The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-02-25
The Bill to C0ntlscnte Abandoned
Railroad Property.

MIR. Williams bill providing for tho
forfeiture to tho State OF abandoned
railroad property was thcn takon up.
Inc committee amendments wore
agreed to and thcn tho bill was ordered |
to final reading in this shape:
Section l. That any person, company
or corporation owning, operating or
controlling any limo OF railroad in this
State which shall tear up or remove
It's track, or attempt to tear up or TO
| discontinue a regular freight and pas
senger service thereon for tho period
OF five days, except when prevented by
| the act OF God or the public enemy,
| shall be deemed to have abandoned the
| same, and because Of such abandonment
shall forfeit to the State its charter
and all the tracks, cars, rights Of way,
| lands, dcpots and all other property
| connected with or belonging to the
| said railroad.
Sec. >. Whenever it shall appear to
the Attorney General that any such
person, company or corporation has
abandoned its line OF railroad, he shall
proceed to forfeit tho same as aforc-
sam oy rule against such person, com
pany or corporation in a court Of com
petcnt jurisdiction, requiring them to
snow cause why the same should not
be forfeited: : Provided. That the pro.
visions OF This &c. sAul! no. apply -
st"ect jlSays.
SEC. ). ThiS act shall iG.ac t:T.C: uu
aPHrova4 anu snn.. apply - a@y 81. {. ,
ra!roauS .nat may hereafter =: y.
ceivcd by the S;a:e .a..~aa.: t,... 1: :.
sion and opene :or Operation.
Mr.. McCu.louEh !ua@:s al. s.:s.r:. r.
! have the Hou$c rsr4r:.Ger Lhc ri.h:,
Whereby = l.at: i>A&$t,.. Mr, "a. !l&n>
| N!!! pro- !6!nE !rr ilc !3:!&!LG"s. IL, Lhs
State q = :aiNanton;':. 7all"nh!9 ;prt'y'$,"ir
| He feared ihai ial* TIL 0A$ a.1rtt 81
ROAD III his t'oaaiy kDa"A &< Lht
Swamp ia nr.i.' 10 y,Ass isI: hll.
wo0.0 sI:N"-i 10 81 ..s.t-t:Si h.ti t>l Ii;
parl q! iho Siata. Gc gavo q ti$i.ar,
OF the roa0 Gown 10 lis purchase Ny {,
citizen OF Grcenviile. Ii was wrong 80
rob him of his property as this act
would do. He offered an amendment
to prevent tho property from revert
ing to the State il tho purchaser could
not operate 1t at once.
Mr.. Williams said this bill did affect
this road, but it was not intended to
affect italone. The people of the Stat,
had built this road and we're enti;.sG
TO the conrenicncos of travc.. Tna :'.sn
had refused 10 ruu ian rv,As; an. .td
said that the people tI>I..: T.: i.amneu.
He was even :<'4i".rs ~ I.:a IrucK 10
them cite. i.:a :Asa u iI,: ChesJyr .nu
thcriw "Na~: :, ia: yiiicii+.s Y,enuu
70 "">:t: IT,. pr':e@nJ ;tY, Jnuy auu!Q
;<A" =" III: "'!,tJ .t.ii JtUpr,nu lha ucU- .
~ u ?@> :cun6y Hnu nuu pad JnUu- ,
$a!ii.> y. IO,itI's IUr /, Jl nc privileges
~ s. 'uIl'OAu.
W. Joan =. rho,nee held hat under
InH constitution thuy could not roo &uy
|nN n''n ot n's peisuuat properly With
JuU aus PROCESS Vi aW." ThOy could
huV GonitScatc property Dy q log islayiye
i,ct.
Mr. bly the supposed mat one pur-
chaser bought Inc road aS u sDeCuia.
IiOn. Fho purchaser stopped tho run
ming OF trains. lie was now cuioined
rom leartng the track up. lie could
| not Tell what the court was going TO
/ 90. The people had come to him ask
Jng hlm TO do all he could to sec that
Choy obtained thelrrights. He had
! agreed for MIR. Williams TO Introduce
the bill, as be had simijar case in his
! part OF the State.
Mr.. Patton thon made legal protest
against such bill. IT was clearly, ab.
soluCeiy unconstitutional.
Mr. Livingston wanted the matter
considered without reference to special
cases. Railroads wore public corpora
lions. he took issue with Mr.. Patton,
He said this bill was not alone to cure
present ills, but also to control railroad
property in the future.
Mr. Mccullough said this was moth
ing more or less than an attempt tt
olackmail the purchaser OF this roat
into operating 1t. This was the pur
pose OF the bill. ~
Mr., Blythe thought this languag,
improper. The gentleman who wa