The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-16
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
THE MEASURES AOrED UPON.
Some OF the Important Matters Be
tore the General Assembly,


crate generals belonging to the State:
to the executive committee OF inc
Charleston Confederate Reunion II de-
sired for the decorations OF the Audlto-
rum. The committee amended the
resolution so as to include tho loan or
the Confederate lsgs, ttd on condition
that the pictures oo insured lor al
amount to b, agreed upon.
MIR. Elirds bill TO have one instead
of three superv isors Of registration WAS
continued until the next session with
his consent.
Mr.. Woodward said he aid not caro-
to discuss at length his bill requiring Il
license to carry certain deadly weapons,
fixing the amount OF the license fee,
the same without said license, He
said the bill would give the counties
some revenue, and that he thought it
on the rig hit line. The enacting words
OF The bill we're stricken out.
Mr.. Mann's bill to provide for the
equitable assignment and payment Of
taxes on mortgaged property did not
provoke much discussion. He explain
ed his position briefly, and on Mr.. Nc
Cull0ugh's amendment the enacting
words of the bill were stricken out.
A DEBATE ON THE CHAIN GANG.
Mr.. Mlley, of Colietou, had " bill to
amend the county government act.
Mr.. Hydrlck, Of Spartanhurg, pro-
posed a general bill to take the place
Of the act which recently went into
effect. His bill proposed TO fix the
saiIfies OF the commissioners in each
Of tho counties in one geueral bill.
His general bill also proposed to fix the
salaries OF the two other commission
ers in The general bill! He said that
four bills had been Introduced and
passed as to the county government
bill. Ono bill went through for Fair
field, another for Orengebnrg, anotner
for Richland and another for Beau
fort, and that if this thing keeps up
every county will have its own county
laws. He believed these special acts
would not hold.
A motion WAS made to table Mr.. Hy~
bricks general amendments To Mr..
Miley's bill. a quorum did not vote
the first time. a second vote showed
73 members voting.
Mr.. Hydrick said Mr.. Miley'S bill as
to convicts working on the chain gang
was wrong. The conyicts should lie
kept on the chain gang. The bill viii
virtually repeal the acts Of 1897 and
1898, which permit fye-year term priS-
Oners.
Mr.. Warm said he had seen his chain
gang with Two men guarding Que little
negro. He did noG want 20 see his cOun
ty ditched. He did not want q chain
gang with less than ten prisoners.
Mr.. Efrd was afraid to jeopNrdize
the chain gang system to suit Cclleton.
There was no good in the measure AT
all.
MIR. Marion, Of Chester, said the bl:
limits the chain gang term TO two years.
Tho present law now allow ed five. year
conviCts on the chain gang.
Mr.. Hopkins said in his county the
number on the chaE gang varies, an !
If the number run down TO ten The
whole work will have to DO stopped.
This hli is not calculated to do good.
Mr. Prince, Of Anderson, said his
county had the best roads in the State,
and it was largely due to the chain
gang system. He wanted All prisoners
on the roads. He would like to sec
even l0.year prisoners on the chain
gang. The chain gangs were grca;
saving for his people, aud they wantc9
the system extended.
Mr.. Warn. said in Colleton there were
two men at work, Il white man and ne
gro. The white man did the cooking,
and the only work was by the negro
\ prisoner, and two guards were paiG $lo
each u month to do the guarding for
about SIS worth OF road word.
MIR. Prince said TO exempt CollCton
urder this bill may ieopariize the
whole bill for all counties, Hts county
wanted all the prisoners it could get,
"a his people were thinking Of macttd-
t.miz; ng their roads.
Dr.. Wyche, OF Newberry, was vio-
lently opposed to epccial Legislation.
1t is all wrong to pass bill for each
county or community. Mombers are
making themselves ridiculous by pass.
ing so many separate bills. The com.
mittees, or someone, should pl cpnrc
general laws. The Constitution con
templates general laws applicable to
the entire State, and it was wrong to
have one law for Colleton and another
for Anderson. There ought TO be gen
oral laws. He favor ID MIR. Hydric6 3
general law.
Mr.. Cosgrove said he agreed WITH
Mr.. Prince that not sufficient attention
WAS paid to tho matter Of drainage.
He said that thousands Of acres Of tie
best lands in the State were useless
because of lack Of drainage. The bill
was on the wrong line.
Dr.. Wyche moved 10 recomm 1t the
bill. Mr.. Lotion opposed rec0mmitlng
at this stage Of the, session. The bill
was rccommitted by vote OF 40 so %.
BIENNIAL SESSIONS.
Mr. Sturkie wanted TO take up the
resolution providing for biennial SOS
sions and four-yeRr terms for members.
His people wanted such legislation.
Mr.. Blease said the constitution pro-
vided that o two-thirds vote Of the
members elected was necessary to pass
tho r. solution. There were barely
two.thirGs OF the members present, and
he hoped the matter would be taken
up with larger attendance. The
House agreed to talso up tho resolu tion
DR.. Wyche said If tho General As
sembly did not fritter away it's time il
need not meet every year. There
WAS too much work done here which
ought to be trapsactod by the count
commissioners. He said members pre-
sent 8 bill one year and the next year
legislate TO change 1t aronnl. Il the
Legislature confines itself to genera
Legislation there will be- more thar
enough time. Local matters should bt