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The Generai Assembly. Columbia, February 12 -Special : The House to-day spent a couple of boors on a bill intended to protect the fishing interests of the State. While tba vote waa against the killing of the measure, there was so much discussion and ameodiog that the ouly way out Of tho difficulty was to adjourn the de? bate oo the bill uDtil tomorrow. These fish bills are getting to be perennial, ?od it would appear that the best thing possible woold be to take up all exist? ing and propoed laws relative to fish, oysters and terrapin, and get a law that woold be acceptable to all in? terests. The bill under discussion, wbieb provoked so much debate, and is still pending, bas as its central idea 8 IFteose OD nets which is to go to the pay of the commissioner. The House theo felt opon another problem that wag left unfinished. Mr Haselden proposes to equalize all railroad fares for State colleges. He started oat by applying his measure to Winthrop, but made it general and ?ptable to all State institutions, 'he House bad not decided what it would do on the motion to indefinitely postpone the bill wheo it made ready for the series cf elections set for the lay. A motion to strike out the enact? ing words of the bill, however, was lost. Under the new rules elections are very tedious. The elections to-day resol ted ; For members of the State board of control for the full term. D. M. Miles, of Spartanburg; for the un? expired term, M. R Cooper, of Col letoo. For trustee of South CaroUin Col? lege: Julian Mitchell, of Charleston ; W[: T. C. Bates* of Oraogeburg ; Rob? ert Macfarlaod, of Darlington ; B. M. oaamao, of Greenville. For trustees of Colored Normal, fostrial, Agricultural and Meehan - College: Prof W. K. Slight, of Tw berry. THE SENATE. The Dorchester County bill coming up as the special order immediately H after the morning hour, a repetition of the Cherokee County debate was preci? pitated. The committee bad divided evenly on the report, and Mr. Mower, on the part of the unfavorable report, dealt with the constitutional question involved io the question of whether a two-thirds majority of the qualified voters of the proposed coonty was ne? cessary to fix; the county seat. It was oo this ground that the unfavorably re? port bad been submitted. George's, the propojfd coen ty seat, having received I bat a majority of the votes, and that at a secood election ordered -by the Gov _ eraor. ~ ^Mr. Henderson maintained that the town of George's bad received a plu? rality of the votes cast io the first electioo, and that as the Governor had no right to order another election the majority which it received at the second election was a nullity. He held, how? ever, that a plural!ty having been ob? tained and all the other requirements of the Constitution having been com? plied with, the Tesidents of the pro - posed oew coonty bad a right to come before the Legislature aod petition for a new county, aod that the Legislature' could grant the petition and order a _ special election for the new county seat. The trouble all arose over a plural, 4's," which the committee oo style and revision of the Constitutional Conven? tion bad tacked to the word "ques? tion." After coosiderable debate pro and con on much the same line8, the yeas aod nays, wers called oo Mr. Mower's motioo to indefinitely postpone the mioority^(favorable) report. This was lost The favorable report was theo adopt? ed. Mr. Buist theo offered an amend? ment to provide that the place receiv? ing two-thirds of the votes at a special electioo ordered io the bill should be the county seat. Mr. Henderson moved to ameod this by mading it "the msjority,'? whioh prevailed. |Lt the night session of the Senate, Mr. Henderson presiding, ao amend meet of Mr. Moses to the Mayfield amendment to the sinking fund loan bill to reduce the rate of interest to counties to 5 per cent prevailed. Mr Buist then moved to strike out the enacting words of the bill, bat the motioo was defeat? ed. The bill theo passed its third readiog. The Lower House Has Much Work Mapped Oat, ND NOT YET IN SIGHT. The body has been in session now for\five weeks and to-day enters upon its sixth week's work. And to quote several who are interested it may be said the body seems to be further efl from a final adjournment than ever. The general laws disposed cf up tc date are but very few. Nearly al; the important matters are yet open, The appropriation bill has not beer; touched yet though it is on the cal? endar. The several dispensary meas ure8 are open, and the administrator revenue measures-the income