Report of the Committee on the Judiciary on a Bill to authorize the purchase, for the State, of a manuscript compilation of the penal code. On motion of Mr. WHITTEMORE, the Report was agreed to, and the Code Commission instructed to examine the execution of said work, and to report to the next General Assembly whether the purchase of said manuscript is advisable. On motion of Mr. WHITTEMORE, the Senate proceeded to the consideration, out of its order, of Report of Committee on the Judiciary on Bill to abolish the Seventh Judicial Circuit. On motion of Mr. WHITTEMORE, the Report was laid on the table, and the enacting clause of the Bill stricken out. On motion of Mr. WHITTEMORE, the Senate proceeded to the consideration, out of its order, of Report of Committee on Education on Bill to establish a Normal School in each Congressional District. The Report was read, and the Bill taken up for a second reading, The Bill received its second reading, was considered as in Committee of the Whole, and by Sections. Pending the consideration of Section 5, On motion of Mr. LESLIE, at 9:25 P. M, the Senate adjourned. FRIDAY MARCH 3, 1871. Pursuant to adjournment, the Senate assembled at 12 M., and was called to order by the President, Hon. A. J. RANSIER. The roll was called, and, a quorum answering to their names, the PRESIDENT announced the Senate ready to proceed to business. Prayer by the Chaplain. On motion of Mr. SWAILS, the reading of the Journal of yesterday was dispensed with. PAPERS FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House sent to the Senate the following message: IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate: The House of Representatives respectfully informs your honorable body that Messrs. Whipper, Lee, J. N. Hayne, Thomas and Gardner, have been appointed Committee of Conference on the part of the House to meet the Committee appointed by your honorable body to consider amendments to a Bill to make appropriations, and raise supplies for the fiscal year, commencing November 1, 1870. Very respectfully, &c., F. J. MOSES, JR., Speaker House of Representatives. The House returned to the Senate, with amendments, A Bill to alter and renew the charter of the town of Darlington; The amendments were concurred in. Ordered, That the titles thereof be changed to that of Acts, and that they be enrolled for ratification. The House also returned with amendments, Joint Resolution making appropriation of forty-seven thousand dollars, for the completion of the State Lunatic Asylum, and for other pur poses. Mr. SWAILS moved that the Senate do not concur. After debate, participated in by Messrs. Swails, Corbin, The motion of the Senator from Williamsburg was withdrawn. Mr. CORBIN moved that the Senate concur On the question of agreeing to the motion of the Senator from Charleston, Mr. SWAILS called for the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows: Yeas-Messrs. Allen, Barber, Bieman, Burroughs, Beckman, Cardozo, Clinton, Corbin, Duncan, Duvall, Foster, Gaillard, Greene, Hayes, Hayne, Holcombe, Hollinshead, Montgomery, McIntyre, Nash, Owens, Rose, Smalls, Whittemore, Wilson-25. Nays-Messrs. Dickson, Swails-2 So the House amendments were concurred in. Ordered, That the Joint Resolution be enrolled for ratification. The House also sent to the Senate, A Bill to incorporate the Thomas Guards, of Green Pond, Colleton, South Carolina; A Bill defining the jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace, the mode of procedure before them, and the duties of Constables, in civil actions. The above Bills received their first reading, were ordered for a second reading and consideration to-morrow, and to be printed. The House also sent to the Senate, A Bill to determine the day of election of the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Charleston. The Bill received its first reading, was ordered for a second reading and consideration to-morrow, and to be printed. The Sergeant-at-Arms announced MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR. Message No. 59, from His Excellency the Governor, was presented to the Senate by Mr. John Heart, Private Secretary. The Message was read, as follows: Gentlemen of the Senate: STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA, March 2d, 187 I respectfully return, without my signature, the Act, which originated in your body, to compel County Treasurers to receive County checks or warrants in payment for County taxes, and other purposes. And I do this the more reluctantly, because I recognize in its provisions some salutary restrictions on the amount of checks or warrants to be issued, which I have heretofore recommended, and which I deem essential to the safety of the funds, and the security of the credit of the State. The appropriation Bill directs that County Treasurers shall receive, in payment of taxes, Bills Receivable of the State, United States and National Bank notes, gold and silver coin, and coupons of certain State bonds; and yet, without repealing this clause of