible loss Of time in electioneering.
NJ
House will have difficult task to pre-
pare the appropriation bill and the supply
bill. There Is very decided desire In
Administration circles to keep the levy
down to five mills at the most, while
realizing that such levy will not raise
sufficient funds with which 10 pay the
general expenses of the Government. The
plan Of raising the difference between
what five-mill levy will bring in and
the current expenses of the Government
is what causes the trouble. It was first
mentioned In this correspondence that an
income tax and tax on occupations
would be esuggested. There Is no question
about this, aud the General Assembly
will be asked to provide for an income
tax on all incomes OF 81 900 and over, and
what was published yesterday with refer
ence to the non.taxable bonds that are
held by the banking institutions of the
State is one Of the chief points to be used
Iii the argument on the matter. The
purpose is to have the Penitentiary pay
It's own officers out of its income, and the
same is to be done by the dispensary,
and in fact the idea is to do everything
possible to keep down the levy and avoid
any! of the extra forms of taxation.
Talking about the revenues of the State,
hoo ni a
bright outlook for any income from that
direction In excess of the $4,000 that IL
pledged to the sinking fund for the re-
tigement of the State bonds. He has
recommended q reduction Of the royalty,
but this recommendation will not be fol-
lowed for the present at least;
OF course great deal Of time will be
devoted to the suffrage question. The
General Assembly will have TO provide
for registration under the new constitu
ton as well as for the management OF the
elections. 1t is quite likely that as much
of the present machinery as can be ad pit
ed will be left unchanged. AS much of
present registration law will be left. .as the
new constitution will permit. There Is
considerable likelihood that the eight boz
election law will be left as at present. 1t
Is oontsnded that 1t will do no harm tn
leave it in the statute books, and that 1t
may be of service in an emergency.
The General Assembly will have ample
opportunity Of distinguishing its legisla.
tIon bv Acts relative to the "Lost Cause"
Il will be called upon to increase the
present appropriation to the Confederate
veterans, as contemplated by the new
constitution. It will be asked to provide
for the publication of the Confederate
records that have been collected by Gen.
Hugh Farley, in connection with the roll
OF soldiers from this State. It will be
asked to appropriate at least $4,000 for
the erection of q suitable monument at
Chickamauga. This is said to be very
much less than any of the other States
have given for similar ose.-Special
to NeVs and Courier.
The News and Courier's Prizes for
Pigs Awarded.
CHARLESTON, Jan. 12-The Ne,cs and
Courier offered 500 in gold to the farmer
who would raise the heaviest hog in
South Carolina last year. The prizes
have been awarded, the first prize Uf $50
In gold to Muster w. ]. Richardson, of
Abbsville County, whose hog weighed
SOL pounds. it gained this weight in 297
days at q COST Of $22.16, or 4 cents
pound. Richardson's hog gained weight
at the rate of nearly two pounds day.