The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, March 08, 1878, Image 2
The True Lion Law.
An Act to securo landlords uud persons making
advances.
Section 1. lie it enacted by Hie Senate and
House of Representatives of the State of South
Carolina, now met and sitting in (leneral Assembly,
and by tho authority of the same, That
nn act entitled "An act to amend sections 56 and
67, chapter 120 of the revised statutes, relative
to liens on crops, approved June 8, 1877, be and
the same is hereby repealed. ,
k . Sac. 2. If any person or (Arsons shclP(PW '
any advance or advances, either in money or
supplies, to any person or persons who are employed
or about to engage in tho cultivation of
the soil, the person or persons so making such
advance or advances shall be entitled to a lieu
on the crop which may be made during the
year upon (he land in the cultivation of which
(lie advances so mado have been expended, in
preference of nil other liens existing or otherwise,
to the extent of such advance or advnuccs:
Provided, An agreement in writing shall l>e entered
into before such advance is made, to this
effect, in which shall be specified the amount advanced,
or in which a limit shall be fixed beyond
which the advances, if made, from time to
time, during the year shall go.
Sec. 3. If any person making such advances
shall make an affidavit before the clerk of the
court of the County in which such crop is, that
the person to whom such ndvances have been
made is about to sell or dispose of his crop, or
in any othor way is about to defeat the lien hereinbefore
provided for, accompanied with a stntethe
said crop, and after due notfee, sell the same
for cash and pay over the net proceeds thereof,
or so much thereof as may be necessary, in extinguishment
of the amount then due : Provided,
however, That if the person to whom such advances
have been made shall within thirty days
after such sale has been made give notice in
writing to the sheriff, accompanied with an
affidavit to this effect, that the amount claimed
is not justly due, that it then shall be tlio duty
ournii in iiuid me proceeus 01 sncil
sale subject to tlie decision of the court, upon
an issue which shall be made up and set down
Tor trial at the next succeeding term of the
Court of Common l'lcas for the county in which
the person to whom such advauces have been
inade resides, in which the person who makes
such advances shall be the actor.
Skc. 4. That the above sections shall be subjected
to the provisions of the f:llowing sections
of this act.
Skc. 5. That each landlord leasing lands for
agricultural purposes shall have a prior and
preferred lien for rent to the extent of one-third
of all CrOD-1 roiuil i\m nn'l Cuftll cIlllB
in the same manner as liens for advances, which
said lien for rent shall be valid without recording
or filing.
Skc. 0. That every lien for advances and for
rent, when the agreement is for more than onethird
of the crop, shall be filed in the ofiico of
the Register of Mesne (Conveyance for the county
in which the lienor resides, within thirty days
from the date of tlie lien, and said lien for rent
over one-third of the crop shall thereby be made
valid ; and he shall keep an index of all such
liens so filed, for each of which lie shall receive
fifteen cents frotn the parly filing the smut, and
this shall lie a sufficient record of the same.
Sue. 7. That the first and third sections of
this net shall lie and icniain of force for one
year front the ratification thercrcuf.
Gov. Hampton's Tuaduckrs.?Columbia, Friday
night, .March 1.?The debate on the l'ublic
Debt question to-day was somewhat more lively
than hitherto, but there is no intimation as yet
when the vote will bo reached. The feeling in
favor of standing by the Consolidation Act and
the pledges of the Democratic party steadily
gains ground. 1 know of three members
of the House, whose views were heretofore
claimed us doubtful, who to-day declared (heir
intention of sunnorliniz the net. It. i* e.o-inir.
thai, whatever strength ilie opponents of the
Consolidation settlement hail, or may still have,
is weakened l>y the extreme position taken ly
the leaders on that side, and l>y their outspoken
denunciation of Governor Hampton for being
brave enough to stand by his pledges. I have
heard expressions from members of the llouso
which, if reported, would shock beyond measure
the public sense of what is due to the great
leader in the campaign by which South Carolina
was redeemed. I have heard men denounce
Governor Hampton as a would-be dictator, who.
but for his untiring efforts and sacrifices, would
not now be enjoying the right of freemen, much
less of legislators. But this class of men, fortunately
for the State, form but a small minority.
and their utterances meet with as little sympathy
from the majority as from the mass of
constituents whom they misrepresent. The denunciations
of the Governor in the House have,
so far, been confined to Drivato conversmtinna
but (lie sentiments of (lie lenders of the movement
are well enough known to drive away from
them muny who might support the report of
the Commission on the narrow ground of a supposed
economy. Their eyes, however, have now
been opened, and they see that the reopening of
the Consolidation settlement means the overthrow
of Hampton and the probable defeat of the
Democratic party in tlie next campaign. Gen.