tai and insurance and license bills have not yet been even introduced Tbere are two fertilizer tax reductioi biHs still standing on the calendar, the public printing bill bas not ye! been finally disposed of io tbe house and tbe insurance ?nd backing spec tor bills are awaiting xconsid tion ; so is Mr. Gage's resolution lating to the supplementary const I tiona! school tax. All the new county measures I been finally disposed of save tha Dorchester county, which has c fought over in the senate. The bc decided to wait on the result of fight in the upper house and doubtless pass the senate bili with question. This gives the State ? new counties-Dorchester, Cherot Greenwood and Bamberg The senate is well advanced v> its work and will devote its attent thia week very likely to the consi( ation of dispensary matters, pending measures are fixed io bearing to morrow, but it is not likely that they will go over. Th are rumors of a new proposition regard, to the dispensary situ?t which may sidetrack all pend measures save that introduced by 1 Gam's int the house designed patch up the the interstate comme clame. At the end of the fifth week's s sion there were 90 bills on the hoi calendar ; 6ome 15 or 20 more \ app'ear thereon this morning. Qf 90, 18 are senate bills over wh there will be but little discussion ? seven are claims A good prop tion of them are special orders the house works like it did on one two days last week there *is no r son wliy the boda/ shall not reach adjournment sine die by the end the present month. Many unimpc ant bills will have to go over to 1 next session, however, and ther? v be no time to spare on talking ab< fish, shad and sturgeons. TEE SPECIAL ORDERS Mr. GarriV anti Greek letter f teruity bill and the public piinti bill, which has already been fu discussed, are both special orders this evening at 8 o'clock. So ? Mr Rogers' board of health bill, ft Asbill'6 joint resolution as to claii of certain newspapers and Mr. Lin house's Dorchester county bill. T senate bill will be taken up in pla of the latter and will be quicfc passed no doubt. Further procee rngs in regard to the printing bill a awaited with very great public i terest For this morning the special orde are Mr. Pollock's Coast Line chart bill, the fight over this bill havii been fought, "Mr Burns' privilej tax bill and the concurrent resolute relating to the cornpletiou of tl State capitol For ll o'clock tl special order is Mr. Child's probil tien .bill Other special orders in position to be- called up to-day a Mr. Haselden's bill to equalize tl railroad fare of all students hereaft attending the Winthrop colleg which has already been argued and vote ordered on a motion to indefi I Hely postpone, Mr. Kibler's bankir and insurance commission bill, M Winklers bill to provide for the e amination of the banking corporatioi of the State, Mr Garrie' "adminisi tion" liquor bill and Mr Gage's su| plementary school tax bill. _ THE ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION. The most important special ord? for the week, so far as the taxpayei are concerned, is the senate con?u rent resolution fixing the day for tb final adjournment of the general ai scmbly. The senate fixed the 19t as the day in its resolution. Th house moved to amend so as to fi the 25 th and then made the resol i tion a special order for this mornin immediately after third reading billi Of course no one can tell whether will be called for or not, but Mi Rainsford, who has a similar resok tion has been using his every energ to get'a day fixed and he will doubl less push the matter in view of th important bills to be considered an acted tfpon For to morrow at noon the specia order ie Mr Williams' bill providin; for the forfeiture to the State \ < abandoned railroad property. Tb judiciary committee's substitute bi to require the rate of interest upo any contract arising in this State fo the hiring, lending or us** of raonc; or other commodity is the specia order for 8 p tn to-morrow. It will thus be seen that the hous* has heavy work ahead of it during it five working days this week. On Thursday the members of bot! houses will go to Charleston to accep of the hospitality of the ciry by the se: and see the North Atlantic Fquadroi in action. It is a trip to which al members are looking forward witl the greatest degree of interest. Th? offer of the Atlantic Coast Line hai been much appreciated. THE SENATE'S WORK. In the senate as stated all thc liquor bills are to be considered thii i week and the administration revenui ( measures will doubtless be railroader. ; as they are deemed of the utrnos I importance in