The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1911-01-25
INTERESTING WEEK
WITH LAWMAKERS.
Governor BleaSe ReVoke9
Commissions of Notaf1eS
and Fires all COnStableS
-Other Matters of Gen.
eral Interest.
BY j. RUTLEDdB MCGEE.

Special to The Dispatch.
Columbia, Jan. 21.-This week in
the General Assembly has not been al
together an uninteresting week Of
work. Both houses seem to have the
work fever, and matters are being
pushed with no little precedent break
ing speed. An added interest in the
work was the proclamation of Cover
nor Blease-frst of his administration
-revoking the commissions of all no.
taries public in this state, a proclama-
tion similar to the one Governor Till
man sent to the General Assembly
when he first became governor. 1t
created no little stir, and upon the
visitation of many members of both
houses to the governors Office the
time limit was extended to February
10, instead of summarily January 21st,
as contained in the first message. It
is argued that there are many notaries
in this state who do not now exercise
the position of that office, that there
are too many who abuse it, that it
gives too much power to individuals
who are not competent to exercise
the duties of this Office and that there
should be some ''weeding out" pro-
cess in this Office anyway. On the
other hand, there are those who do
not agree with the governor on ac-
count of the fact that he is causing
some to suffer for the misuses OF the
powers of others. Governor Blease
recommended that sPme bill be intro
duced limiting the powers of notaries,
and this bill has been introduced in
the House by Representative Mower,
of Newberry, the bill making the term
of Office of notary five years after he
shall have received his commission.
The application must be endorsed
properly. Another act Governor
Blease has created some little stir is
the one abolishing the state and coun-
ty constables.
Hon. Ohas. A. Smith, lieutenant
governor, who, Of course, is president
Of the Senate, has taken charge Of his
duties with surprising alacrity, sur
prising to some on account of the fact
that Mr.. Smiths duties are all new to
him in that he has never been men,
Der of the Senate and the rules of that
body are different from those of the
House. The business Of tho Senate
under bis direction is conducted with
disr atch and accuracy.
The past two weeks of the session
has demonstrated the fact that this
assembly means to get down to work.
Committees have been working on
time and the real administrative work
will start next Monday. In the SEN
ate the marriage license bill has been
passed with amendments and sent to
the House, where it in all likelihood
will 90 through as 1t stands. 1t ne
cessi5ates licenses before marriage Of
three days, bus marriages otherwise
are not nullified. The senate also has
under consideration the ever annual
railroad and telephone bills, and in
the meeting of the committee on rail
roads the other day there were pres
ent ma ny prominent officials Of the
railroads and telephone companies,
among whom may be mentioned S.
H. Hardwick, of the Southern, r. B.
Pegram, of the Southern, Judge Palm
er, of the Southern Bell Telephone
Company, together with P. A. Will
cox, of Florence, F B. Grier, OF Green
wood, attorneys for the Coast Line,
A. W. Anderson, of the G. aud W. c.,
and others. They were here on the
milsge rate bill of Senator Carlisle,
some upon the telephone bill Of Sena-
tor Sullivan. The former wishes to
abolish the practice of compelling pas
sengers to exchange nlilage for tick
cts, whereas the latter wishes to com.
pei telephone companies to furnish the
long distance lines when the local
Ines are in use where the two lines
extend to town or city. No report
has been made upon them, but it II
likely that both will be reported unfa'
vorably.
In the House the Rembert bill to in
crease the salaries Of all state ofnciali
died aboraing is, it will not ap
ply to the administration which Wa:
sworn in on the 18th. josh Ashley
| of Andersen, did not let the bill be de-
bated upon the hoDr of the House, bu