Gary holds (he unenviable position of mouthpiece
for this faction in the Senate, and to-day
delivered a speech in which a foul attack was
made upon the Governor. He declared, in subslance,
that Hampton bad violated the obligations
of the office of Governor by trying to lobby
his measures through the Legislature, by the
use of his personal influence, and had thus established
a precedent never before descended to
by uny Governor of South Carolina. The verdict
of the grateful people of the State, as between
Governor flnmpton and the senator who
has chosen to arraign him in so shamful and ungenerous
a style,^ a foregone conlusion.
Feace not Certain Tet.
The Dodge for a Rosso-Turkish Alliance. Only
a lliver Intervenes?England's Warlike Preparations?The
Conference Project a Failure.
London, Febtnary 28.?A dispatch froml'cra
says : "The pretended struggle over peace conditions
is merely a cloak for llusso-Turkish alliance.
Russia will eventually arrange protectorates
over Turkey."
The lines of the two armies at Sanstefara are
only separated by a small river. Officers and
men fraternize. The situation is not regarded
in London as improving. England has ordered
the manufacture of eight hundred torpedoes.?
Warlike preparations are causing great excitement;
in seme quarters war is considered inevitable,
unless Russia modifies her demands. The
situation in Rerlin and Vienna nlso, is viewed
ns critical. It is believed the Conference project
has failed.
London, February 28.?The Government has
Announced in Parliament tliie afternoon that
tho condition in the East at present was one of
suspended hostilities. Qoverninent hoped that
war was ended, but it was possible that hostilities
might be tenewed. Mir Stafford Nortlicete
said the terms of peace were unknown to the
English Government, but if they proved to be
injurious to England, tho Government would
take proper steps to protect its rights.
Tbo members are nnxTous to have the "codify
ere" step to the front and make themselves
known. Only 37 have reported thus far, and it
is impossible to proceed to business with less
fhftn a hundred.?Rfpislet.
Ihe ?lcfhli> islnion Samcsil
R. M. STORES, Editor.
UNION, FRIDAY, MARCH H ~1878. JF
TERMS OP 8UBS0RIFii0N.
I Copy, onu your, is advance, #2.00
'1 Cuiiics onu year, " " 3.7J
? *80
10 " " " " " 154W
$1.00
odvorHsltWS?S
monihitfr^nn jMl.
Obituary Notices of ten lines or less, Inserted free.
" " over ten lines, charged as Advertisements.
Fteah Fish.
Don't forget Hint W. R. Davis has the finest
fresh Shad nud other fish every Xuesdny and .
Saturday morning. . * ?
.
The Cotton Market. * *
The receipts "have fallen off comtjernbly the '
past week. Only 50 bales have Ijeon sold in
this market, nt somewhat lower prices. We
quote 7j(?)92.
.
Terrible Storm in Piokona.
The Keotcce Courier tells ot a destructive storm
of wind, hail, rain, thunder and lightning,
which visited porliotts of that County on tho
OT# li til# T # KIau> rlnLwn ruuiilonnnu L- il rlmna
stables, barns, corn cribs, fences, and made sad
havoc with almost everything else in its track.
We c^^hC^^ to the
Lien Law which wo publish this week. It is
the law ns it passed the legislature. The law we
published last week we cut from the Spartanburg
Herald, which is edited by tho Clerk of the Senate,
and we supposed if any one knew what law
had been passed he was the man. No doubt
those having charge of tho paper while he is attending
to the duties of his oflice, in Columbia,
inserted the bill that wns first introduced in the
Legislature, and not tho law as it was finally
passed.
A Colored Oirl Badly Burned.
On Sunday morning Inst, as a colored girl in
this town, named Carrie Anderson, aged about
10, was sitting in front of the fire, reading, her
clothes caught fire from a spark. She became
frightened, rushed front the room and ran across
an open passage to the room of a crippled old
colored woman. Tba wind was<Mwyw*r'
and asslie crossed the passage it fanned the fire k
to a roaring blaze, which had reached above I he
girl's head when she got to the old woman's
room, aud before it could be extinguished,
nearly all her clothes were burned off. She is
dreadfully burned and is suffering great agony;
but it is hoped her injuries will not prove fatal.