view of Governor El , lerbe's recent message. The senate > will hare to act upon (he anti ci I garotte bill which has passed th; , house and the Jim Crow car bil i which went through thc lower brand - also during the past week. It h . | thought that the senate will kill bot! i these measures : The bicycle baggage bili pass?e - during the past week as also did th< . anti trust law. Both will adorn the i statute books. The house has pas , sed one of the bicycle baggage biili t and the senate the other. The dif , ferences will be adjusted all right. The bill to require all railroad trains to stop at stations has passed the bouse, but in such way that U can not seriously- interfere with In? terstate business even if it passed the senate. The alien ownership of land bill has been killed in the house. Several fish bills killed much time in the house during the week just ended, I but they have about all been disposed j of now.-The State ! Economy the Cry, Appropria? tions Cut on Ail Sides. ! Columbia, Feb. 15 -The house spent the -morning in disposing of a few third reading bills and considering tbe appropriation bill. The appropriation bill was first, ameoded by the committee inserting $3,456 for the Winthrop College schol? arships, and reducing the appropriation for the per diem and mileage of the regeots of the Hospital for tbe Insane from $1,200 to $1,000. The appropriation for tbe S 0. Col? lege was reduced from $25.000 to ?21, 000 after a protracted debate An attempt to oat it to $17,000 failed. Every appropriation possible was cut down, but there seemed to be no dispo? sition to cripple any of the departments or institutions. The consideration of the bill was not completed at the night session. When the Senate wa^ ready for busi? ness this morning the following third reading bills oassed without debate : To amend an Act to provide for the election cf public cotton ^eighers To provide the pupils attending the free public schools with school text books at actual cost To provide for the transportation, by common carriers, of bicycles. Piohibitic? the carrying of conceal? ed weapons. To authorize deposit of money in proceedings in the Courts of this State as security in lieu of bonds 2nd under- I takings. The concealed weapons bill was theo taken cp, and an amendment of Mr. Love's to provide for the payment of $10 of the fine collected to the infor? mer, rejected on motion of Mr. Mower An amendendment offered by Mr. Love, to provide for bard labor being required of prisoners imprisoned for carrying concealed weapons, was adopt? ed. The bill then went through, and was returned to the House^vitb amend? ments. Three New Bills to Prevent a Deficiency. It was learned yesterday from re? liable source that the administration would try to make up the deficiency in the funds for running the govern? ment by the enactment of an income tax bill, a license bill and an insur? ance bill fixing a graduated license on the gross premiums earned by Oompanies. By these bills no pro? fession, trade- or industry will be spared All will have to bear their part of the burden. These measures have been men? tioned before as a means of making up the deficiency, and they have*evi? dently found favor in the sight of a good many. The three measures proposed were briefly outlined yes? terday by a gentleman to a reporter of the State. The license bill, as explained, is a graduated one, imposing a small license upon all professions, trades and industries. The cotton mills by this bill are taxed 50 cents upon every $10,000 of capital Bagging factories and smaller in? dustries including banks are taxed in the same way. A lawyer or any other professional man, whose pro? fession nets him $2,500, say, would ?ave to pay about $6 : the clerk who gets a salary of $1,200 would pay $3 This estimate for professional and business men applies to only those whose income or salaries is $1,000 or more, on which one fourth of one per cent, will be levied. This bill alone is expected to raise about $70.000 or $80,000 per annum. The graduated income bill begins with an income of $2,500 and im? poses a tax of 1 per cent : on ?5, 000. 