The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-10
THE SENATE AT WORK.
SEVERAL BILLS PASSED AND MANY
OTHERS INDUCED.
A New Dispensary Bill Introduced by Sem
ator Mayfleld-A Number Of Other Bills
Passed and Read-The Senate Well Up
With Its Work.

Passed and Rsad-The Senate Well Up
With Its Work.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Feb. 5.-The Sen.
ate met Tuesday night at s o'clock.
The usual routine business at the op,,
ening was disposed of and the third
reading bills on the calendar were
reached when it was discovered that
one of the assistant clerks was absent
with the key to the desk in which
were locked all the paI ers OF the GEN.
ate, including the bills. Under these
circumstances there was nothing to
do but to adjourn. This the senate
did until IL o'clock Wednesday.
When the senate met "Wednesday
morning the question of the introduc-
ton of bills was reopsned by Senator
Moses offering a resolution to extend
the time to the 18th inst. His resolu-
ton passed without comment, but
soon thereafter Mr.. Henderson moved
a reconsideration, saying that 1t was
time for this tody to be looking to-
ward an adjournment. Bills If ne
cessary could be introduced through
the committees.
Mr.. Moses explained that he ssw no
necessity or reason for shutting out
the introduction of bills from the
floor when they could be gotten betol
the senate through the committees: 1t
was as well to let the author father
the bill as a committe. And further,
this talk of adjourning by the middle
of February was out OF the question.
If every bill was in, declared Senator
Moses, an adjournment could not be
reached by that time. He then point
ed out that the supply bill and the ap.
preparation bill had not been touched
in the house and predicted that the
work of the body would not be i'm
ished before the LIST of March.
MIR. Henderson said that an exam
pie should be set in this matter. 1t
should be shown that the senate was
up with its work and was waiting on
the house. His motion to reconsider
then prevailed by vote of % to 8.
Saturday, the sixth inst. was then
6xed as the last day for the introduc.
ton of new bills.
When Mr.. Suddath's bill to repeal
the act against nepotism in the ap-
pointment of clerks and inferior OIL
GERS by the heads of departments
came up for second reauing, Mr..
Archer moved that the unfavorable
report of the committee be adopted.
MIR. Suddath gave as his reasons for
introducing the bill that under the
present law he thought unnecessary
hardships were imposed upon the
heads of departments. These men
were elected to Offices of trust and
they wanted clerks of whose honesty
there was no doubt and in whom re.
lance could be placed. II relatives OF
the officers were capable of filing
these positions, then he could see no
objection to having them appointed.
The bill. he explained, applied only to
State officers.
The unfavorable report was adopted
by vote of % to 8 and the bill killed.
a house bill to require county Off
GERS to keep an itemized account OF
their income by virtue of their office
and to require them to make an annu-
al report of the same to the county
supervisor and further to keep AN open
record of such account subject to in
spection by citizens of said county was
reached il due time among the second
reading bills.
Mr. Mower moved the enacting
words be stricken out.
Mr.. Dean said there was a demand
from the people for such measure /.
They wanted to know what their
county officers were getting and in the
case of those who received fees this
was impossible.
Mr.. Mower explained that he made
his motion to strike out the enacting
words because the salaries of the otfi
GERS were fixed by law, ss were the
fees. In the case of officers with
fixed salaries every 'one knew
what those salaries were. In
the case of the officers who
got fees, such fees were fixed by law
and the presumption was that they
were fixed upon the value OF the ser
vices rendered.
Mr.. Moses failed 10 see the necessity
of changing the present system which
had given satisfaction for the last
century.
Messrs. Buist, Archer and Gaines
spoke in favor of the bill and Mr..
Mayield4against it.
MIR. Dean moved to table the motion
10 strike out The enacting words. His
motion prevailed by a vote of 81 to 6.
a message from the governor was
received whish recommended that the
claims of T. J. Mackey be considered
favorably. This Yves referred to the
judiciary committee.
The Senate after passing several
bills of no general intereft to third
reading, adjourned over to Thursday.
In the Senate on Thursday num-
ber of new bills were presented, the
majority being similar to the House
bills. Those Of general interest are
noted below. The special order after
the reading of new bills was the crea-
ton of Dorchester County. There
were both a majority and minority
report. Both were laid over.
Mr.. Mower then called up his mag
istIates' bill, in order to have incorpo.
rated the various amendments, and
he gave notice of calling itup for final
disposition today. There twas some
sharp discussion on the motion to re-
consider the vote whereby the bill
with amendments was ordered printed.
Economy was urged, but the Senate
thought best to print it and refused to