Speights' Daily Newspaper.
We have received the first number of a paper
published at Greenville, under the nbove heading.
It is a racy, newsy and well gotten up paper,
ns any paper must be that Spkiqiits has
anything to do with. Greenville owes much to
Speights, lie, more than any other rauu or set
of men, has given prominence to the "Mountain
City" nnd helped to build it up. Tlicro'u no
mistaking !iis political optniom. Iu the campaign
of 1870, the Greenville News, of which
he was then Kditor, was the most fearless and
influential straight-out paper in the Stajo.?
Greenville must give Speights what is justly
due hiui?ft handsome patronage to his Xtics^
_
A Fatal Difficulty.
A difficulty occurred last Friday, on Col. Kobt.
Hcaty, Sr's. plantation, between Mr. llobt Clark,
Col. Monty's Manager, and Giles Thompson, a
colored man, in which the latter was shot and
instantly killed.
The difficulty occurred, according to the testimony
of a colored man, named Sambo llenty,
at the Coroner's inquest, and who was the only
witness present, as follows:
Sambo and Clark, were plowing together in
the morning, when Clark sent hitn to Thompson
to exchange his mule for a faster on* which
Thompson was driving. Thompson refused to
exchange, and went to Colonel llenty making
statements injurious to Clark. At dinner they
met at the horse lot, where the fracus occurred.
Clark called Thompsou to account for the alleged
lies he had told Colonel llenty, which he denied
with oaths. Clark told him he would not submit
to any cursing at all. Thompson said he
was cursing Sambo. At this juncture, so Sambo
says, Clark drew his pistol and shot Thompson
twice.
That Sambo's story is not the whole truth, we
have every reason to believ*, for we understand
i nut i,lurib ivus su uKiiiy cui 111 me uuuomen mm
oilier paits of his body, that ha cannot be
moved from his bed, and Doctors are attending
him. We, however, huv# not henrd any statement
of the affair from Clark.
.*
Tiik Tax Lbvv.?The Columbia correspondent
of the Charleston Newt and Courier, fires us
the following insight into the next tax levy:
The committee on ways and means have been
working very hard for the past week in order
to get the supply bill ready for presentation,
but the continuous presentation of new claims
has prevented them from settling definitely upon
the exact figures. The bill will, however,
in^all probability be presented to-morrow or
on Monday, i;i order to get it under way
by the time the Public Debt matter is settled.?
The lax levy will not be less than seven mills,
including the two mills educational tax, and unless
new claims come in before its presentation
the levy will not exceed seven and a quarter
mills. This will include the interest on the publie
debt: and the estimate is made on the basis of
the entire debt, as adjusted under the Consolidation
Act, leaving a margin for whnt maybe funded
under that act between now and the time fixed
for (he collection of the tax. The tax will he
I n #1 tfn Snel almnnla ll?t? firal ?n Mou
nn<l the second in October, and the usual penalty
for delinquents will be attached.
With or a wal or Em>krs.?Cumberland, Mn.,
March 1.?The Methodist Conference assembled
here to-day. The following law questions, in
case of the withdrawal of an elder from the
Methodist Episcopal Church, were decided :
Does his authority to exercise all functions of
his etfice cease ? It dees.
How shall a withdrawn Rider resume his
membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church?
ijy admission on trial.
Hy what method shall an Elder who has withdrawn
from onr Churoh be restored to his former
ministerial functions? Ily a rote of an
aftnttaf 0<HlW6nee, restoring his parchments.
, f
'a *
The Courtv
I'riHwy at Ute appointed time, his Hon.
Jud^^^H). Kershaw opened the March term of
Court I^Bhis County, last Monday morning.