1 1-2 per cent; on ?1,500, 2 per cent ; ou ?10,000, 2 1 2 pet cent ; on ?15,000 and upwards, 3 per cent. This is intended to reach the man who has an income but no visible property. Property holders whose incomes reach auy of the above figures will come within the provisions of the act also. It is hoped that from this source $50,000 or ?60,000 will be derived AN INSURANCE BILL. An insurance bill fixing a gradu? ated license on the gross premiums earned by the companies is the third measure. As ?he law now stands insurance companies make their re? turns of gross earnings to the couuty auditors of the State, and the gross earnings are taxed as the other prop? erty in the va-ious counties. The new law will require the insurance companies to make returns of the amount of business done in each county to tho comptroller general, who will certify thu matter to the county auditors, and the companies will pay a graduated license fee upon the gross earnings to the State in ad dition to the taxes now paid The entire taxes ojon the gross earnings will be about 2 per cent. This is ex pected to raise an dilitional $20,000. From the three above sources it is thought that from ?125,000 to ?150, 000 per annum can be raised.-The State, Feb 14 i Athenians Aroused Prom Midnight Slumber by Startling News. Athens, Feb. 13, 1:15 a. ra -The greatest excitement prevails here. The newspapers have issued midnight edi? tions containing a report that the vali of Smyrna has chartered a steamer for the purpose of transporting troops to Crete, and this in face of the assuran? ces given to the powers by the porte that Turkey would oo? send reinforce? ments to the island. The newspapers and crowds in the street declare that the action of vali is taken with the fall cognizance of the porte, which bas again proved, if proof is necessary, that not the slightest con? fidence (fan be placed io its assurances or promises. Hearty denunciations of the Turkish government are heard on every band. The city is alive at this boar and the principal streets are filled with Greeks who demand that the Grecian warships prevent the landing of farther troops in Cre?e it is be? lieved here that orders to that effect have already been given to Prince George, and there is no doubt that he will fully carry bat his instructions, io which case war with Turkey would probably result, unless diplomacy or superior force should be employed to divert Greece from ber determination to protect the Cretan Christains and also perhaps to bring about the long sought for annexation of the island. Rome, Feb. 12 -A. semiofficial note bas been issued here stating that Italy will not oppose Greece in any action the latter country may take on the Cretan question. It is added that Italy does not wiso to serve Turkey in any way Berlin, Feb 12.-The Post of this city this evening publishes an article io which it says that war between Greece and Turkey is almost inevitable. The paper .?dds that Turkey is entitled to allow ber troops to cross tbe Thcssola niao frontier in view of the action- of G refce. Wa na, Fe.b. 12.-It is reported here that a blockade of Crete by the European powers will be established shortly London, Feb. 12.-The Morning Post will tomorrow publish a news agency statement that the powers are unanimous in their condemnation of the attitude of Greece, and that they will not allow ber to continue her pres ent course. She mast, it is added, abandon the idea of commencing a war with Turkey. Cannea, Feb. 12 - Tbe foreign con? suls here have agreed that Halepa shall be regarded as neutral territory until an attack shall be made on Canea. lu the event of such ao attack beiog decided I upon the consuls shall have 24 hours ootice. The commander of the Greek warships here bas promised tbe com ' danders of the other was vessels to give them 40 hours notice in the event cf his attacking tbe town. Prince George, the commander of the Greek torepdo flotilla, bas not yet arrived ' here. Londoo, Feb. 12.-The Athens cor? respondent of the Daily News tele? graphs that Turkey is forming the marauding bands of Albania into bodies that will be employed to invade Thessaly. The Greek government is fully alive to the danger in this direc? tion, and is hastening troops to the frontier to repel any attempted invasion of Grecian territory. It is reported that a collison has already occurred be? tween the troops and Albanians on the frontier. Canea, Crete, Feb. 12.-Georgi Berovitah Pasha, the Christian gov? ernor of Crete, haviog been menaced by the Moslems, bas taken refuge in the Greek ooosulate and his wife bas foand an asylum at the Frenoh consul? ate pending tbeir departure from tue island. The Christians, after a prolonged fight, have driven the Moslems into Canea and are uow holding the suburbs of tbe town. London, Feb. 12-The Greek charge d'affaires here has informed Lord Salisbury that bis government had decided to prevent the Turks from landiog any reinforcements upon the island of Crete. London, Feb. 12.