The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-02-02
What the General Assembly
Has Done.
Retrospective and Prospective
Summary Of the Work.

y
The State J.n. 3lst.
The general assembly has now been
in session three weeks. and it yet has
a great deal to do. At this stage it
does not seem likely that the predic-
ton that the session would be a
short one will come true. No steps
looking to short session were taken
during the past week. Mr. Gasque
tried to get the house to pass hie
concurrent resolution to adjourn sine
die on the 18th, inst but the body
declined to agree to the proposition,
the argument being that it was uuwise
to fix final day far ahead When the
resolution was killed, Mr. Caughman
of Saluda introduced another provid-
! ing for the final adjournment on the
18th.
The resolution is on the calendar,
and is especial order for to-day. Mr.
Magill has the only other resolution
looking to final adjournment. 1t is
also special order for this morning.
1t is intended to prevent the intro
juction of bills after to day except
through certain committees There
is talk of calling both these resolu-
tioDs up when the house meets this
morning
In this connection it will be inter-
esting to glance over the work. past
and prospective When the house
met 1t had 63 bills brought over from
last session on its calendar. All of
these, save four, among them being
the prohibition bill, the Burns pri-
vilege tax bill and the Gage county
government bill. have in one way or
another been disposed of Since
the session began about 235 bills.
including claims reported upon. have
been presented. When the house
adjourned on Saturday there was ex-
actly 120 bills. including the four
brought over from last session, four
claims and twelve senate bills on the
calendar. When business begins to-
day there will be possibly eight more
house bills On the calendar, and as
many more senate bills Quite a
large number of bills are still 10 COM
mittee, though the committees have
been doing excellent work this ses.
sion.
The features of the past weeks
session were the elections for comp
troller general, members of the State
board of control and public printer,
and the 6ght over the public printing
bill. These matters largely occupied
the attention-of the members There
was no end of "log rolling" in the
matter of the elections. The defeat
of Governor Ellerbe'e appointee. Mr.
Epton. for comptroller general. and
the election of Mr. Parks as public
printer are still fresh in the minds of
all and it is needless to cay more here
about EN- The same thing ie true
-blic printing bill fight The
detea. of Mr. Epton has had It's effect
on the political situation, no doubt
at least it is so considered.
So far as dispensary or ';auor Iegis
lation is concerned. thus far the
special committee on the dispensary
has not submitted it's report or the
bills referred to it. 1t is expected TO
present subordinate bill. Whether
the request Of the State board ofcontrol
that county boards be done away
withis to be needed OF not is not known
yet. The only other new measure
affecting the liquor situation is the
bill of Mr.. Simkins of Edge6eld look
ing to the reference of the whole mat
ter to the people in an election to be
held next November The PROPOSE.
tion was frequently auggested prior
to the session
Mr.. Chiids' prohibition bill has not
yet been discussed or voted upon.
The author has indicated that it will
be called up to morrow
Mr.. Cbilds also has bill requiring
that pupils in the public schools be
given instruction as TO the effect of
intoxicating liquors on the human
system 1t is thought that this bill
will be passed
The special committee appointed
to consider the concealed weapon
bills has reported all of them untavor
ably, and presented a substitute bill
for the entire lot, which it is thought
will meet the situation better than
anything else The text of this bill
has been given.
When the bill to repeal the anti
free pass act came up In the house
during the week the house on two