Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-01-27
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Notes of More or Less Interesting Develop
ments In the House and Senate.

Notes of More or Less Interesting Develop
ments In the House and Senate.
The house and senate convened
again on Monday night, after a recess
from the previous Friday. The night
session of the house was taken up in
the consideration of bill by Mr.. Pat.
ton providing for the extension of the
corporate limits of towns, in accord
ance with certain regulations. The
bill was killed.
An important bill regulating the
granting of bail by magistrates, passed
second reading in the house on Tues
day. Its provisions are as follows
"Section l.. When any magistrate COM
mits party to Jail for a bailable Of
fence, such magistrate shall state on
commitment the amount of recogni-
zance required, upon entering into
which the party shall be released from
custody, and upon entering into such
recognizapce before any magistrate of
the county, such party shall be releas'
ed from the custody of the jailor. Sec
tion 2. Any magistrate or clerk of the
court of the county in which the party
is imprisoned, when demanded by such
party, shall take the recognizance
without extra compensation" 1t is
quite probable that this bill will be-
come law.
The consideration of the Graydon
dispensary bill was taken up in the
senate on Wednesday. The provisions
constituting the secretary of state, the
comptroller general and the superin-
tendent of education a state board of
control, was.:stricken out on the ground
that these officials would be holding
two offices contrary to the constitution.
The senators were inclined to consider
the bill as a whole with considerable
favor; but from the last report it did
not appear that they had found a sat
isfactory solution of the state board
problem. The bill does not interfere
with the status of prohibition counties
but leaves it about as follows:
"Provided, however, That any coun-
ty, town or city wherein the sale of
alcoholic liquors was prohibited by
law prior to July l, 1898, may secure
the establishment of dispensary with
in its borders in the following manner :
Upon petition signed by one-fourth of
the qualified voters Of such county,
town or city wishing a dispensary
therein, being filed with the county
supervisor, or town or city council, ,
respectively, they shall order an elec-
ton submitting the question of dis
pensary or no dispensary to the quail
fed voters of such county, town or
city, which election shall be conducted
as other special elections and major
ity of the ballots cast be found and
declared to be for a dispensary, then a
dispensary may be established in said
county, town or city.
Among the bills Of Importance to
municipalities which are under con-
sideration, is the following, which has
Just passed its second reading in the
house: "That no municipal officer
shall take contract TO perform work
or furnish material for the municipal
corporation of which he is an officer,
and no such officer shall receive any
compensation on any contract for said
purpose. That any person violating
the provisions of this act shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished
by IL fine or imprisonment in the dis
cretion of the court before whom such
conviction is had"
On Tuesday, Mr.. Ashley made anoth-
er attack on the privilege tax. For
several years past Mr.. Ashley has been
trying to secure the abolition of this
tax. He holds that it is a direct tax
on farmers-that it is class legislation
and it is unjust. He believes that
Clemson should be supported by direct
appropriations, in order to secure
greater economy in the management
there. Under present arrangement,
he claims that there is much wasteful
extravaganza. Heretofore, Mr.. Ash
lev has not been able to secure the
support of the majority Of the men,
bers; but now he seems to be making
some progress. His proposition on
Tuesday was to reduce the tax from
25 cents to Is cents ton. To this the
house, after much discussion, agreed ;
but as to whether or not the senate
will concur, seems to be doubtful.
Mr.. jenkins, of the house, wants to
do away with the fee system of paying
county officers and pay all such Of
ficers salaries instead. The proposition
is looked upon with favor, and on
Wednesday the house referred the bill
to committee consisting of one men,
Der from each county to suggest the
salaries the respective officers in the
respective counties should receive.
Mr.. Mellow represents York comfy
on this committee.
Representative McDow's bill to re-
duce the legal rate of interest to 6 per
cent has been killed.
The bill to prohibit child labor in
cotton mills was special order in the
senate for yesterday. AS to what was
done with it The ENQUIRER had not