The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-03
IN THE HOUSE.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE DURING THE
PAST WEEK.

i A Synopsis OF the Bills of General Interest
Introduced into and Passed by the Low.
er House.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Jan. 29.-The
House of Representatives is now get
ting down TO work in dead earnest
and from now on will make things
move. Among the new bills intro
duced since our last report was one
by Mr.. Perritt to require so per cent
of the commutation road tax to be ex
pended on the roads and bridges ol
the townships from which it is collect
ed.
Mr.. Burns introduced bill to regu'
late the manufacture, inspection,
shipment and sale of commercial fer
tilizers and manures, the privilege tax
on same and providing a penalty fol
violating the provisions of this act.
Provision is made in the bill for the
trustees of Clemson college, upon the
receipt by the State treasurer of IL
cents per ton on fertilizers sold, to is,
sue privilege tax tags. That when SO
issued these tags shall be cancelled by
the company, selling the fertilizers,
stamping its name across the face OF
them, and provides for the punish.
ment of persons issuing fraudulent
tags or in any way attempting 10 evade
the tax. The principal intention OF
the bill is to abolish all OF the prlvl.
lege tax on fertilizers, except so much
as shall be necessary to pay for the
analyses of fertilizers, and thus pro.
tect the farmers against adulterated
goods. This tax being discriminate
ing class tax paid by one class and en-
joyed by all others. no revenue fea-
ture is permitted, Mr.. Burns holding
it an incorrect theory of taxation.
The support of all our educational
institutions he says, should be
be placed upon the same footing and
supported by a direct appropriation
from the State treasury, according to
their several wants and necessities as
the legislature in its wisdom may de,
eide.
MIR. Layton intr reduced a bill to
amend the general pension law. The
bill provides that applications shall be
submitted to a board of three ex.Con.
federates aud physician, The chair
man of the several camp boards shall
be known as examining boards OF pen.
sions, which shall meet on the third
Monday in January, 1898, and on the
third Monday of January in each sue
ceeding year. 1t shall be their duty
to examine all applications under reg
uIations prescribed by the secretary OF
state, attorney general and cornptrol-
lergeneral, who shall constitute State
boards of pensions" and they shall
certify to the State board their ap-
proval of applications giving in detail
the reason which influence them to
grant or oppose each application, &C:
compahied by all the evidence upon
which they made their decision. In
selecting pensioners from among the
applicants the board shall have regard
to their present condition and fnan-
ancial means and also the financial
condition of their near relatives, al
lowing to each applicant so selected
the sum of So, $6 or 81 as they may be
entitled under the provision of the act.
The sum of $500 is appropriated out OF
funds in the treasury to defray the ex'
penses of the examining boards, which
shall be five cents per mile for travel
each way in attending the meeting.
The several camps shall meet on the
third Monday of December, 1897, and
the same day in each subsequent year
and shall elect three ofisheir members,
who shall not be an applicant for
pensions, as camp examining board,
the chairmen of these several camp
boards to be the county examing board
When there are no camps, or when
they fail to carry out the provisions OF
the act the State board shall appoint
three ex. Confederate, non.applicants
FOR penesions, who shall constitute the
State board.
Unfavorable reports we're presented
on the bill to amend the law relating
to cotton weighers, the bill to change
the boundary line of Broad River
township in York county with MIN
ority report, the bill to amend the
tax acG, reducing the tax to
is cents; the bill to provide for the
election of masters and the bill to re-
quire the State sinking fund commits
sion to lend the funds to the counties
of the State.
When Mr.. Harvey's bill to require
the killing of dogs bitten by any ami
NAL suffering with rabies was called
up for a final reading, Mr.. Pollock
moved toindefnitely postpone it. The
house refused to do so. however, and
the bill was ordered to be sent 10 the
senate.
When Mr.. Stevenson's bill te render
uniform the mode Of taxation in towns
and cities in accordance with section
6, article VIII of the new Constitu'
ton, was taken up and passed to a
third reading.
Mr.. Timmerman's bill to forbid the
couty supervisor, the board of town
ship commissioners and the county
board of commissioners from entering
into or making any contract or audit
ing any claim against their respective
counties for any fiscal year beyond or
in excess of the appropriation made by
the general assembly for such year,
and making a violation of such forbid
den acts a misdemeanor was then taken
up, and Mr.. Zimmerman defended his
bill at some length, Mr.. Graham hav-
ing moved to strike out the enacting
words. Mr.. Graham thought the bill
would do the county government sys'
tenn more harm than good. He thought
it would work a great hardship on the