-M Haootaux, the French minister, has initiated pro? posals that the powers blockade Crete and they also occupy Canea, Retimo and the other centres of disorder, pend? ing a settlement of the dispute that will be satisfactory to the Cretans. Active negotiations on these proposals are now pending. A high authority at the foreign office to day told a representative of the Southern Associated Press that he be? lieved the proposals of M. Haootaux was a Franco-Russian scheme to per? mit Greece to occupy the island with Prince George, second son of the king of the Hellenes, as governor general, the island continuing to pay tribute to Turkey. WILL ATTACK CANEA. London. Feb. 15-A dispatch from Constantinople says that. 3,000 Cretan insurgents arc known to bo concen? trated in the vicinity of Can-.a await? ing the arrival of arms, ammunition and equi pm en te from Sphaica oe the south ojasr near the western extremity of the island of Crete, where they have been landed hy expeditions from Greece When these supplies are re? ceived, the dispatch says, it i-J the in? tention of the insurgents to make an attack upon Canea The dispacth adds that the Turkish authorities are now convinced that the *ptcificatioo of the island oan only bc etfeoted by European occupation. AWOKE THE ECHOES Of Thirty-Odd Years Ago in Old Charleston. Charleston, Feb. 15-The feature of | the day ?D the blockading of the port j of Charleston by Admiral Buoee's fleet1 coosisted ic some heavy gun practice by the entire fqaadron. Shortly after 1 o'clock the ?hips moved ?G their blockading positions and putting out fioatiog targets at distances ranging from 400 to 1,090 yards began to sci her main batteries into action. The. lice of action was the same as that which the fleet ha^ observed during other blockade work, the Massachu? setts to th?> oortb and then the Maine, Amphitrite, New York, Indiana and Columbia running away to the south 'ard at distances of 3,000 yards The targets used were the ordinary floating triangles of 6even feet to the side. The'practice began at 1 15 in the afternoon and continued without inter? ruption uotii 3.30. The main batteries of the ships are : Massachusetts, four l3-:och, eight 8-inch and four 6-inch guns ; the Maine four 10 inch and six 6-inch guns ; the Amphitrite, four 10 iocb and two 4-inch rapid fire guns ; the New York, six 8-inch and twelve 4 inch rapid fire guns; the Indiana, four 13 inch, eight 8-incb and four 6 inch guns, and tba Columbia one 8 inch, two 6 inch and eight 4-incb rapid fire guns The guas on the indi? vidual ships were in action one at a time and wbiie tho ships were anchored. Once the Massachusetts fired ber 13 inch guns at intervals of two minutes ? and at one time the battleship Maioe i got under way and fired several shots J at. ber target. The guns were leaded j with service charges and shells were j the main projectiles used. The boom- j j ing of the great guns reverberated fur j miles alofg the coast and in tue city the concession could not be heard but felt distinctly: The shooting *-:as nearly all line shooting and while the range of the targets were not gotten with accuracy, the practice was apparently successful. Many of the projectiles struck short of the-targets and planging into the ocean ricocheted some times for a mile before making the second plunge. The Vesuvius left the harbor this morning at 10 a m , and rejoined thje fleit. ^.Later in the day she returned to port again and remained for a few I hour?. The Marblehead sailed for Mayport on the Florida coast shortly before 4 o'clock this afternoon. The Terror, Puritan aud other ships possi? bly are expeoted to join the fleet to? night or to-morrow night Thursday the Maine will go t^Port Royal to be coaled. The fleet remained quietly at anchor to-night to the positions occupied dur-; iog gun practice. No manoeuvres of any kind were attempted. It was a night off after the lively work of thc meo in the turrets. The World's " Costliest Book. Uncle Sam's Official History of the Civil War. The most expensive book ever pub? lished in the world is the official history of the "War of the Rebellion,99 which is now being issued by the government of the United States at a cost up to date of $2.334,328 Of this amount $1, 184,291 has been paid for printing and binding. The remainder was ex? pended for salaries, rent, stationery and other contingent aod miscellaneous expenses, and for the purchase of records from private individual?. It will require at least three year* longer and an appropriatiDo of perhaps $600, 000 to complete the work so that the total cost will undoubtedly reach nearly $3.000,000. It will consist of 112 volumes, including an index, and an atlas which contains 178 plates and maps illustrating