The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-19

and 1t is expected that sine die ad-
journment will be reached by Friday
or Saturday at the latest. The House
some days ago adopted, a concurrent
resolution to adjourn sine die on Fri
day of this week but the Senate has
not yet acted on the resolution. Some
action to place the Senate on record
on the matter will likely be made this
week.
The General appropriation bill
went through the House last week in
record breaking time and is now un-
der consideration by the Senate. 1t
should be given it's third reading and
enrolled by Thursday at the latest and
sent down to Governor Blease by Fri
day morning for such action as he
may see fit to take. 1t ought to be re-
turned to the House by the Governor
Friday afternoon and final disposition
made of those sections vetoed by Fri
day night. Such, at least, is the gen
eral expectation.
The appropriation bill carries over
$2,OOO,O00, the largest in the history
of any previous legislature 1t will
take a State levy of "a mills to
raise this amount and some fear that
there may be q deficit
The House has practically cleared
it's calendar and is in shape for final
adjournment. No more first reading
bills will be considered this session
and all speeches are to be limited to
ten minutes from each member and
no member must speak more than
twice on any subject, according to
rules adopted last week for the rest
of the session.
The local option compulsory educa-
ton bill, the bill giving Charleston the
right to regulate the sale of liquor un-
der high license, and the bill taking
over the Charleston Medical College
by the State were important measures
acted on by the House at this session
and passed. The passage Of the COM
pulsory education bill came after a
long debate and by an overwhelming
tory of forward legislation. Equally
as important was the passage Of the
bill giving Charleston the right to
regulate the sale OF whiskey under
high license, provided the liquor is
handled in only original packages.
For the past decade the spirit of pro-
hibition has been uppermost and ses-
sion after session prohibition bills
were passed by the House only to be
held up in the Senate The Senate
now has under consideration the
Charleston liquor measure and it has
been fixed for a special order on Tues
day.
The bills providing for a fiat two
cent passenger rate on railroads are
special orders in both houses. Gov
ernor Blease Is urging the legislature
to enact this measure into law and
United States Senator Tillman favors
some such measure. Opponents Of
this proposition are going to put up
a hard fight in both houses and the
out ook for successful passage of the
two cent rate bill is not bright. 1t
seems to be the hope of the opponents
TO postpone any direct vote on the bill.
Both Houses have continued until
next session the bills to establish a
State warehouse system for storing
cotton. Senator John L. McLaurin,
who served one term in the United
States Senate and now represents
Marlboro county in the upper branch
OF the legislature, backed the bill in
the Senate while Representative Nc
Queen Of Marlboro stood behind it in
the House. The feature which caus-
ed the postponement Of the bill was
the proposition to raise the revenue
for establishing the warehouse by i'm
posing a tax Of 25 cents on every bale
the State. Bitter opposition to this
feature developed and some other
means Of raising the necessary funds
must be found TO ever get the meas
ure enacted into law. Some of the
opponents were willing for the bill to
be passed and submitted to Il vote of
the people of the state as to whether
or not il would become a law.
The Senate adopted a resolution
asking Senator MCI.aurin to visit the
legislatures of the other cotton grow
ing States i'm advocacy Of the ware
house plan SO some plan which would
bc acted on by all the states could be
evolved but the House set down good
and hard on the resolution and killed