S<HTH 





1 Session. The new Constitution 

 changed the time of the opening of the legislative 

 n to the second Tuesday in January. The 

 time limit of forty day- does not apply to the first 

 four sessions. Accordingly, the General Assembly 

 was in session from .Ian. 14 to March 7. The or- 

 ganization from the former session held over, with 

 Ira B. Jones as Speaker of the House. After the 

 election of Mr. Joiie- ta A--ciate Justice of the 

 Supreme Court, Frank B. Gary was chosen to suc- 

 ceed him as Speaker. 



About 250 bills were passed. The new Constitu- 

 tion, which went into effect Jan. 1, provides that 

 the Supreme Court shall consist of a chief justice 

 and three associates instead of two. When the 

 court met. on Jan. 2, the question was raised 

 whether its action would be legally binding, since 

 it could not be constituted according to the new 

 order until the Legislature should have elected a 

 fourth member. The court held that it could le- 

 gally hold over until its successor should be duly 

 qualified. The reorganization of the court was one 

 of the first subjects that came before the General 

 Assembly, and a bill was parsed providing for the 

 election of the third Associate Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court, whose term of office will expire on 

 Aug. 1. 1902: that the successor of Associate-Jus- 

 tice Pope shall be elected by the General Assembly, 

 whose term of office begins on Aug. 1. 1896. and 

 continues for eight years: that the successor of 

 Chief-Justice Melver shall be elected by the Gen- 

 eral Assembly at its session in 1899 for eight years, 

 and the successor of Associate-Justice Gary" shall 

 be elected by the General Assembly in 1900 for 

 eight years. Jan. 30 Associate- Just ice Pope was 

 re-elected for eight years, and Ira B. Jones. Speaker 

 of the House, was chosen third Associate Justice. 



A registration law was enacted adapted to the 

 requirements of the Constitution. Certificates are 

 to be granted to voters able to read the Constitu- 

 tion and to those unable to read it who are yet 

 able to understand it when it is read to them. The 

 provision as to appeals gives to the voter who is 

 denied a certificate two hearings, one before any cir- 

 cuit judge, and the other before the Supreme Court. 

 No costs are to be charged to the applicant upon 

 such appeals. The election law. as regards ballot- 

 ing, shows some changes from the old law : com- 

 missioners and managers are not now removable at 

 will : the ballot box must be placed in sight of the 

 people outside the polls : and frauds by refusal to 

 hold polls are made impossible, since voters can 

 hold a poll without the managers. A bill for the 

 introduction of the Australian ballot failed, and 

 the old eight-box system is retained. It is made a 

 crime to issue election certificates at any other time 

 than that required by law or to receive certificates 

 so issued. 



A law was made providing for examination of 

 banking and fiscal corporations, and the office of 

 l>:ink examiner was created. 



General laws were made for the incorporation of 

 cities and towns, and a general law for the forma- 

 tion of corporations, defining their powers. 



An act was passed providing for the appointment 

 of a commissioner to codify the laws, and another 

 act to regulate the formation of new counties: also 

 one providing for a uniform assessment of property 

 for municipal and State taxation. 



The appropriation for pensions was double the 

 amount heretofore devoted to that purpose, and the 

 benefits were extended to classes not previously in- 

 cluded. 



A valued-policy law was made for the regulation 

 of insurance. 



In the laws governing the dispensary few mate- 

 rial changes were made except those required by 

 VOL. xxxvi. 45 A 



the Constitution, but the who] 

 taken out of the hands of 1 lie i, 



of control, and the .- 



is made the receiving and disbursing ollie. r , ,f all 

 moneys received an-i : through the ; 



dispei 



The State tax levy was placed at 4A mills, exclu- 

 sive of the school tax. 



The sum of '25.000 was appropriated to South 

 Carolina College, and $21,000 to the Citadel, 

 military school. 



A joint resolution authorized the Governor to 

 extend an invitation to the other Southern S- 

 to unite in erecting a monument to the late George 

 Peabody, and to appropriate funds therefor. An- 

 other required the printing and distribution of the 

 Confederate rolls. 



Other acts were the following : 



For arbitration in civil cases. 



For the establishment of waterworks and electric- 

 light systems by cities and towns. 



Permitting towns and cities to issue bonds to take 

 up their past indebted 



To establish local boards of health. 



Providing for the working of chain gangs by 

 cities, towns, and counties. 



Incorporating Converse College. 



Establishing Saluda County. 



Regulating the care of infants suffering with dis- 

 eases of the 



To prevent lynching : providing that in all cases 

 of lynching where death ensues the county where 

 the lynching takes place shall be liable in exemplary 

 damages in a sum not less than *2.000. 



Limiting the amount of land that aliens may hold 

 in the State. 



Making May 10, the anniversary of Gen. Thomas 

 J. Jackson's death, a legal holiday, to be known as 

 Memorial Day. 



Limiting tha time during which coupon bonds of 

 the State payable to bearer, and their coupons, may 

 be consolidated, converted, funded, or paid. 



Requiring contractors for the erection, alteration, 

 or repairing of buildings to pay laborers, subcon- 

 tractors, and merchants for their services and ma- 

 terial furnished. 



Relating to the severance of Claflin College from 

 Claflin University, and the establishment of a nor- 

 mal, industrial, agricultural, and mechanical college 

 for the colored race. 



Imposing penalties for the adulteration of candy 

 and the sale of impure milk, butter, and cheese. 



Amending the law relating to prize fighting. 



Amending the game laws. 



Political. There are two factions in the Repub- 

 lican party in the State. Both held State conven- 

 tions one April 7 and the other April 14. At the 

 first, a resolution was adopted instructing the dele- 

 gates for McKinley. The platform called for the en- 

 forcement of the law against lynching, and on the 

 currency said : 



" We stand with our party in the reiteration of 

 its demand for both gold and silver as standard 

 money. We believe that legislation should secure 

 and maintain the parity of values of the two metals 

 to the end that the purchasing and debt-paying 

 power of the American dollar silver, gold, and pa- 

 per shall be the same any and everywhere." 



At the convention of the Independent or "Lily 

 White." or -Reorganized" Republicans. April 14. 

 a resolution favoring McKinley was overwhelmingly 

 defeated, but resolutions were adopted saying that 

 either McKinley. Allison, Morton. Reed, or Quay 

 would be acceptable. The financial plank w; ; - 

 follo 



" We are in favor of maintaining the present 

 monetary standard until some satisfactory ratio 



