The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, December 23, 1886, Image 1
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TIlE GENERAL ASSEMIY.
TiE MEASURES (ONSi1)ERtI:n IN TH E
FOURTIH VEEK OF TilE SESSION.
Both IIOi's (lt )uwn to Ilaui Vork
Wihat WVua i)ono andl What WaK L.eft
Undone.
Senate.
The following new bills were intro
ctucod:
Bill relating to agri sultural contracts
and prescibing a punishment for inter
ferring with such contracts; to reduce
taxed costs in certain cases; to amndltl
Section 2,460, General Statutes, relating
to the criminal law; to regulate the rate
of interest upon loans; establishing a
college of agriculture and the mechanic
arts, and to devolve tho duties of the de
partment of agriculture upon its board
of directors; relating to the collection of
delinquent taxes; authorizing the refund
ing of tho taxes paid by farmers on cot
ton listed for taxation in 1886 from the
crop of 1885; to amend Section 1 of an
- Act to change the time of listing prop
erty for taxation; relating to actions for
the recovery of real property; relating
to the maintenance of bastarll children;
providing for the admission of deaf mutes
and the blind to the South C.rolina In
stitute for the Education of the )eaf,
Dumb and Blind; bill amending the
charter of the town of Brunson.
AUD)ITORS AND TREAS1uEBS.
The bill to require the Governor to
appoint one and the same person to the
office of county treasvrer and county
auditor, and to provide salaries for the
samne in each county, came upl) as un
finished business. Senator howell led
an attack upon it, and the chief burden
of its defence fell upon Senator Patter
801.
On Senator Moody's motion to i
definitely postpone the unfavorable no
port of the committee the vote resulted:
Yeas-Senators Alexander, Austin,
Byrd, Edwards, Erwin, Field, Moody,
Mu.mray, Patterson, Sligl, Smith, Tal
bert, Williams, Wingard and Woflord
-15.
Nays-Senators Bell, Biemann, Black,
Crews, Howell, Kennedy, MilcMaster,
Mise, Munro, Reynolds, lihamle, Sink
ler, Smythe and Youmans-14.
Senator Moody's bill to require the
Governor to appoint one and the same
person to the oflico of county treasurer
and county auditor, and to provide sala
ries for the same in each count v, of
course provoked a fight. It had been
unfavoral)ly reported. Senator Moody
moved to tablo the report and take up
the bill. A general discussion ensued,
which was suspended by the eonsidera
ion of the first special order for the
(lay, and the bill was afterwards post
poned till the session of 1887.
TInE CoLUMIA CANA'.
There was quite a light over the Co
limbia Canal bill, which was tII special
order for the 13th inst. Without objec
tion Senator McMaster secured the
adoption of amn'ndments allowing the
whole lppro)riatiol of .Sl', ' to be
drawn from tho State Ireasury end re
funded out of the aurplus eainglis of the
penitentiary.
Senator Sligh otlered a ua menmnet
providing that the penitentiary anti loli
4 ties build a chzck dam at ilim present
:lead of the Canal to preserve t he work
irom1 injury by freshets; that the City of
Columbia have the option uutil May 1,
1887, of accepting the State's interest in
the Canal; that the State grant to the
city one hundred convicts for the period
of three years, the city to pay for the
food, clothes, guards, A e., required by
them, provided the city give bond to
supjply the lpenitentiary with 500-hiorse
power on the completion of fte Canal,
and further assume the State's liability
for furnishing Col. S. A. Pearce the
500-horse power due him by contract
upon the comp)letion) of the Camdi.
Senator Byrd moved to table this
amendment. The vote resulted:
Yeas-Senators 13ell, By rd, Erwin,
Field, Howell, Iar, McCall, McMaster,
Moise, Moore, Murray, Paz tterson, Rey
nolds, Smith, Smtythie,, Williams, Win
gard, Woodward and Youmnans--19.
Nays-Senators Austin, Itiemiann,
Black, Crews, Edwards, H-emphtill, Ken
fledy, Moody, Munro, Silgh, TIalbert anid
Wolford--12.
Senator Sligh nuext offered an amend
ment providing for the connection of the
old and new canals at a (cost of $5,000,
withi a view simply to furnishing water
power to the pententiary.
Senator Byrd mnovedl to table. Adopted
by a vote of 18 to 13. The only change
from the p)receding voto was that Sena
tor Erwin voted ''no."
Senator Sligh next moved to strike ouit
the approp)riationl of SI 2,000 and insert
one of $25,000.
Senator Howell moved to table. Car
ried without a division.
After further debate Senator Talbert,
moved to strike out thle enacting clause
of the bill. Senator Murray mioved to
table.
Yeas--Sonators Bell, 1By'rd, Field,
Howell, LIar, McCall, MeMaster-, Moise,
Moore, Murray, [Pattersn , R eynolds,
Smith, Smy the, Williams, Wingard,
Woodward aind Youmas-18I .
Na.ys--Senators5 Austini, Ilhiiin,
Black, Crowvs, Edwartds. E1rwini, IHemiip
hill, Kennedy, Moodly, 'Muro, Rhamie,
Sligh, IITalbert and W ofoid--.I.
Sienator Talidert then imovedi to dis
-charge the bill and make it the0 special
order for to-mnorrowv. Senator Smythie
moved to table. Carried by a vote of
'Thei bill then passed withoiut a dlivisionl
lit appropriates from the surplus earni
ings of the Penitentiary 812,00l0 for the
prosecution of the work. The iml>ortanit
proviso is added that th11 litnh.
directors are authlorizedl to drawithniaryu
- from tile State treasury, to b (trut
when the plenitenltiary earnIs the amIlounit
On the question, of the final passage of
the bill Senator 'Talbort demanded the
yeas and nays, lis Previous motioni to:
recommit having failed bly a vote of I) to
18. The voto resumltedl:
Yoa&--Senators Bell, Buiist, Byrd
Field, Howell, McMaster, Moiste ldu'r
ray, P atterson, Reynmoldis, Rhame, Sink.
her, Smith, Smythe, Williams, Wingard
and Youmans-17.