Solicfl^ Hall was also at his post, having nr- (
rived hdfartbe SaturdajA)^t?^ and prcpured ,
such cases as he^ could possibly get ready, in ]
order that no time should be lost. ,
The >toiw wer^iinpanelled, with J. ?. Meng ,
as ?eremj5{|^Uie/}raad Jury. ,
!flio Judge delivered one of the finest charges
to the Grand Jhry we have listened to in many (
years. In'theloutsct lie stated that lie thought |
it was only uelcssnry to charge the jury upon (
their general ditties at that time, as he would
aj&ke special charges to them as eases were sent
to 1'ieui. His remarks upon the causes of crime
and disorder in any community were forcible
%B<1 appropriate. Idleness, he said, was generally
^t the bottom of all crimes. Drunkenness
follwcd, and' then the carrying of concealed
weapons generally ended the career of the idler
and d}unkardf either in the Penitentiary or on
the gallows. It was idleness and drunkennecss
filled our Poor*Houses, for the suport of which
the people wele so heavily taxed, while the carrying
of concqjilcd weapons?so disreputable in
bis younger dhyB?emboldened turbulent men,
crazed with whiskey, to commit acta of violence
T|eih<*t(|iiiyMKIu'ir afcttYrb tidf peuco ftul'
harmony of Communities. So long as these pernicious
practices were indulged in, so long will
the capitalists and worthy citizens of other sections
shun this delightful und prolific portion
of our couutry. .lie made a strong appeal to
the people of ullwsses to put these practices
down by a unitcJBondcmuatiou of them, lie
also instructed tlilGrand Jury to look into the
niultcr of Free S&ools and make such suggestions
as they belayed would make the Free
School system mora efficient aud popular among
all classes. It was no disgrace for any one to
send a child to a School supported from the taxes
of the people. In Charleston aud othor Cities,
children of the most respectable families
were educated in the free Schools. It was the
duty of all to take an interest in the Free
Schools of our State ; and he hoped to see the
time when a Free School of high grade was csOovnty.
"
4fke Judge captivated all who heard his charge,
while his ability, dignity and purity of character,
impresses all with profound respect for him
as a man and reverence for the ofiicc he so effectually
fills.
No time has been wasted in tho court.?
Through the tact aud industry of the Solicitor
the work of the Grand Jury was completed on
Tuesday at noon, and they were discharged.
The following cases wore disposed of:
Tho State vs. Douglas Wallace aud I'riuce Wallace.?Grand
Larceny?Stealing Cotton?
Verdict, Guilty. .Sentence?Dougtars, three
years, I'riuce two years, at hard labor, iu the
l'eiiiteutiary.
" " r*. Kissa Glenn, Victoria Glenn, Jacob
Glcnu and Peter Glenn.?Unlawful, eutry
upon land aVior notice. Verdict, Guilty us
to Kissa, Victoria aud Jacob ; not guilty as
to l'eter. Sentence, one week tA County 1
Jail.
' ' vs. Wade Hampton. IVisouing llorsos.
Mistrial.
?
For the Times.
To "Vox Populi."
In your communication to the Times last week,
speaking to the present Grand Jury, you say :
"Our people are not prepared to seonnvthinir
like the following, which appeared ill (he presentment
of the lust Grand Jury :
'The roads And Bridges are not in as good
condition as we would like to And thum ; yet,
upon inquiry we find that the overseers and
hands have rendered the services for the number
of days in each year required by the law.'
No, Gentlemen, you cannot afford to stultify
yourselves so far as to embody anything so false
in your rresentment. It is your duly to render
a fair and clear record, one which will bear the
scrutiny of thehonest citixen?not one smirched
by tlio dirty hand of favoritism."
Now, sir, as a member of "the last Grand
Jury," I consider your remarks not only uncalled
for, but very offensive, and I must ask of you
to explain what you moan by the last paragraph.
I cannot believe you really considered the force
of the words you used, when you implied that
the members of the last GrAnd Jury nullified
themselves and told a falsehood in their rresentment.
Do you mean to say that our Presentment
was smirched, ns you call it, by favoritism
towards any individual? If you really
mean what you say, I, for one,?and I believe I
can safely say the same of all the rest of the
Grand Jurors?must tell you that all the falsehood
and uncleanness lie at your own door.?
From your own statement 1 am satisfied that you
have not formed your opinion of our action, in
tke "impenetrable soerccy of the Jury room,"
from any member of that body. No juryman
of that panel would so far violate the sacred
oath he taok, as to divulge the secrets of the
jury room ; and I am certain not one 6f them
would so grossly misrepresent and insult his
fellow jurors, as to say they stultified themselves
by making a false Presentment, "smirched bv
the dirty hands of favoritism."
Hayrs Without a Party.?The Washington
correspondent of the New York 7Ymet says it
must bo stated as a fact beyond dispute or question
that Mr. Hayes has less influence with Congress
than anyone of a score or more of senators
nr.d rcprescnatives. He has, in Washington, at
least, no pnrty. He is utterly without a personal
following. It is ne exaggeration to say
that the present occupant of the White House
has less power in the nation than had any of the
men who have gone before him. If it was intended
by the founders of the government that
the office of President should, to all intents and
purposes, merely a clerical one, then Mr. Hayes
is indeed the first Chief Magistrate who has
ever fully appreciated the insignificance of the
duties wbieh belong to the position.
