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

Columbia. Jan 81 The house yes.
terday passed Mr. S,oGe's bill to allow
oil ooDvlc's whose sentences arc not
over 10 years to be used 90 county
chaiOgsngs.
The house had few days before
passed Mr. Westou's bill to permit.
oonv'ots io city jails to be leased to the
county authorities. There are tive
more propositions to be disposed Of
that TO sell the State fsrms, aud tha.
to stop The lease of oonvicts to private
| parties.
There was q general fight over the
bill Of Mr Cooper Of Laureos to repu.
late the sale, manufacture and earryi
Of frearms
The bill prohibited the carrying of
pistols. concealed or exposed. loss than
80 inches 10 length and vel Ching lees
than three aud half pounds
Nh Cooper answered . number Of
questions put to bin BY mem bers of
the house. He had carefully consider.
ed the constitution slity of the bill aud
had consulted members of the oirouit
court.
These had s,l told him that the bill
IS constitutional, and does not violate
the fundamental right of cisizeps to
bear arms.
The vote. on the motion to strike cut,
resulted 30 to Is against the motion
asd 10 favor Of the bill
The house then acted upon M
Duraots bill to secure better returns s
for taxes aod collection of same. Mr.
Durant explained the provisions Of the
bill. However. it had 40 uufsvorable
report and was killed
The house then took up Mr. Strom's
bill relative to the eligibility of couvicts
to the select society of county chain
gangs.
Mr. Strom and Mr. Stsckhouse spoke
10 favor Of it Mr. Wipgo made a good
speech reci.ine the necessity for skilled
labor 10 operating machinery on public
works. This labor is usually employed, =,
when convict labor would do as we'll
Bot convicts. il sent up for short
terms. are discharged by the time .hey
get to working we'll. The counties
which have the court expenses. to bear
sbould get the proper return 10 labor.
THE SENATE.
There was little dooe 10 the senate
yesterday. Several bills were given
their second and third readiuRs.
Before the house was called to
order Monday, some person or per.
sons had circulated q report that
email pox was rampant in Columbia.
and the fears OF number of mem.
bers were aroused.
As there is no more small pox in
Columbia than elsewhere, and in
order to protect the city from the
effect Of damaging though false
rumors, Mr. j. Caldwell Robertson
introduced the following resolution
which was adopted:
Resolved, that the committee on
medical affairs be, and they are here
by, Instructed to make immediate in
vestigation into the rumor of the
prevalence Of email pox in the city of
Columbia and confer with the board
of health of the city of Columbia and
physicians of reputation resident and
prscticing 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 we're
four cases of virulent small pox in
one of the hotels in the city. and
there was some talk Of adjourning to
Charleston, Greenwood and about 40
other places. Mr.. j. G. HemphiN,
editor of the News end Courier. who
10 here working for the Charleston
exposition appropriation, wired to
the mayor of Charleston to extend an
invitation to the Legislature to 20 to
Charleston.
There was fight on Mr. Cooper's
bill against carrying weapons. which
passed second reading Saturday At
that time it was 60 amended that its in
tended object was thwarted. Mr..
Cooper asked unanimous consent to
amend 80 as to correct this mistake
The motion to recommit the bill
was lost by vote of 46 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 Mr.. De Bruhl the
bill WAS indefinitalv nostnonod ~.