Nays-Senators Alexanider .
Moody, Sligh, Talbert and Wfond
Senators Black, Erwin Muniro, h
would have voted "nlo," Were pairedwi
Senators Izlar, Woodward and Moore
who would have voted "aye,"
Senator Hemphill was absent.
A LICENSE FOR DOGS.
Senator Talbert's bill "providin( fox
the taxation of dogs and bitches' war
much discussed. Mr. Taibert scored
preliminary victory by securing the re
jection of an unfavorable report, without
a division. He then moved to amend se
aLs to provido for a "license" of one (101
Jar instead of a "tax," the proceeds to be
paid into the county treasury for educa
tional purposes.
Senator Williams moved to strike out
the enacting clause of the bill.
Senator Austin moved to t4Ible Sena
tor Williams's motion to strike out the
enacting words of the bill:
Yeas-Senator Alexander, Austin, Bell,
Biemann, Byrd, Crews, Edwards, Erwin,
McCall, McMaster, Moody, Murray,
Rhiame, Sligh, Smythe and Tolbert,-1G:
Nays-Senators Black, Field, Hemp
hill, Howell, Kennedy., Munro, Patter
son, Reynolds, Sinkler, Smith, Williams
and Youmans-13.
Several pro forma amendments were
made to the bill. Several amendments
were defeated. The bill then passed
without a division, with notice of general
amendments on the third reading.
TILE UNIVEnSITY TRUSTEES.
When the bill relating to the trustees
of the University was read Senator
Smythe moved to reconsider the vote
by which on the second reading the
Senate rejected the amendment adding
the chairmen of the committees on ecul
cation of the Senate and House to the
board of trustees. Senator Murray urged
that the motion was out of order, 1 but
after discussion the Chair ruled that it
was in order. On the question of recon
sideration the advocates of the amend
ment urged that it would be advisablo
to retain this provision of the present
law. Senators Murray and Edwards de
clared that it would make the board too
unwieldly, as the bill already provided
for nineteen members.
On Senator Murray's motion to table
the amendment, the vote stood on a
division 15 to 11. The bill then passed
without a division.
MIS('ELLANEOIs.
The 1bll to amend the law in relation
to highways and bridges was amended
so as only to aboli.h the office of super
intendent of highways. It passed its
third reading in such shape as to exempt
he counties of Greenville, Chesterfield,
Sumter, Darlington, Orangeburg, Fair
ield, Chester, York, Clarendon, Rich
land, Beau fort, Marion and .aurens
iron its )rovisions.
The bill to regulate criminal practico
i the Courts of (neral Sessions passed
its second reading after a light, by a
vote of 1 to G. It reduces the nuniber
of peremptory challenges for de fendants
in criminal cases, and abolishes much of
the ulluecessary verbiage of indictments.
Thie bill to drovide for tha payment
by the State of the expenses of all prose
cutions in criminal cases provoked much
discussion. A motion to indefinitely
postpone the unfavorablo report. of the
comnmittec was adopted by a vote of 16
to 13, but soon after a propositiol to
constilue it to the next session was car
ried by 1t yeas to 11 nays.
The bill regulating the taxation of
attorneys' costs in certain cases, and
prescribing the Imetlod by which an
attorney's right to additional ('usts and
fees under control of tile Court miay be
determined-went through without op
position, with a proviso that it shall not
apply to causes already commeneed.
Ont motion of Senator Smythe one
lhundred (copies of the resolution in re
gard to the Charleston Jetties were
ordered to be p)rinted and distributed in
accordance with the terms of tile resolu
tioni.
Senators Smythe, Murray and McCall
were appointed tile Senate conferees on
the carthlquakc reassessment hill.
On Senator Murray's motion thne Seln
mate refused to concur ini tile House reso
lution in regard to phlosphmate roy alty.
Thle Senate agreed to thme IIouse
amendmenlts to the bill providing for
the transportation of convicts to the
State penitentiary b)y penitentiary
guardls.
Senator Sligh made a vainl endeavor to
rescue from an unfavorable repiort hlis
bill to give phlysicians a lien for p)rofes
sional services, andl the L:li was killed.
Senator McMaster's joIinlt resolution
piroposin)g a constitutional anmennent,
t,hat the State .superintendenmt of educa
tion shall be elected ever~y four years b)y
tile Legislturle, wvas, after a birief de
fenice, conitinuied until niex t session.
Thme b)ill Iixinlg fees for tuition inl the
Southl Carolina College was amended so
as to strike out thme clause requiring
bienetficiaries to teach two years ill the
public schools, and authorizing to suis
p.end beneficiaries at thme emlnd of any ses
sioni, anld p)assedl amnd sent to tihe lhouse.
The bill to stay executions (that is,
providing a Stay Law) till necxt Noveml
ber was killed.
Tihe bill to chmange the time for listino
tatxable property was killed.g
T1hle bill to repeal the lien law was
passed to ai third reading. 'The repeal to
take Ill'cet onme year hence.
Thme bill to anmnd Section 2051 of the
Gecneral Statutes was piassedi to its thlirdl
readling. 'This b)ill is intoni led to punish
ptarties or organizations (like the Knights
of ILabor) from inlterferring with laborers.
Thom bill to abolish the oflice of Master
ini Laurens counity was killed.
Th'le b,ill to redu ce liho numbiher of trial
sicms in ershmaw counity wasI piassedi to
a third reading..
Thew bill iiI to make the State, inlstead1
of thle severail~((oun1ties, j)ay~ thle costs oif
crimmina Ipriosteentions was pssed.
