The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-02-28
PECULIAR STU ALTON con-
FRONTS THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
Explanation OF Necessity of Not Ad-
journing for Three Days With Acts
Observation-Disclosures Good Reason,
Too


by constitutional requirements to re-
main in session for at least three
more days in order that these acts.
the important county supply bill
among them, which Gov. Blease has
not signed may not be made inoper-
ative.
Then, too, an investigation revealed
the fact that the Crosson act. aboI-
ishing the present dispensary commits
sion and providing for closing up the
affairs Of the Great Moral institution.
was not among those which Gov.
| Blease had sent to the secretary of
State to become laws without the sig
| nature of the chief executive. For
| this reason, although concurrent
resolution had been passed fixing the
| date for adjournment sine die, on Feb
ruary 29 upon which date the un-
signed acts would have become law.
| the house reconsidered its action and
voted early Sunday morning to recall
the adjournment resolution from tho
senate preferring not to fix the definite
date for adjournment under the cir
| cumstances.
w. r. Stevenson, representative
| from Chesterfield, failed to get off on
| account Of the lateness of the hour
when the, house adjourned Sunday
morning, and when seen yesterday
| and asked relative to the situation
which recesstated the remaining in
session Of the general assembly Mr..
Stevenson gave out the following
statement:
1T was reported that the governor
had sent about SO acts, which had
gone into his hands Friday and Sat-
urday, to the secretary Of States Of
| flee without his signature and stated
that he expected them to become law
! without his signature.
I'm order for an act to become law
without the signature OF the gov
ernor the Legislature must remain in
| session three days after they are de-
livered to the governor. If it ad-
journs before the three days are
| over, the acts cannot become law
| until the second day Of the next ses-
sion. unless the governor signs them,
| which in this instance he had declined
| to do.
The governors absence from his
Office had prevented those which were
ready on Thursday from being deliv-
cred and many were not ready on
Friday and few were delivered on
Saturday. Among the so bills were
the county supply bill providing for
| the tax levy for the counties, the
bill providing for the submission to
the people Of the question Of a bond
| issue to build the new State Hospital
for the Insane and large number Of
| other important measures. If the
| county supply bill did not become law
until next January, no county taxes
could be levied this year and the re-
suit would have been the demoraliza-
| ton OF all county business. Conse-
Quently,. the conclusion was very read
lily reached that the legislature could
not adjourn until three days, exclusl
i've of Sunday. had elapsed.
These three days are given to the
governor to consider the measures,
and he can veto them any time with
| in those days. The legislature must
be in session at least on the last Of
the three days or on the day succeed
ing the last OF the three days to receive
his veto message, and, if it adjourn
| before the three days expire, all bills
in that category are imperative until
! the legislature meets next January.
"The senate therefore, passed a
| concurrent resolution to adjourn sine
die. on Thursday, February 20. And
| this was concurred in by the house
| Saturday night over the protest of Mr..
| Sawyer and others who. however, did
not offer an amendment to fix any
other date.
subsequently, the senate ascer-
| tanned that the bill of Senator Cros-
son to abolish the present dispensary
commission and finish up the business
connected with the old dispensary,
| which had been reported to them to
have been fled along with the other
| bills in the Office of the secretary,
nor's signature, had not been so fled.
And, on investigation, it developed
that the bill was still in the governors
Office.
| l,, fn Io;