? ?
Unmet us at Blarkvit.lk.?Blackville. fl. C..
February 19.?Mr. Jnlfus Weisbaum, aged about
22 years, waa killed by O. W. Cain, two tnilea
from here laat night, near midnight. Cause
said to be iutimaoy with Cain's sister. Cain
surrendered immediately to the authorities. The
Coroner is now investigating the affair.
Wabiiinutok, D. C. Feb. 28.?Thomas P.
Cheney, superintendetot of New England Postal
Service, is under complicated charges including
certification of Touchers for services never rendered.'
And that is in the "loil" State of Maine.
How like RodiMlietn in South Carolina.
The Bend QuestionMR.
?I1AX1>'S SrKF.CH.
* _
The discussion upon the question of paying
.hebon Is of I lis State, in accordance With the provisions
of the Act passed by the Radical Legislature
in 1873, commonly known as the consoli"
lation Act, which required all State llpnds?
jld and new?to be funded at fifty cents on the
lollar, is getting quite excited in lite legislature,
rite Act then passed was called "An Act to reJuce
the volume of the public debt," and embraced
all outstanding bonds. Under that Act
nearly the whole of the Bondholders funded
tho bonds in their -possession, and accepted
"consolidation" bonds for half their amount.?
At the last session of the Legislature a Commission
was crcnted to investigate the bonded debt
of the State, and that commission reported to
the present session that a number of fraudulent
or unlawful bonds had been funded, and left it
lor the legislature to decide whether, uftcr the
State debt had been reduced 50 cdfts on the
dollar, it should be further reduced by refusing
to pay the funded bonds tainted with fraud.
We confess our ignorance upon tlie mailer
until a full discussion of the whole subject, by
the members of legislature, brought all the
[mints bsrfqra us 4 but we were strongly InelMMN
to believe thai U would not be repudiation to
refuse to pay bonds issued in fraud, sold to innocent
purchasers, even with the great Seal of
the State upon them, and afterwards funded by
those purchasers at one-ha'.f their original face
value.
The political plea is raised, that the Iladi:al
Legislatures and officials who perpetrated
those frauds were not the true representatives
of the Tax payers of the State; but that
pica cannot bo allowed. They nevertheless oc:upicd
the relation of lawful agents of the State
ind the State was bound for all their contracts
is strongly as a business firm is bound for the
contracts of it4 recognized Agent or Agents. In
either case, if the Agents make bad contracts in
Lhc name and under the seal of the parties for
whom they act, tlioso contracts arc good in law
\nd morals against the latter, and refusal to pay
them is repudiation.
"^Ttnnie SWTIP^ltrollnian wilW^TVe to*"befl
the fair name of his dear old abused State dishonored
by the stain of repudiation, in any
form. Our agents?for such, most assuredly
the Iladical Legislature and officials were?vile
snd treacherous as they acted?used the great
seal of the State of South Carolina under which
to practice most miamous ana oppressive
frauds upon the people who alone could pay
the taxes, but wo cannot believe, now that the
honest taxpayers have control of the State government,
they will disgrace the Stnto by dishonoring
licr signet?the great seal. Wo look upon
it in two lights, viz; a debt of honornnd n debt
which (lie Stnto is Itjalbj bound to pay. lu order
that our readers may inoro readily undcritand
the matter, we append the following synopsis
of a very able speech delivered before
the Legislature, by their Representative, 11. W.
Shund, Esq. :
Mr. Shand, of Union, followed Mr. Ilernphill
in a masterly speech in favor of the consolidation
act. After a short introduction tothe subject,
Mr. Shand proceeded by rccitiug numerous
facts and statistics to show that it would
save the State several millions of dollars by adhering
L the settlement etfccted by the consolidation
act. lie said this compromise was made
to prevent the State from going into voluntary
bnnkruptcy. lie said lie held that u State could
go into banruptey ; then went on to explain why
the creditors of the State hud consented to make
such u compromise ns would ensure them fifty
cents on each dollar of the bonds which they
held as obligations against the State. So long
ns a man is solvent he pays nil undisputed debts,
but when n man is insolvent it is then that he
has to make compromises with his creditors. It
is only in this way ihat he can regain his solvency.