A1 joint res)hitionI pssedo, to extendl
tile time for paiyimnt of taxes to t he 1 6th
Jianary, I1857,
Thei bill to p,rohibit t settemenht of
cinial cass5 wiLlhout ihe conmsent of thle
aittornoa.y genermal or solicitor, was killed.
A lull t.o nuike carnal knowledge of a
wo)man child under the age of sixteen
years, either with or withouit.her consent,
a ca >ital oll'ence, was killed, oilnmotioni
of M onator Woodward, by a vote of It
to .12.
.A bill to give a lien to owners of sIal
lhons, &e., on tIhe mares serve< anid thhei
progeny was pmostp)oned to tihe next ses
"Ion.
collection of delinquent taxes, was passe<
by a vote of 19) to 14.
The bill to amend the Code of Proce
dure, relating to actions for the recover
of real estate, was debated by the legal
members and killed.
Senator Ilemphill's bill to prohibit
cockfighting within three miles of any
chartered institution of learning in the
State pasacl by a vote 1) to 12.
Sli'NI) It1ADINos.
The following bills received their sec
ond reading: To confer certain rights on
the Port Royal and Western Carolina
Bail way Company, providinlg for the
dbsposition of certain unclaimed draft';
mi the hands of the Colleton county
c)mmissioncrs; validating certain town
ships and town suhseriptions to the cor
poration nlow known as tihe Atlantic and
Nortlwestern 1tailroad Company;
amending the charter of the Eutawville
Railroad Company; relating to the com
pensation of certain of the oflicers of
Charleston county.
llousu of I:clIprsental i ves.
''he Speaker appointed Messrs. Moses,
of Sumter, Brown, of Anderson, and
Brawley, of Charleston, the committee
of conference on the Charleston earth
(llako bill.
TILE NEW AGIlC'LTsiA T n1111 \l.
The house took up the agricultural
bureau bill, and passed it without any
oppositioH. This bill is a substitute for
that introduced early in the session, as
the embodiment of the views expressed
by the Farmers' Convention. Its pro
visions are as follows:
It repeals Sections 1, 2 and 3 of the
Act of l879, "to create a department of
agriculture," &c., and substitutes the fol
lowing in lieu thereof:
SECTION 1. Tho South Carolina board
of agriculture shall consist of ten per
sons, who shall be agriculturalils, and
be elected by the Legislature for the
term of two years, and until their suc
cessors are elected and qualified, a ma
jority of whom shall constitut) a
quorum, and vacancies arising from any
cause shall be filled by the Legislai;ure
for the unexpired term. The board
shall meet for the trnisaction of busi
ness as often as they may deem expedi
ent, but at least twice in each year. They
shall receive no salary, but shall be al
lowed the sum of three dollars per diem,
and five cents per mile actually traveled
while engaged in the duties of the board,
not exceeding twenty (lays in any one
year. The first election of the 'board
shall be hold immediately after the up
proval of this Act.
S.c. 2. There shall be held in the City
of Columbia, in the month of November
in each year, an annual meeting of the
South Carolina board of agriculture,
together with a convention of delegates,
consisting of five from each county or
ganization or society, five troml theState
Grange and live from the State Agricul
tural and Mechanical Society, who shall,
for the time being, he memlbeis of thei
South Carolina board of agriculture, for
the purposes of deliberation and coil
sultation as to the wants, >rospects and
conditions of the agricaltural interest
throughout the State, but they shall re
Ceive no compensation
SEc. 3. Immediately after the electionl
of the board they shall orga(nize, by the
election of one of their nuniber presi
deiit, and at the expiration of the term
of oflice of the present colmilssiolner of
agriculture, and every two years there
after they shall elect a comnlissioner of
agriculture, who shall be an agricultuar
ist. He shall be paid a salary of t wenty
live one hundred dollars per annum,
payable monthly, and shall give bond to
the State, with sureties conditioned for
the faithful discharge of the duties of
his oflice, in the sum five thousand dol
lars, to be approved anal filhd in like
manner as the bonds of State otiicers.
lie shall be empowered to employ an
eflicient clerk, whose salary slhall be
twelve hundred dollars per anilul, pav
able monthly. The saidI board shall alIso
organize and encouage farmers' clubs or
associations, and hold farmers' inistitutes
wherever practicalble.
The very limited discussion whiicha en
sued after tie bill had been read was
opened b)y Mr. Boozer, of Edgefield,
who opposed a motion to amnend thec
thlird section b)y making the salary of
tile clerk of tihe neCw bureau $1,500, in
stead of $1,200, as providled ill tile origi-1
nal bill. Mr. Boozer said that if thtis
Legislature hatd come here to reform,
this was ia good timle to commlenee re
forming. Thec clerks in tile City of (o
luimbia worked from 12 to 1.8 lb rs a
day and received f rom $300) to $800ier
annumal. lie didn't see why this clerk,
whao lie was told worked aboa ut 41 or 5
hlours aL day, should1( receiv-e $1,500. Thle
amecndmeint was tabled.
Mr. Abney, of Richland, ventur-ed to
move to amend the b)ill by3 mnakinag the
Governor a mlemnber of the newv board.
Ho also wanted to make the Governor
chlairmian of tile iboard.
Mr. Tinadal, the chairman of thle conm
imittee, acecepted the suggestioni to matke
the Governor ia member of the board,
but poinlted out very clearly that lie
could scarcely act in the capacity o'f
chiairmant. Finlly, atfter somle consuilta
tion between the membiers, the amiend-[
mnent wals withldrawn.
Mr. Lawvtona off'eed a substitute to the~
entire bill, whaicha providled for thle elec
tion of seven members, one froma eachl
Congressional district, who, togethier'
with the present board, shiouald consti
tute the departmient. The subl stitulte,
howvever, wias tab)led.
D r. Thomias, of Union'i, wantedl to re
dueoC the pay of the conuinissionier from
$2,100) to $1,800, 1but the llouse refuisedl
to enitertaiu the piropiosition, anid the bill
was finally passed4( without any anr end
menit, save one provid inlg that the dele
gates to the annual convention shall re
ceive n10 paly.
