The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-18
The General Assembly.
The $4,000 Emergency Fund
Bill Passed.

Columbia, Jan. l6.-The IegisIa-
tive session to day was not marked
by any special incident. Both houses
met at IL o'clock and, contrary to
the general rule on Monday, nearly
every member was in his seat.
In the house, among many other
bills and resolutions introduced, one
by Mr.. Can't, of Cherokee. was
against the idea of imperialism or
Expansion" The resolution recited
the fact that the conquest and acqui.
sition of foreign territory is contrary
to the spirit and purposes of the
government. 1t stated that the
people of all the countries of right
| have the privilege of establishing
their own government. The resoIu.
tion calls upon the senators and
representatives of the State to vote
against the expansion idea The
| resolution was referred to the COM
| mittee on federal relations.
There was considerable debate
amongst members of the Lexington
delegation over the salaries of magis-
trates in that county. Mr.. E6rd
opposed the bill, but Mr.. Sharpe who
introduced the bill defended it.
Some other members engaged in the
discussion of this purely local matter,
and Mr.. E6rd's motion to recommis
the bill was defeated
The bill to appropriate $1,000 to
the governor as an emergency fund
caused much discussion. This fund
has always been placed in the gov
errors hands and has been used in
stamping out disease in the State.
Some members evidently believed
that the appropriation was intended
to meet the situation in Sumter
county and opposed it on that
ground, holding that the money of
the people should not be paid out to
meet certain sanitary conditions in
certain localities.
DR.. Woods, of Clarendon, spoke
strongly against the adoption Of the
bill, holding that it really meant the
increase of the exchequer.
Mr. Woodward, of Aiken, in de-
Tending the bill, stated that smallpox
was now raging in the lower section
of Aiken county and in Barnwell.
Finally the bill passed it's third read
/ ing and was sent to the senate
The business Of the house was in.
terrupted by the appearance of the
4 senate As matter of fact the mem.
bers of the house as we'll as the off.
cials had forgotten resolution
passed by both bodies that the can
vass of the vote for governor,
lieutenant governor and others had
been appointed for to- day. As a
consequence the grave and digni6ed
senators marched in and had to stand
up until chairs could be provided for
them The canvass of the vote was
1 pro forma, but had to be gone through
with
In the senate little was done
Senator Sullivan, of Anderson,
introduced resolution to abolish the
constitutional provision relative to
the homestead. 1t was referred to
the proper committee, and should it
pass an election will have to be held
to decide whether the constitution
shall be changed.
The bill introduced by Mr. Steven
son to abolish the law relative to
primary elections was adopted by the
house The object of the bill is not
to take out the sa!utary features of
the act now in force, bus it is meant
to frame law whereby the sapreme
court or any other court will have
nothing to do with it as q legal lIes-
tion.-Columbia Record.