Mr. Slntnd rend resolutions which were
adopted at a public meeting at Union in 1801),
in which the people of that county declared to
the world tlint it was their determination not to
pay any debts made by the Radical State government.
He commented on these resolutions
at great length. I am informed, he said, that a
very large proportion of the bonds which coine
under the provisions of the consolidation act are
held by people in South Carolina.
Mr. Coit here interrupted him by saying that
he did think such was really the fact.
Mr Slinn 1 saiu lie bad been so informed. He
continuid by saying that (he members who had
spoken on the opposite side had failed to occupy
debatable grounds. It is no use for gentlemen
to get up here and tell us about the frauds which
were committed during tliedays of Radical misrule.
No one will deny these, but we are bound
by the consolidation Act just the same as if there
was an liouest government in tho State at that
time.
At this junction, Mr. Pope asked leave of Mr.
Hhand to be allowed to make a motion to take a
recess.
Mr. 8hnnd consented and the motion was put
and agreed to.
Satukeay, March A.
Mr. Shand said that when he closed yesterday,
he was showing how perfectly well our people
knew of all the frauds recalled to mind in the
report of the bond commission. Knowing these
frauds the Legislature had directed her officials
to receive those irregnlai bonds and issue in exchange
therefor consolidation bonds at the rate
of tifty cents on the dollar. And the question
at issue is, whether the consolidation bonds under
these circumstances bind us in honor and
in law. Upon this ground alone can there be
any useful debate. Look at section 1 of the act
to reduce the volume of the public debt. It enumerates
by description and by figures, tho
bonds which the State officers are to receive in
exchange for consolidation bonds, and the General
Assembly then knew of all the frauds. For
instance, the bond commission show how $2,000,000
of bonds were issued under act of August
26, 1868, while only one was authorised,
ar.nn /tnn ?t iuwvin
outstanding. Governor Moses, in his messags
which recommended the passage of tho consolidation
act, mentions the same thing, and shows
that of the $1,460,000, $253,000 had been
changed into conversion bonds, leaving $1,197,000
outstanding in their original form. Section 1
of the &6t directs this $253,000 (included with
others) to be lunded. The commission may say
that the Legislature ought not to have directed
this ovet issue of bonds to be fhnded, but they
do not and cannot say that the Legislature did
not. And yet the frauds complained of were
known aa well then aa now.
It it a principle of law and eemmon sense
that it is often a fraud to allege fraud. This
Legislature, in its endeavor to purge fraud, may
coiu in it as deep and a* dark a fraud aa Houth
Carolina has ever perpetrated. It It not a fraud
i
to evade a debt because its consideration wu
fraudulent, when the character of that consid*
ration was fully known to us at the time the
debt was contracted 7 To apply it to individuals?for
it is to be hoped that we will not force
our mother State to take position in the courts
and before the country which - we would shrink
from as dishonorable in an individual?suppose
uiy brother should forgo a note of $100 upon
me, and upon presentation I should pronounce
it a forgery, but tpok it up nnd gave in cxchnnge
therefor my own note for $50, would it be honorable
in ine to plead the original forgery as an
excuse for not paying the note? And yet our
Legislature proposes to plead fraud in the original
bonds for which the consolidated bonds were
issued, when that fraud wns known to them at
the time that the issuo was made and her officials
were ordered to receive them... This surely
would be a fraud commit led by us. Followincr
Ikllt tlift Unit of nptrnmnni r?nin? ?/* slmio
-o -- ?a> > ov,"B '?
necessity in December, 1873, for a compromise,
it was a further necessity to make these bonds 4
legally binding contract enforceable in the courts,
for the State's fuiih anil credit woro very low.
If it be possible for a Stale to make such a coin
tract, it is possible that this is so made, for tlifr
effect was to give them currency through th?
power to enforco payment in the courts, and in'
dependent of the Legislature. The first section
validates all the irregular and fraudulent bonds,
if any validation can be effectual; for it orders
them to be received and new bonds issued there
for. If fraud is so permeating that the LegislatucAjfafAXA^jttiA^MkJuilidate^hfiso
fraudulent ?
ctfnnot, and If thf?