'The bill1 (by Mr. Dousglass, of Fair-'
fiaeld, ) to ireorganiiize thle trial ju st ice
systeml excited muclh debiat e. The bill
is inltenaded to giv~e t rial juastica s satlaries
instead of feesa, and to Iimnit their juaris
diction to eartainl territoary- A numbelar
of ameneidmenCits were iniser ted.
Thle following coauties aLre emacted
iii its provisions: iheauafaort 7 justices,
Chester 5, Clarendo 11111, Edg ficld 8,
Georgetown a t, G reenivill 1(0I, 1lairy I;,
Mionii 10, Newberry 5, ( rangcibuarg 7,
Sumter 7, Williamsbl urg 12.
A ftr settlinlg thle numberat of ju stices
the li (ust, or thIat Iportion of it in terest ed
ini the bill, addraessed itself to thle somei
what compl lex task ofI fi xiing the salari' s,
which too0k up) (aonsideralea tine, the
Maioin delegational alone co nsuming a
1 large poartion of it. T1he original bill
thedl I he alaries at $10 for justices out
- sidle of tovns, $75 for those ini towns (at
r 1,(00inha'itantN, and $125 for those ini
_ --
towns of moro than that nulr ber of in
habitants. As near as could be gathore
the following spciC:! . riea wero named
Williamsburg, $25 per '.nnum; Orange
burg cit-, two justices, 3175 tach; S1
Matthew s, $150; Edgelield town, $150
IIorry, town of Conway, $30; town o
Sumter, $300; town of Plantersville,
Georgetown county, $i25; town of Lan
caster, $200; outsido the town, $35
Greenvillo city, two justices, $125 each.
ItEFOIM No ('UNTY SIIEHuFI's.
Among the bills which have been or
dered to be engrossed by the house arc
two which are especially interesting to
county sheriil's. The first is a bill ear
rying out Governor Sheppard's recom
mendation in reference to the transpor
tation of convicts from the various coun
ty jails to the penitentiary. The bill
provides that the clerks of Courts in the
various counties shall immediately at
the close of each term of the Court of
Sessions notify the superintedent of
the p)e1itentiary of the number of pris
onlers senutcnce1 to the >enitentiary, and
the superintendent is directed forthwith
to send a proper guard to take charge of
the prisoners and convey them to the
penitentiary ''without cost to the coun
ty." Under this bill, should it pass the
Senate, such little excursions as that
which visited Columbia two weeks ago
from one of the eastern counties will not
be practible, and the taxpayers of the
counties will not be called upon to pay
from 50IJ to i5O to transport each con
vict to the penitentiary.
' The other bill is one to fix the fee for
dlieting prisoners in the county jail. '1'he
bill is very short. Its provisions are
simsply that. "on and after the passage of
this Act the fee for dieting prisoners in
county jails shall be 25 cents per day."
Both these bills were passed a few mo
mcnts before lidniglt. Next morning
Mr. J. Frost Walker moved to recon
sider the vote whereby the bill was or
dered to be engrossed. Mr. McHugh,
of Charleston, made a speech in favor of
the motion to reconsider. It must. be
remembercd, he argued, that the sherilf's
oflice had no salary attuched to it. That
olicer was paid so'lely by fees. The fees
were fixed not only to reimburse him
for the expenses incurred, but also to
provide him with remuneration for the
discharge of his duties. It seemed to
him that there had been to much re
forming of the olic of sheriff. The
bill passed just before this had taken
away one of the most profitable sources
of tio incomes of fheriffs-ho meant the
bill to provide for the transportation of
convicts to the penitentiary. These two
b ills, he said, would together take away
one-third of the incomes of the :herifls.
He proposed a reconsideration iii order
to amend the bill b v making the fee 1
C('Its.
Mr. Miller, of Beaufort, said if the
IHouse reconsidered its action of the
previous night night sessions would not
he worth one cent.
After some further discussion the mo
tion to reconsider was taled by an over
whehling majority.
rHfi: (oLI Ml11A cANAL
'Tlhe Senate bill appropriating ;l2,Ut)
for the Colunbia Canal caused a long
debate in the house. Finally flit en
acting clause was str"ieken out by ti<
following vote:
Yeas--Mc,;srs. Anermin, Anisel, A reher,
Austell, ]larklcy, I3arnore, Bear I, Big
ham, Il1ack, Boozer, 1rawley, I;rown,
Br1'owliing, Byrd, Cain, (lhahners, Cleve
land, C'onnors, D1)aniels, )antzler, )a
venport, I)eani, )rake, D)uI3ose, )ukes,
Easley, Evans, F ox, Gary, (iuels. 11am
ilt.on, of York, Iamiilton, of (hester,
Hickman, lill, Ilough, Hyde, Irhy,
Johnston, .Jones, Jordan, Keitt, King,
League. Mar , Mason, McC'lintock, Mc
])anel, MclKissick, Miller, of Lancaster
Minis, Moses, Norton, O'] ryan, Puri -
foy, Piringjle, Riaysor, 1teady, Robiinson,
Riue, Sally Harilratit, Shmaffe'r. Shiaw,
Simipson, Stanland, Stewart, Thomas, of
Unimon, Tole, Walker, Washington,
Whar iton, Wilson, of York, Wimaberly,
Wlie, Young--75,
saysSpeaker Sinmons and Mlessrs.
Brice, B3rooker, Uurke, Ciapplomiaii, Cau
se,y, Chiundler, CJobb, D)ouglass, Earle,
Ficken, Gifrahaim, H arper, IHudgens,
Iluisonm, K ersh aw, Lawt~ on, L esesne,
Lee, Mahier, Mears, McHugh, Abiler, of
G eorgetowii, Miller, of Bh-aufort,
O'Blrien, Padget t, IPlowden, IHanlkin),
IRutlan d, Seegers, 'Thormas, of lichland,
'Turner, Walker- -3:7.