the Appropriation Bill, the Act under consideration proposes to compel them to receive an unlimited amount of County checks or orders, without any provision for discriminating between fraudulent and genuine, and this while, in some of the Counties, investigations are now in progress, in which certain County Commissioners are charged with having surreptitiously put in circulation orders to a large amount, for which the County has received no compensation or equiva lent. These orders, in all probability, would be the first presented in payment of taxes, and the passage of this Act would be to place beyond the reach of legal investigation any proceedings or acts of the County Commissioners violative of law in the issuing of County checks or orders. Without giving any bonds or security for the faithful performance of their duties, these Commissioners are authorized to issue an unlimited amount of checks or orders, for which the County is held responsible. One of the effects of the law would be to largely increase the labors of the County Treasurers, as in the great majority of the cases the checks or orders would not be the precise amount called for by the taxes, entailing endless trouble in efforts to make change, or, on the other hand, in doing so, enabling the Treasurer, in making up his accounts, to charge the State, in legitimate currency, much which he paid off in checks. The depletion of currency by the efflux into the Treasury of this paper, which would be valueless for the general County purposes, such as the payment of jurors' and witnesses' fees, the construction of Roads and Bridges, &c., would, to a great extent, paralyze the County Treasuries, by absorbing in their redemption a large amount of their current revenue; and this is the more probable, when it is well understood that in some of the Counties there are warrants and orders already issued beyond the amount of the assessments for the current year I regret that the necessity of withholding my approval of this Bill may work with seeming severity on those persons holding orders issued for legitimate purposes, and who are justly entitled to payment, and trust that the Legislature, in its wisdom, may devise some method by which, while justice may be done to the honest creditors of the State its credit. may not be impaired or jeopardized. Very respectfully, ROBERT K. SCOTT, Governor. On motion of Mr. CORBIN, the message and accompanying Act were ordered to be printed, and the consideration thereof made the Special Order for to-morrow, at 1 P. M. MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR. Messages Nos. 60 and 61, from His Excellency the Governor, were presented to the Senate by Mr. W. F. Hague, Assistant Private Secretary. The Messages were read, as follows: STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Honorable President of the Senate. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, SIR-I have the honor to inform you that the following Acts were approved and signed February 28th, to wit: An Act to authorize Circuit Judges to hold Courts in other Circuits than their own; An Act to incorporate the Rock Hill Hook and Ladder Company; An Act to incorporate the Champion Hook and Ladder Company, of Chester; An Act to incorporate the Savings Building and Loan Association, of South Carolina; An Act to renew and amend the charter of the town of Mount Pleas ant; An Act to provide for the protection of persons, property and the public peace; An Act to charter the town of Hamburg; An Act to incorporate the town of Timmonsville; An Act to incorporate the Machanics' Union, No. 1, of the city of Charleston, South Carolina; An Act to supply the deficiency in the appropriation for the support and maintenance of Free Schools, for 1870. Very respectfully, ROBERT K. SCOTT, Governor. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Honorable President of the Senate. SIR-I have the honor to inform you that I have this day approved and signed the following Acts and Joint Resolutions, to wit: An Act to charter the town of Yorkville; An Act to vest in the Charleston Land Company the charter of a Ferry from Hamlin's Wharf, in the city of Charleston, to the following points on the Wando River, to wit: Scanlonville, Remley's Point, Venning's Landing, and Daniel's Island Landing; An Act to amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the Commissioners of Public Buildings, for Williamsburg District, to sell certain portions of the public grounds," passed the 22d day of December, A. D. 1859; An Act to authorize Sylvanus Mayo to build a Wharf in the town of Beaufort; An Act to renew and amend the charter of the town of Bamberg, in the State of South Carolina; Joint Resolution authorizing the State Treasurer to re-issue to John Phillips, Executor of John Campbell, deceased, certain certificates of State Stock; Joint Resolution to provide for the publication of the decisions of the Supreme Court, during the years 1868, 1869 and 1870. Very respectfully, ROBERT K. SCOTT, Governor. |