The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-05
BIENNIAL SESSIONS
OF the Legislature Favored 81 the
House Ct Representatives.
THIRTEEN MEMBERs OPPOSED

The Bill by Voting Against II. Nine
ty-Scver Members Voted 10
! Let the People Decide
the Matter.
The House Wednesday disposed OF
the ioint resolution proposing an am
endment to the constitution to provlcc
for biennial sessions. Mr.. Etrd. the
author of the bill. defended it in 1860
The bill received over S3 votes in the
! house "a two~hirdS majorijyl. and 26
votcsin the senate, lacking one of the
required number in the senate. He
declared that the senate offered very
tlinlsv excuSc-namely that Judges
must be selected each year. He urged
! that~the matter should be submitted
to the people. for they are competent
to settle it. We need economy. The
people arc clamCTing for biennial scS-
sions. Why then not let them vote on
the question? lie explained that nc
had opposed submitting the Sanders
bill to refer the liquor question to the
people because that was to be submit
ted by counties. He fav0rs submit
ting matters to the people of the
whole State.
He explained that the law is SO
mixed up on account Of the frequent
sessions of the legislature that the
LAWYERS are confounded over it.
When a man is elected 20 the legisla-
ture he wants to do something so bad
". that he changes and tries to undo
the work Of his predecessors until the
law is in confusion.
\ majority of the States have blen-
NAL sessions. 1t is true that Georgia
has repealed the biennial sessions law,
but that does not mean that this State
would be wise to follow their example.
Who is it that opposes biennial ses-
sions? Those who are receiving re-
enumeration from the annual sessions.
He stated that the lawyers favor the
annual sessions, while the farmers
favor biennial sessions.
Mr.. Moses asked facetiously If law
7ers need the 81 per diem. Mr. Ehrd
| insisted he had referred particularly
to attaches who are remunerated by
coming here. Among others, he re-
ferred to the State printers who are
benefited by annual sessions. Not the
incumbent particularly, but any State
printer. Mr.. Etird concluded by sum
ming up his arguments. There are
but six States having biennial seS'
sions, and there never would be OF ne
cessity for the governor to call extra
sessions.
Mr.. Moses opposed the bill. lie
thought that the constitutional con-
vention had come fresh from the peo-
pie and it had debated this matter
and had voted down biennial sessions.
It is a good thing for the peoples rep
resentatiTes to meet here once a year
to discuss conditions.
Mr.. Banks Of Newberry, who had
been the first to introduce a measure
Of this kind, made a warm and forcl-
BILE appeal in its behalf. The people
want it. he declared.
Mr.. Coggeshall Of Darlington fav-
ored the bill. 1t is one OF the most
conservative and one Of the most
beneficial matters brought before the
| legislature since the constitutional
convention. We have too many laws
for any good purpose and yet they
continue to be piled up. While other
States are reducing the number and
the length Of the sessions, South Caro-
lima has reduced the necessity for long
sessions, yet has by the constitution
made the sessions longer than they
we're before. We want more perman-
ency, more stability and finish in our
general laws that the people may
know that they will remain fixed for a
reasonable time. The acts are not
published for two or three months and
the people actually 90 not know for
months the laws under which they are
living. The question of economy
must also be considered. There are
many States which have lately adopt
Ell the plan Of biennial sessions ard
some have gone to Quadrenni7l ses-
sions.
AIr. Lide favored the bill. His leg
islative experience has been limited
but he has seen enough OF it to become
convinced that this theory is the prop
er one. Because the constitutional
convention refused to adopt biennial
sessions is no reason why that matter
should not be recommitted to the peo-
pie. Nearly all Of the States are tend
ing toward less frequent sessions.
There are too many demands for ap-
propriations. and if there were bien-
NAL sessions there would be fewer e1-
traordinary expenses incurred.
Mr.. Ashley favored the bill. The
house doesn't by the bill declare that
there shall be biennial sessions, but
| let the people decide whether or not
there is too much legislation. He felt
sure it would save the people sl0o,o0
year to have biennial sessions.
Col. Robinson favored the bill. He
would never be afraid to submit ques-
tionS to the people Of Anderson county.
He twitteG Mr. Efrd about change OF
base on the matter Of referring Qucs-
tions to the people.
MI. Cooper offered an amendment
to increase the length Of each biennial
session to so days-the limit nov be-
ing 40 days.
Mr.. Prince thought that there
should be no limit to the number OF
days. He offered, as substitute for
Mr.. Cooper's amendment, motion to