Mr. Ansel moved to reconsider the
vote by which thie enacltinmg cliause was
stricken cut, and also moved to lily that
miotion cii the tablle. The yeas iand nays~
were called for and1( the motion privailed
yeas 74, nays 311.
Tniii APP'uoI(o i'AToNs.
When the appropriation bill c.une up
there was a light over the item of $1-f,
000 for the militia. Oni a motfion to strike
out this item, the vote stoo,d 5t; to 55.
Subsequently the vote was reconisideredl,
and1(, the item was reduced to$1 3,0001 and
passed in this shiape, TIhe aplphro priation
of $20,000 for the Citadel caused somec
debate, buct was adopted b y a v'ote of 78
to -41. The bill was then piassedl as ai
whole.
When the bill for the payment (of the
muemibers, otlicers and at tachecs of the
Ganerall Assemldy camile up1, M r. I gihm,
of M\aruon, moved to reduce theii paly of
the Clerk.of the Senaite from $1,000) to
$500), amid the pay of the Assistanit Clerk
from 8250l toi $150I. Ilith propiositions
were rejected. 'The bill was then piassedl.
Bill to aillow warrants andl oilier pro
cesses issuedl b y imunicipal autorities to
lie exceintedl r seriveid outside corpoirate
limiit-s; to priovidte for thue coipilsolHry
at tenduanici oif s;chool chii ldreni from ( to
1f years of age, wIo a:r, niot now enIi
rolled and ini regular atitenldancee in school
toi coinie the oili' of aluditor lund
t reasuiier of 'V 'liamiibucrg coun ity ;
defin ii e c tern " ii 'ownsip " as unsed in:
fle varions Acts o'f the ( er:eral Assembhly
for itle fpurIpo se o 1 elct ions to make subi
Itill to aiithorize the refuniding (if the
taxes5 pid biy farimers onl co tton listed
for taxatiion ini I88th from the crop oi.
1 885; to give the Court of Sessionis (oin
ciirreiit juurisdlicion ini eases oif assai dI
iand haiittery; to reduce the vailiue
hiomiesteadu exemptioin; fto alimnd Setiom
2,-1 of the (Generat Statutes, relating i<
the lien of the owners of certaiin stock:
to repeal the charter of the town of Fort
Mcotte.
The bill to fix. the salaries of Ciruitu
Coiurt Jhuduca waa neot takenn n~ 'Thi
'III I iilt ('.'l'i'I.E It.AN\t'1ESO (F ItOKY
alt)1'NT.\ x \"lN V.3I:.i.fo
i''Tht- (;;w all t i i Nel 1'1-- t ), 4 l"o'o-t.' l< for'
th lII <t s ' lt that Va .t i{egion--7'The U)ls
l ater ('t- r.lthii antl W it h ut Ite tietly.
(l'i r tn k rn no ini thi: N"w-Yrk'i SuIn.)
I instanwe tie ptres ut ('onditionl of a
tuce fanions sttck gruwing valley. Four
ytars agt tall lunicih grass stood in the
ipper North Pla"tt' valley. The low,
rocly hills w'ere co\erd. T[he spaces
hit wt'eii the sage bushes were occupied
l)bi)uches of grass. The treeless thinks
of the nountaint ranges were yellttw with
(ried grass, which waved in the windi.
ITere was grass, alnd good grass, every
where throughout the valley. [[eavy
crops of hay Vee cut on the natural
ineadows. Cat tle, horses, antelop)e and
elk ronied through the vallev from
lHunter's ranlch at the b'ridge over the
North Platte to Iifly niles below Fort
S tt'elu. Onl every creek wvhiulh issuedl
irol the in11(un1ta1in1s irospertuis (attle
growers lived in log houses. The cattle
were fat, antil though the growers always
lied ab tout the per cent. of calves they
bailed, it. did not stein as though dis
aster were close at hand.
But how is it to-day? The valley of
the North l'latte, this famous grazing
rouial, is virtually a g.ass desert. I
ltt e just retiilurneI Ironi a trip through
it. andi the aljacenit iountains, andi I
hive Ilever seen a liioe valueless region
to grow or hol cattle in. T'e grass is
trampled out 1 the hi ofs of tliousantds
of hiltigry and lean cattle, thait walked
I'or months over the arid land in search
of fod. Tiny roatued for days before
I hy staggerti ('lose to the snow in the
foothills, and then they closely followed
the ret reat ilg snow haiks into the down
t.iie r, into the green timler, and final
ly on to tlie sunit of the Sierra Madro
\ \t.t.!' 1" )(i' ni . .tT'iON,
While slowly driving down tlis gray
'allcr of dtsolat,ion moy comrade con
tittmilly assut'd me that thert was
good grass in the fttothills, and that the
cattle whiclh grazcd there were tat. W%e
left. the wagon at <irantd Encam ument
iiver and took saddles an<l rode into the
toot hills. I wr ssit ongly impressed with
the iunhteal thy ap pearanec of the cattle.
