The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-01-24
BIENNIAL SESSIONS.
Proposed for the Legislature by
the House Of Representatives.
HOW EACH MEMBER VOTED.
Eighty-three Members Voted for
the Measure. While Only
TWenty-tWo Voted
AGAINST II.

AGAINST II.
On Tuesday of last week in the
House Of Representatives Mr. Eird
called up his joint resolution TO make
the sessions of the General Assembly
biennial. The time Of the General As
sembly, he said, is taken up amending
and repeating statutes. The statutes
of general nature are jumb!ed up and
the laws affecting the several counties
are at variance. There are OILY seven
or eight States which have annual ses
sions of the General Assembly. Just
as much could be accomplished in bien-
nial sessions. The Legislators are
pledged to economy, ana the people
should be given chance to say whether
they want the Legislature to meet every
year or every Two years. The bill
merely provides for an election on the
question Of an amendment to the Con-
stitution.
Mr.. Peurifoy said he was member
of the House in 1886, 1887, 1888 and
1889. The resolution, he said, was
nothing new He said at that time
that if the House did not meet in FIVE
years it would be better. Formerly the
House met late in November and ad
journed before Christmas, but you Re-
form Legislators meet and remain in
session forty days, and there is no
more done. Biennial sessions are
wanted.
Mr.. Wolfe said that ninc-tenths Of
his biennial constituents favored bien-
nial sessions. There was now too much
legislation. The State is not rich
enough to pay for laws Of no value.
The taxpayers are overburdcned. There
is public demand for the measure.
Mr.. Bacot said that since 1871 down
to the present time the bill of rights
has provided for the General Assembly
to meet frequently. He thought it
healthy for the lawmakers to meet fre
quently. 1t is the result of the Wis
dom of ages. After further discussion
yea and nay vote was ordered, which
resulted So to % in favor of the reso-
luton.
Those who voted against the resolu-
tion were: Speaker Gary, Bacot, Bal
ley, DeBruhl, Evans, Jones, Lotion,
Lyles, Magill, Manning, Mauldin, W.
l.. McLaurin, Mehrtens, Mitchell,
Moses, Patton, RagsGale, Richardson,
H. B., Seabrook, West, Williams,
WooGs-22
Those absent or not voting were:
Blythe, Cosgrove, Cross, Dargan, Gads-
den, Jennings, Simkins, Sinkler, Theus,
Warn.
Pairs: Weston and Crum.
There was some contentiog about ex-
cusing Mr.. Weston from voting, but he
was finally excused.
MIR. Mccullough was paired.
Mr.. Rogers and Mr.. Prince said that
if they had been in the hall they would
have voted yea.
The 63 votes adopted the resolution
and by the bare skin of vote the
House adopted the resolution submit
ting the question Of biennial sessions
to the people for a constitutional
amendment.
Under the Constitution 1T took the
eighty. three votes to order the vote on
the constitutional question, and the
resolution now goes TO the Senate hav-
ing passed the third reading in the
House.
The advocates Of biennial sessions
won decided victory; those voting for
the resolution were Messrs. Ashley,
Bates, Bell, Black, Blease, Bolts.
Brantley, Browning, Caughman, Col
cock, Davis, Dendy, Bowling, Dukes,
E6rd, Epps, Estridge, H. Il. Evans,
Fairey, Floyd, Gamble, CAN'T, Cause,
Graham, Henderson, Hill, Hofmeyer,
Hollis, Hopkins, Hydriok, Jackson,
II. E. johnson, ". J. johnson, Lev
erett, Lockwood, Mann, Marion, Laban
Mauld;D; Mccoy, McCraw, McDill,
MCLAUGHLIN, Means, Miley. Mobley,
Montgomery, Moss, Nettles, Patterson,
Peurifoy, Pyatt, J. ". Ragsdale,
Richards, G.. W. Richardson, G. E.
Robinson, R. B 4. Robinson, c. P.
Sanders, Z. L. Sanders, Sawyer,
Sharpe, G. ?. Smith, J. Smith, j. L.
Smith, S,ackhouse, Stevenson, StTom,
Suber, ". II. Thomas, THREAT, Tim
norman, Eerdier, Werner, Wharton,
Whisonant, Wilson, Wimberly, Wingo,
Winkler, Wolfe, NJ. 3. Woodward, w
H. Woodward, Wyche, loung-S3.
FoURTH-YEAR TERMS DEFEATED.
The next resolution was to have
constitutional amendment looking to
four year terms for members. Strange
to say the friends of the biennial ses-
sion bill were divided on the four-year
term idea.
Mr.. Stevenson thought 1t bad idea
to have four-year terms.
Mr.. Efrd and Mr.. Ashley favored
the four-year idea.
Capt. Wilson agreed with Mr.. Stew
enson and did not vote for the four
year term. He voted for the biennial
session, but thought it best to get the
Representatives fresh from the people.
Mr.. ". H. Thomas thought it easy
enough to say they voted for biennial
sessions and at the same time vote for
four-year sessions. The two measures
must so together. Irfrequent elections
are just as good as infreQucnt sessions
of the General Assembly. The friends
of the measure already passed should
stick to the four year term.
Mr.. Stevenson said the committee
did not think it wise to have fouE-year
terms. 1t is al sentiment TO re-elect
members. Moss backs would have to
be kept here for four years.
TIE House year after year passed
the Clemson College resolution, but
the Senate defeated it, but he was
I;eoncaS RI bova MON ec thav could be