The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-02-19
IRE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Saturdays Proceedings in the
House and Senate.

she third reading bills on the Calen-
dar were disposed of. The House then
took I'D the Legislative appropriation
Bill and the general supply bill, both.
Of which we're ordered to their third
reading without any contention.
An effort was made TO reduce the
State levy below what the ways and
means commi seee showed to be abso-
yutely necessary. The State levy
stands at FIVE mills and that will hard
y be sufficient.
The Anderson delegation made a
hard but unsuccessful fight to have a.
General drainage bill passed, but the
Eonse defeated it.
When the johnson antitrust bill
came up for its third reading Mr.
GosgroFe moved to recommit the bill.
His chiss objection to the bill was to
ghe affidavit which, he urged, would
ssreFent all insurance companies doing
Business in the Safe He insisted that
the bill was entirely too severe and
that insurance companies had to make
agreements with other and marine
companies to carry cotton risks, and
the bill would prevent manufacturers
mutual companies from doing Dusl-
ness. He had read that eighteen COM
uaiss Withdrew from Texas because Of
this affidavit and there were only
sixty good companies doing business
Sn the State. The bill would injure
Ehe merchants throughout the State
The business interests ought to be
shove politics and the Insurance. of the
5roperty of the State ought TO be above
one man or more riding into office
npon this measure.
Mr Fucker thought every member
had fully made up his mind on the
Bill. He believed the bill the most
important considered this season.
There has been a spirit OF unrest N
the State growing day by day that had
20 be net with such legislation. There
MAS nothing in the bill that prevented
insurance companies from making
Eheir own rates and he urged that
shere vas nothing IN Mr.. Cosgroye's'
contentious and insisted that sucn a,
Sill was necessary for the welfare OF
Ehe people Of the State.
& yea and nay vote was ordered at
the request of DR.. Jarnigan and Mr..
Taturn on Mr.. Cosgfove's motion to
tecommitSthe antitrust bill, and the
motion faiied BY vote of Is to SO.
The general road. law passed its final
reading. Mr. Hardin urged that the
bill was detective, as is does not hx
5he ags limit and he did not think it
would stand the consti tutional test.
MI. Einard moved to recommlt the
Stackhouse bill, which provides for
bank assessments being made. by the
State board of equalization. he
Ehonghs the people at home knew the
zvalue OF property and al county boards
wanted all the taxable property they
coud gEst on the books. The House
refused TO recommit the bill
All the third reading bills were
passed.
In the afternoon Mr., Morgan called
40 his bill to amend the law in refer
enee TO the duties and powers of the
county auditor in reference to the
assessment of property for taxation
where false, fraudulent or other I'M
proper return has been made. The
.ourposs is to avoid the payment of the
Dunk,n and Oaklawn Township bonds.
The State Supreme Court held the
bonds to be constitutional and valid.
The question, Mr.. Morgan urged, was
ghetder the State Courts should be
sustained. The pending bill is IN to
avoid paving bonds for railroads that
have never been built. It does not
affect bonds for railroads that were
aetuaHy constructed.
The ibillsis to apply to the State,
county and school tax, and to protect
the county and State officers. The
idea was that the State Courts could
enjoin county officers from collecting
township taxes for railroads that were
never constructed. This bill is to
assist TIE county officers and State Su-
preme Court in protecting the taxpay-
ars. He insisted that he had no bogus
scheme nor was there any trick IN the
bill.
-ME Prince moved to amend that
municipal taxes could not be lnterfered
6 y The Ti, House, after Mr.. Morgan's
speech. adopted the bill as proposed.
/. Mr.. Dorroh then urged the passage
OF this resolution;
Section l. That the following amend
Tnent to Section II, Article VII, OF The
Constitation, be agreed to: Add to
the end thereof the following words.
ssThat this section shall not apply to
the following townships, in the follow
ans counties, Dunklin and Oakiown,
in the county of Greenville; the town
SHIPS of Cokesbury, Ninety-Six and
Cooper in the county of Greenwood
Sullivan Township, in the county of
Laurens: Pickens and Wise town
shins, in the county of Edse6eld:
Huiett and aIoblev. in the county of
SaIuda. and Broad River, Saluda and
Fork. in the county of Lexington; that
tie covporate existence Of said town
sins re. and the same IS hereby de-
.s49oved, and all officers under said
are abolished and all cor
norate agents removed.
Pae resolution was passed.
THE SENATE.
The proceedings Of the senate today
aera devoid Of interest in that it vas
syreed that only uncoutested matters
=