T hire laiir idid not lie smooth. There
was t peculiar stire iii thei' eyes which
hat long ago learned to recognize as
fatetul. ('he calves sut'kel the cows
often and with nervous energy. The
cows, athiiosi wvithut excep1t.ion, were
leanl and weak. Tit grass, seanty ap
1teai iig to eastern eyes at all timiue:, hal
a Itleer, strange a.ppeanince. After going
a few nui les, and inspecting the grass
lin t ie tleat.in of horise's hatch, I. dis
m' li(ntit aml car-efully exainlind it,
iuich after buuch, until I hat insp ected
fifty huniches. The story was tolt. In
no htuich which I examined were there
more tliuin twelve stalks of this year's
rass' 'ahe ther stalks, friomn twenty to
sixty, were last year's growth. It is not
lossible for cattle tto supairatc the good
Iiim lie lpoor. Th iet-quart (Is of the
ft0d that the cattlc, which have F trazed
n the f'tetlills tliuritg the p ast, Sottnnnr
hvet e'ti'ii con sisted of the weather
i heatelen, railnsotaket grass of last season's
gIowi i. It is it(' \i otle' they waiildered
tau'" intt flit' iii ~itiiains in search of fresh
il tict ii li \il ile hautin in t
;i('rit la(ire i nuiii aiiis, I sawt\ small
lmk of iatt It fcding,' in tlt' inohiitntain
a inimals were alniist as n ihil as e'lk. Th'ley
ant blackhutail d eer i t i. I juidgedl fromi
lie frequeniicy' withI whiichi I mi w t hese
siniulI huerdts tI umt Ihere were mnany~ lnui
dreds itf thean ini the inuutalin~is. \\hat
inous wvhichi iari graziuig ini te lof ty,
piine clad uighlai<l. thriee weaekszago?' .
uunbls'taitiingly aniswer nt onie in ten
will git out ofI the' iotntaiis. .1efcore
t his timee t iey a.-' sinoweid in. I ustinct,
orpeinet'. apt 'itori reasoning poer
Ienebeiis ganwil inlinu i as to fly out nf the
inuutinis wlwnet in ni, ';now stoiis lhe
gin to rage. ( atttle intve nitt this ini
stiinet. The iy are ahnost stuiie to Ilinge'r
(tto long ini Ihe hitghlandts mal there
they ie oft col and huniger. The na-.
tt' of i,w groiurl forbtids uthi beinig
driivein ot, atnd, inmdeed, the cowbmoys
triet'ut minitin systemuis ini scititb of
theuse tatt It', its they niigh t gt't lost thlemi
selves.
eaustteri slojpe ofI te Swrra \lhuirie iouin
tains abou.t twit inls fromii tht suniiunit
of thle iivatie, letweiii it andt th bIi are
foothuills wa s a jactr'etiaw lila tanigle of
downi tailher', and IL to wb.hilt s ofIS t
rieien iainber. A heaivy' ::now fell stieadily
allt of onie iighit. Rteal.izing that thet
hitnit wa at anm taid, we p'ackied up andI
thiniks, iiw in downi iinhi, now in
gren W'l \e passedl nieiy h~titis of cattle
tiut tti ati alt directionis, excepting the
ighdt onec, ait turli appronehit:l. It was evi
I tnt tint theiy hado forlgo'tten t'he rails
oii whichI ty enit.eed the highlands in
iarly siumi~amer. The i(re cattle ar'e surie to
die this' witer. Ini (lie treeless foothiills
a'l thei'cattle whicb hail paissid the sum-i
mer therit wiere tratiling for the: lower'
valley. Toi th e extenlt ll visioni, hothI toi
thienth(~ and soulth, short coluns of
IIt Ie conlt lie seen it initervails wad(iig
Ilowly thropgh tIe sitow. Tlhie next
day, l'trmuei to ,:ee what the cuttle wo)uld
h> uhli n they~ founid theire was no( teed
Il the vallty, I irodte to the lo)whotds.
I ort I got to the baise of the fitothtills
meaant atItle watlkinag up the mounjtain.
heiiy hiadl betei down to the v'aley, and
titig.nio feitd had atsceinded the hills,
preferirmig L tisilet in the sinow~ rateir
han to sitarve in the snowless, girassless
jlinIi. lin the valley manny hundred eat
tie sti oid in lineu iag liiihe harhed wvire
fece, aitiing until lingrdoete
back o th snovela foothuills. I're-s
cnil,y tIney started, :inigly, ini pairls andt
mi tinily cilunis, tad lby niighit the
valley was aLgaini destitute ol' cattle. It
wat ai pit ifiul sight. to sed the hungr'y
aniimoals resoldutehy enter the foothills~ and1
the deep snow in seareb otf food
As it is in this valley 5o it is in manlly
oithers9. I met anmd talhked with 'iattle
$roweors who gaze their heirds in the
north, and in the south, in the west and
on the plains, and, with few exceptions,
all told the same story. That the native .
grasses on closely groundswee
almost extinct; that the had been
trodden out of many valleys; that other
extensive areas had been almost ruinet
by overstocking, and that disasters, soi
ous and widespread, menaces the whole
cattle growing industry west of the 101st
meridian.
I have no doubt that the losses of cat
tie now grazing on the ranges of bigi
altitude will be sufficiently large this
winter to bankrupt many individual as
well as associated cattle growers. And
it matters not what the winter may
prove to he, whether mild or hard, the
condition of the grass on the range
sharply indicates that a large portion of .
the cattle cannot rustle through it.
They are doomed to die. There is but
little good grass east of the mountains.
The IlareiPr's Temperance Lecture.
There are many temierance lectures
which are not delivered in public places;
and a good many plain, sensible people
say things on the subject which are quite
as well worth rememborin as the most
eloquent addresses of eminent temper
ance orators. When men will look facts
in the face they will find abundant rea
sons for letting strong drink alone.
Two colored barbers were together in
a shop. Ono was a young man, the
other was old. The young man took off
his apron and started out of the door.
"1o's gwino to get a drink, Jim?"
asked the elder.
"Dat's what I's gwine to do."
"Go and git yo' drink. I yoost ter do
do same ting when I wuz young. When
I wuz fust married dah wuz a gin mill
next to de shop wha' I wucked, and I
spent in it fifty and sebenty cents a day
outen do dollali an' a half I earned.
Wal, one mawniu I went into de butehah
shop, and wlso shood cum in but do man
vat kop' do likker shop.
"Gib m ton pounds po'tor-house
steak," lie said.
"ie got it and went out. I sneaked
up to do hutchah and looked to see what
money I had left."
"What do you wan?" said do butohah.
