The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-01-30
The General Assembly.
More Convicts for Chain
gangs.

Colou5 5ia. Jan 81 -T5e bcuse yes.
terday passed Mr. S;o6e's Gill to elIov
oil corvcts whose sentences are not
over 10 years to be used CO couoty
chaicgsngs.
The house bad feo days before
passed Mr. Wessou's bill to pernl:
oooylo,s io city jsils to be leased to toe
cou1sy authorities There are tic
more propositions to be disposed Of
that 70 sell the State farms, and that
to stop the lease of con7iots to peivste
parties.
There vas a genera! fight over the
bill Of Mr Cooper Of Laureus to regu-
late the sale, manufacture and earryiog
of firearms
The bill prohibited the carrying Of
pistols. concealed or exposed, less chan
80 inches 10 length and Weighing lees
than three aud half pounds
Mr. Cooper answered q uumber of
questions put to him by memb bers of
tie house He had carefully consider.
ed the copstitutiooaIity of the bill aud
had consulted members of the circuit
court.
These had sill told him that the bill
is constitutional, aud does not violate
the fundamental right Of cisizeEs to
bear arms
The vote, on the motion to strike eu:,
resulted 80 to Is against the motion
and 10 favor of the bill
The house then acted upon Nj
Dursps's bill to secure better returcs
for taxes aod collection of sane Mr.
Dnrans explained the provisions Of the
bill. However. it had au uDfavorable
report aad was killed
The house then took np Mr. Strom's
bill relative to the eligibility of convlc;s
to the select society Of county chain
gangs
Mr. Strom and Mr. Stackbouse spoke
10 favor of it Mr. Wipgo made 8 good
speech reoi,inq the necessity for SKILLED
labor 10 operating machinery on public
vcrks This labor is usually employed,
when ooovict labor would do as well
But couvicts, if sent up for short
terms, are discharged by the time they
get to working we'll. The counties
which bave the court expenses to bear
should ge: the proper return 10 labor.
THE SENATE.
There vas little dooe 10 the senate
yesterday. Several bills we're given
,bei. second ard third readings
Before the house was called to
order Monday, some person or per-
sons had circulated report that
email pox was rampant in Columbia,
and the fears of a number of mem.
bers were aroused
rs there is no more snail pox il
Columbia than elsewhere, and in
order to protect the city from the
effect of damaging though false
rumors, Mr. ]. Caldwell Robertson
introduced the following resolution
which was adopted:
Resolved, that the committee on
medica: affairs be, and they are here
By, Instructed to make immediate in
vestiga.ion into the rumor of the
prevalence CT small pox in the city Of
Coiumbis and confer with the board
of health of the city Of Columbia and
physicians of reputation resident and
practicipg in Columbia, and that the
said committee do report speedily to
the house
Mr.. Robertson was supported in
this by the entire Richland delega
ton.
1t was reported that there were
four cases of virulent small pox in
one of the hotels in the city, and
there was some talk of adjournipg to
Charleston, Greenwood and about 40
other places. Mr.. J. G. aempbill,
editor of the News and Courier. who
ls here working for the Charleston
exposition appropriation, wired to
the mayor of Charleston to extend an
Invitation to the Legislature to go to
Charleston.
There was fight on Mr. Cooper's
bill! against carrying weapons. which
passed second reading Saturday At
that time it was go amended that it's in
tended object was thwarted. Mr..
Cooper asked unanimous consent to
amend 80 as to correct this mistake
The motion to reccmmit the bill
was lost by vote of As to AZ and
the bill subsequently passed third
reading and was cent to the senate
Mr.. Deans bill to tax dogs next
came up
On motion of MIR. De Bruhl the
bill was indefinitely postponed, or