LegisWttRt cannot, then the value which tlid
public will put upon the bondl named in schedule
5 will depend upon the public confidence in the
accuracy of the commission. If not validated
in 1878, and 'l,c possibility of errors in schedule
5, with the right of the Legislature to disregard
validations, will affect the market value of tho
whole lot. After paying a high compliment to
the commission and their work, he said they
were still mortals, and might err.
As the Supreme Court of the United States |
say the bonds on their face impart a compliance
.with thetermsof tho act, the purchaser is bound
to 1 ?ok no further. Otherwise they could not sell
in Chicago or New Yoik or London, ouly in Columbia
and Lexington and Sumter. Ho said he
did not intend to cover the whole ground ; he
only meant to enforco certain views of his own,
not yet fully presented, and he would conclude
with a few remarks about tho demand of the
people. The people were like their representatives
; first ideas upon every subject are crude.
The true test is, not what do tho people now
think, but what will they justify upon maturo
deliberation jugfe If the people demand what is
wfbtlg'in itself the Legislature should not listen.
Had tho Legislature in 18G7 listened to the voice
of the majority of the people, they would havo
passed an act repudiating every debt in South
Carolina, so that everybody would start fresh
and even. Rut it was wroag, just as now a refusal
to stand by the consolidation act would he
wrong, and tho Legislature did not heed. Today
the people will say she did right.
Tho strongest argument that we have read in
favor of throwing out those bonds funded under
tho Act of 1873, supposed to be tainted with
fraud, is that tho consolidation Act was based
upon repudiation, for by it *'tlio fraudulent dollars,
which were worth nothing and without consideration,
were made worth fifty cents ; the
good dollars, which every consideration of honor
and political wisdom required us to pay in
full, were scaled to the time of fifty cents."
' Presentment of the Grand Jury.
March Tkum, 1878. .
The State of South Carolina \
Cou.?ty of Union. j
To the Hon. J IJ. KERSIIA W, Pretidiug Judge :
The Grand Jury would respectfully roport as
follows :
We l^c cxainjyud the Public Buildings ffftd
find- W
TIIP. JAIL
in bad condition?needing repairs gonerolly?
and we would recommend that the necessary repairs
he inndc, and or a substantial nnluro.
Tlic Court House is in very good condition.
TltP. PUnLIC OFFICES
Tlie Sheriff's, Clerk's, Probate Judge's, Auditor's,
County Commissioners' School Commissioner's
and Treasurer's Offices, seem to be
neatly and well kept. The books and Papers
are in good condition.
The Probate Judge's needs anew desk and we
recommend that the same be furnished by the
County Commissioners.
THE POOR HOUSE
We find the Poor House in good condition. Tbs
inmates are carefully and properly provided for,
and the Suporintedent seems to manage the
Farm well, and to discharge the duties belong*
ing to his position
TRIAL JUSTICES
The following Trial Justices, James T. Jeter,
Jasper Qibbes, T. J. Orr, S. S. Stokes, C. B..
Bobo, T. M. LiUlejohn, Thomas Comer, B. IK
Foster Unit I) Inlininn I - !.? ?
?..) "r
books for examination, and we are glad to no-v
tice a decided improvement in their offices.
LICENSES
The Grand Jury have considered the application
for License of J. H. 81ms, for retailing,
Spiritous Liquors, and recommend tnat the
same be granted bim, upon his entering into.
Bond, Sic., as is required by law. We have
agreed to Ax the License Pee at two hundred
dollars per year.
OOCNTY FINANCES
Iu regard to the Finances of the County, ??
find that the Treasurer has been prompt in his *
collections, and that the same has been applied
by the County Commissioners to the various
purposes for whioli It was levied.
W. - ?. I It- /I a? /V S .
? v hic iiiivnacu UJ ma toumjr V/OTnmiM10I)rcrs
that the debt of the County ia about $10\
500. Thai thay have applied to tha Legislature,
for relief in regard to the payment ef the aame.
They are of opinion that they can greatly rcr
duce the debt duriag the present year
rre&io aoooyt,
The Orand Jury hare been Informed that a
large scope of country lying In Pinekney and
Santuo Townships is about seren and a half
miles from any of the Puhlio Schools. There
are but rery fpw wh(te children in this section?
net snfAeient to make a School?and we would
respectfully call the attention of the School
Commissioner to the abote fact, and ask that
the matter hare his attention.
We herewith file the Report of the School
CommiMiner an J aall the attention of the Court
theivto.
tub roads.
I The Roads are )n bad condition, and we would
' suggest lo (he CommiMioner* of ihe County