The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-05
CAPITAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Columbia, Feb. 3rd, 1902.

of it's preliminaries, and looking
forward to the day when it can
fix a time for adjournment. A
current resolution was offered IN
the Senate on last Friday fixing
the 18th as the adjournment day,
but I hardly think that the work
can be finished in that time. A
perfect avalanche of bills has
come upon the general assembly,
necessitated from the Supreme
courts decision with regard to
special legislation, and in order
to avoid litigation great many
of the members are endeavorlng
to get their local measures ex-
panded into general laws. My
general seed cotton license bill
is on the Calendar and made a
special order for Wednesday
next, and from present indica-
tions I am looking for a hard
fight to keep the substitute from
being forced upon US. l have
talked to a number of Senators
with regard to this measure, and
in nearly every instance do I
find disposition to make the
license as near prohibitive as
possible, which, in my Judgment,
is a great mistake.
We had a meeting of the dele
cation at which we went over
very carefully the recommends
tions made by the county com
missioners, and, after full con-
sideration. we decided that al
though the expenditures for 1901
we're large we would leave the
levy the same as last year. 1t
was not considered feasible to
reduce the levy, but at the same
time none of the delegation felt
that the conditions warranted an
increase. Owing to the compli-
Gated conditions brought on by
the recent decision with regard
to the jury law, and the early
approach Of our term of the
court, I am at sea as to how we
are to have a grand jury for
1902. The jury bill will not get
through the legislative mill in
time, and if the names are put in
the box under the law declared
unconstitutional no cases can be
tried where the question is rails
ed. This is unfortunate as it
necessitates the expense of sum-
moning the juries with a strong
probability of being useless, be-
cause if a party interested is
not anxious for trial all that his
attorney has to do is to spring
the question, and the court will
continue the case. The jury bill
passed the Senate and it will get
it's third reading in the House
today.
In accordance with a strong
petition from the citizens of
Douglas I have introduced a bill
making it a misdemeanor for
persons to remove the pasture
fence, which, under an Act of
1896, had been erected in that
township. The bill is now in
the hand of the chairman of the
Agricultural Committee and
would have been reported Friday
had it not been that he was
called away on account of sick,
ness; as socn as he returns | will
urge him to summons his com
mittee and get his report in right
away. I am sure there will be
no trouble of a favorable report.
I have also introduced a bill
which has not yet been reported
from the committee on incorpor'
ations, looking to restricting the
taxing power of town councils.
Under til law now, all towns
over 1000 and under 5000 popu-
lation, having surrendered their
charter, can levy a tax as high
as ten mills, which, in my opinion:
is giving them too loose a rein,
and under my bill I retain all OF
the powers granted in the gen
eral incorporation Act, but re:
quire that whenever the Council
desires to increase the tax beyond
the old charter limit it shall only
be done after the matter has
been submitted to the voters al
a special election called for that
purpose. My purpose for IN,
Producing this measure was, that
I am satisfied it will not be long
before our town will be called
upon to elect a new council, and
in this day of putting in improve
ments and burdening the citizens
with increased taxation without
their CONSENT I am not content tc
permit such condition to come
upon US. If a council wishes tC
put in water-works or electric
lights or increase salaries, it will
necessitate an increase of reve,
nue. and this comes out of the
taxpayers, therefore [ think il
is only just and proper that the
people who are 20 be taxed
Should be consulted; otherwise,
we might find an increased reve-
nue. a public waste, because it is
a common observation that the
more money municipality has,
the more it will spend, and the