"Gib me ten cents wufi o' libber,"
wuz my romark.
"It was all I could par fur. Now you
go and git yo' drink. You'll eat libber,
lint do man wat sells ye' do stuff will hab
his po'ter-houso steak. De man behin'
de bar cats po'ter-house steak-do man
in front cats libber. I ain't touched de
stuff fo' 30 years, and now I am eatin'
pu'ter-houso steak mysolf."
If a man wishes to make the nunseller
rich and himself poor; to feed tho rum
seller luxurious while ho starves his own
children; if he desires to dress the rum
seller's wife in volvets and his own wife
in rags, and rob his own wretched, bare
footed children that ho may adorn and
beautify the family of the rumseller
there is only one thing necessary, and
that is, let him drink strong drink. Ho
will Jind that these greedy rumselling
cormorants will take everything he
earns, and leave a wretched outcast,
while they revel in luxury, and waste
the substance that belongs to the poor
and suflering.
l'u' erioihs III Proba,ty tnce is lConTensaioa
mniti SentToid.
Iii( iMOXU. Va., D)ecembler it.-Al
though Cluverious, the colvictedl murderer
of I,ilian Madison, has declinci to see any
oue except lis spiritual a(lviser, there is a
well groutnd suspicion that he has in the
amst two tdays confessed that he committed
lie (rilac for which he is so soon to pay
tluiweually. Rev. I)r. Ihatcher, an emi
lnt Itiptist divine, who has known Cluve
ru for man trsy , is with him daily, and
althiough he is ret icenit whien a.skedl the
poinut luaunk fiuestion0, yet certaini questions
init1 to hiiia, atitd others nieai himiu, guarantee
li'thconhliijoni that the~ pisonerC has ac
kii>wldgedi the c'omainission of the crime.
lFor listanuce, the teaching of the Baptist
jinnisters is to thle effect thait a man who
lu:is cornunittedl the sin of: murder must ac
knowledge his sin before Goed and man.
t etonirtiesr 1MwhIo are near tolCluyerious,
ual who ar aculso Baptists, to which die
nom11 ina ion Clu1('i v ri ius belongs. h ave posi1
I ive'ly asserted in t he last '2 hours that the
jinstoner luis miade' his peaHce withi God. It
as.th~oughat t hat the prisonter's -onfessionl
will heI read from the senlloldl, and that his
spiritiual ad(visers have beenx bound to secre
(y untii t hat ti ime, This wvas the course
pursued ini the eleb rated IJeter Phlill ips
vase, l'hiillips being a mnember of the Bap
List. dleinouiiatjin. lie maluintainedi his in
nIotener upj to thle List, so lfar as the public
was concerned, hut, eonfessedl to Rev. D)r.
D)ickinsoin, who keput the secret until the
((oit essi"n'i wats read( t'romn the scall'old.
I ) w hat kind . of t imber is thle post of
hinor?
It is- ana (ast wind( that, blows the coal
icealer go.a..
Traiisport,ed for life-T'lhe man who mar
ries hlapp)ily.
Th'le diarkest houiir is when you enn't liud
t he i natche s.
lb>niest good humor110 is lie oil and wine
rl ai mierry mee(~tinig.
An~' oponent of Ib)arw iiism~ calls it "scia
lit ifL mionkey ism."
It, is thle priivat serietary that mtakes so
mia.imy things p1ubbl:.
t.ots of mien kutw nothing of' art buefore
the waru (can dlraw i penasion easily nowv.
Wi should lika to knowv how many'
spokes thtere arc in thle wheel of fortuney
. i'hie UInited Presbyterian contends thait
it is good to have piety int'usedl with comn
It i's a great error for a lad v to wear a
bon11net Zo youthful for her age. It only
serves ini. make the hitter miore nI )ticeaible.
F"or 1inisters 0only: "Pa, th it was an
im lii n;ig prayer our preacher nad(1 this
mior~i aig; I thiought, lhe would to1': the Lord
K' death."
\isih selers atdvertise ther.iselves daily.
W hat. t lie pulie needs is miusie eclhar in
whii b siingers andi instrumentalists can
prac(t ice their fatal art.
A mainister not long ago preached from
Sie text "lDe ye t hrefore steaidfast. " But
the prJinter matude hiim xpound from "'le
ye there for breakfaist."
WVonder if thait smallI boy is still alive
wrho was hlpedl live timtes last Christmas
to large p~ics of miniee pie, because his
fon m-ana iii wanted to manke himi pice-fulh.
Notinmg so enhiurges the circle of human
wanits as Chiristas. Each year exhibhits a
'1w line o,f inventions, without which
bristmnas givers would give '.> m despair.
'The correct bill1 of fue for a Chra.mas
hitanei isi not colmletc without stout appe
ites ad plenty of stuflling. Of course
huere mst.i be ia fair proportio,n of hery
bhildreni.
- bill proposes to reduce the salaries froum
t $3,500 to $3,000. After some disussioni
at motion was made to continue the bill
to the next session, and on a call of tl
t yeas and nays the motion was adopted
yeas 67, nays .11.
The bill to reduce the sahiries of the
Supreme Court .Judges was killed with
out debate or division.
A motion was afterwards made to re
consider the vote continuing the Circuit
Judges' bill to the next session. Dr.
Pope called for the yeas and nays, which
resulted-yeas (1, nays 48. ''his brought
the bill up again, ait a motion was made
to strike out the enacting words.
After some further diseission, Mr.
Hyde moved to indefluitely postpone the
bilh. Dr. Pope demanded the yeas and
nays. Result, yeas 6, nays 11. So the
bill was killed.
The bill to amend the law in relation
to hawkers and peddlers provides for a
county license of $50 per annum.
Amendments were freely oliered, includ
ing dealers in st)ores, sewing machines,
tin clocks, IighIt ning rods. Thu bill in
consequence, I beame con)sideral)ly mixed
up, but it was litnally Paisse)d.