the important battles of war, campaigns, routes of march, plans of forts and photographs of in? teresting scenes, places and persons. Most of these pictures are taken from pho? tographs made by the late M. B. Brady, of Washington Several years ago the government purchased his stock o negatives for a large sum of money. Each volume will, therefore, cost an average about ?28,785, which probably exceeds that of any book that was ever issued. Copies are sent free to public libraries; and 1,347,999 have been so distributed. The atlas costs $22 and the remainder of the edition is told at prices ranging from 50 cents to 90 cents a volume. There does not seem to be a large ! popular demand, for only 51.194 copies | have been sold for ?10,154. Thus it wiil be seen that the entire proceeds received from Kales rlu us far but slight? ly exceed'the average cost of each of the 112 volumes. Too book? can bc obtained by addressing thc secretary of war. The materia! usad tn the preparation of these histories is taken from both the Federal and Con federate archives, and is pureiy officia!. The reports of com? manders of armies, corps, brigades, regiments, eic , aro carefully edited and arranged so as to give a consecu? tive pecount of ali ent!ag?'Ments with as little duplication aud unnecessary material as possible, and as the writers represent both sides of the struggle it may be regarded as impartial.-Chicago R?cord. Judge Aldrich Dead. EXPIRES QUIETIiY OP HEART FAILURE WHILE ASLEEP. Special to The State Barnwell, Feb 12 - Ex-Judge A. P. Aldrich died of heart failure at "The Oaks," hie home here, this af? ternoon at 2 o'clock. He was ?3 years old and died while asleep Judge Aldrich was born in Charleston and after his admission to the bar he moved to Barnwell to practice law and has since made his home here. His public career began some years before the war, when he was elected commissioner in equity for Barnwell county. After holding this position several terms he was elected to the legislature, and in 1862 elected speaker of that body Again in I8f>5 he wa? similarly honored. During part of the war he served as an aide on the staff of Gen. Bonham and also on the staff of Gen. Gregg In 1865 he was elected judge, but soon after was removed by Gen. Canby for refusing to enforce a law which he thought violated the Consti? tution of the State He remained in retirement until after the State was freed from Republican rule, when he was again placed on the bench This position Judge Aldrich filled with honor and dignity until he voluntarily retired. Judge Aldrich was married to Miss Martha Ayer and from this union six children were born-Mrs Hal Rich? ardson of Columbia, Mrs Milledge Bonham of Anderson, Mrs. William Duncan of Barnwell, Mrs Rose Ald? rich of Barnwell, Coi. Robert Aid- . rich and Mr. Alfred Aldrich, both of Barnwell. AU of his children sur? vive him. - .-rr->- -IUI I - Mr. J. A. Tobin of Barnwell has been appointed temporary receiver of the assets in Scuth Carolina of the Atlanta Southern Building and Loan Association. Topeka, Kas, February 15.-A bill was to day introduced in the Senate to repal the prohibitory law and establish a system of State dispensaries for the control of the liquor traffic. Cant- :, Ohio, Febuary 15 -Major McE y was uuable to receive any of thevnumerou8 politicians who were on hand early this morning He is suffering with a mild attack of in ?uenza and was confined to his bed until this evening, when the family physician permitted him to sit up for a time. Dr. Phillips' the attend? ing physician, says Mr. McKinley will be unable to receive any one for several days and must be permitted to reserve all his strength for the inaugural ceremonies. A Familiar Figure Passes. Sunday afternoon, a well known figure around South Carolina College passed from this transient stage of life to be seen no more. For eighteen years M.r. Isaiah Mitchell had been jinitor at the college, and was universal? ly respected both by faculty and students. Eis death occurred at his borne on the cor? ner of Blossom and Marion streets, and his funeral was held yesterday afternoon. Mr. Mitchell was in hts fifty-fourth year.-Colom? bia Register, Feb. 16. Imported Stock. B. G. Osteen & Co. received this week a full assortment of. the li test and prettiest de? signs in Dennison's Imported Crepe and Tis? sue Paper for making lamp shades, flowers and all sorts ot fancy work. This is guaran? teed to t>e the genuine imported paper and far superior to any and all imitation?. We sell at New York prices* as we buy direct from the imporrers. The stationery stock is complete and up to date.