The bill to renew and amend I he
charter of the town of Wiunsboro was
passed. The sale of liquor is left sub
ject to the local option law.
- ---- -sm.
FAHM IMi'ICV l'I;rTNi's.
Have the readers of the Cultivator,
like the writer, in all panics or depres
sions that aflect business in general,
noticed that the value of farm p)roIert"y
was the last to show it elects, but when
it did fall it was the last to react when
reaction took place? And why is it so?
Simply because active lmusiness is miore
sensitive to reactions than passive busi
ness like farming. For the last few
years all lsiness has been very much
depressed and values have fallen, espe
cially farm lands, so much so their value
is but nominal, and to-day farm proper
ty is at its lowest figures. R.eact ion has
taken place in city and town Prop)erty,
and their values are rapidly iucreasin ,
and why is it so? .;ecausct the owners
of such property are wido awake and
alive to their interest and boom it up, as
the commercial and Iimimic ial barometers
indicate. This rise in values in cities
and towns, if permanent, in time, will
have its cffect on country Prolerty, for
prosperity, like depressions, lais its in
iluence on all surrounding interests; and
as prosperity brings money into active
circulation, the amount of moley raises
the value of all kinds of pru"olpcrtly
throughout the country. ' s such, i.
behooves the farmers to 1begin to it
their long-neglected farms in order and
iress them up, for appearanes add
much to values, and has Iuhti weight ini
influencing purhasers. All buildings
on the farms shouhl u(n(lcrgo realirs
and renovation, and where homuldings and
sheds have been neglected for stock,
they should be built. It thort, the
outfit should be complete, and paint, and
whitewash used to iauLe ev(rythiig lool;
neat and nice. And so it shouild be wit I
fencing. Iave as good fencing 1111(1
gates as one enn aflord, for all such adds
to the value of the furn. 'Ti- re is a
time to do all this kind of work antal im
ProvementS whent it will ot iitcreite
with field work, and it will be I ite will
employed an1d in the eudl prove mist
profitable.
Thcn comes fieh imiprovementa aun
proper culture. As onc rides ah>lig the
roads and sees the Jields gtillied and
washed, the impressiot imale, is, h'lre
is a farm going to rutitn at waste; there
an ihe no profitable farintig done on
such a farmnn;" and where Ibti-r-i u a
b)usl :s have takei the lields th same
imp:essions tare taso 11e(le, aIlI thIe On
clt",ions are pericet lv (i coret ; for where
profiat cain arise ftoi atneh a -tate of
things,- and if evenm s,hiould thtere lie a
sufliciency of otther hunt, to cultivate, to
adtitit of this waste of litnd w hat an uagl y
appeaCtrancle it gives tato the fatrm, suach
yawnintg gaul lies and aunisighitly roughts.
Now, wh at shtould be dontae? 1"ira-I, tetr
i-ace all the hill lands antd slopes sat as tto
stop wtashting tand gullyintg, tand i' thtere
are that ltlads tltat holdi water diit ttem
oft, and w~huen that is donte, the Iplow tand
htarrow must do thie iest tatd hiver'sitid
farming follow; anda let gr-aint, grass and~
stock be the 1biasis on wItich thle fat-t
must. be built uip. hI)tr greatest Itroublet
tnow is fencinag, for timbietr isve'ary scarce,
whuich makes fencinig mote expenisive
tlttin we cana imdertakke to ltmae properly
donie. So whty nt abtamion fa-ntaing talld
keep upt stock ; totr whlerever it Itms teent
aidopted it haus provent veriy satlisftictory,
and htas- rid the farimer of an expen-ase itt
tryinig to ke-ep up~ fettittg wItich 1proveda(
ineffectual iad a waste oft the litt le tint
her left us. I set properjwty Ibe (ever st
valuable, if ntegleeted andi suaffered toa
run dowt, it will deptreciate itt value timl
oftenititmes we see prop therty sotld above
its value, owiang to neat and( comufortable*
buiildinigs and gooad ft-ncintg beintg placed
on it. A ttractivenes-s has mtueh It tmoreltt
tto (10 with the vathiae of Ia fairtm thtan the
vtaluae of the land; as stuchI, we 51ay to
the farmters, go to work tad iranprove
your firms tand whtethter ytau wish to sell
or not it wvill enthanttceI teir vahrte.
.ioiN~ I1. J)aENT.
Cave Spritng, (i.
Some of thte beat wit eta itt ourI laitn
guge are oftent th e least corrt'it, itt a
straictly gr-ammnatical aeat:e. Many a
gifted athlor disetaruds the commonltt rutle-s
of grammar anda composes to suit Itis
owtn idetas of pro1priety, clearness andi
hiarmony. iIe r-ele gatesa I tosa rat I tat
pdtagoguets anid halbaits, anda claims ft a
Enuglish, as htas often tbatten remar-ked, is- a
grammuarless tongue, atnd steadhily grotws
mtore~ so. Clever' anda acephtet I authlir;
towadlays make phtilologi. laws oaf thai r
own"t, andit instead taf obteyinag adry anat
musty authorit,ie, bevaornea m;Ahoritiae
to o h ig, tooi tronttg, toot tiach, Itotn stead ily
ilaittic a-tles. New Yoark (a'tnlnner'ti al
A dlvettisar.
i,Theaa atl ata-ata ahialt,ona n\:i
alitday at, twhten:tI a it ade orrred it
thae(a hliters. The ta-tult vila thatin I'oe
lte i?iiltaiatubl ('er tatur-d anad tno, w r
killedl. No'ne' at off thetlli-tirs were huat.
'hea tntem wvhoa wias faitailly shlot itt the ttat
int San t lrancisco,. Moadaty, wvas linatutu
Ii. lEmz'e, a htirini htand tfrom the aidateat
entant rv. whot~Vt wncamelyonhuti, .