Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science - Taschenbuch

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Governor Perry thus speaks of the aristocratic character of the government of South Carolina: "The general assembly of South Carolina is an electoral college for the State as well as a legislative body. They have the election of Governor, electors of President and Vice-President, Lieutenant Governor, United States Senators, Judges and Chancellors, all State officers, Magistrates, Commissioners of Roads and Bridges, Poor and Free Schools, Commissioners and Masters in equity, and various other officers. This embarrasses legislation, occupies a great deal of the time of members, and is productive of evil consequences. The most of these elections and appointments should be taken from the legislature." Acting upon this wise suggestion, the power of the legislature was greatly diminished. Many of the officers who had formerly been appointed by the legislature were made elective. Local government was also greatly increased. The period embraced by the operation of this constitution is, however, so short and so full of the anarchy and disorders engendered by the great civil conflict as to be almost devoid of any local government. The County. The county system is the present system of local government for the whole State of South Carolina. By the constitution of 1868, commonly known as the reconstruction constitution, the district was abolished and the county erected in its stead.] Various amendments have been made to the con- Journal of Convention of 1865, page 15. f This constitution was framed by a convention (called under the reconstruction acts of Congress by Major-General Canby). It assembled at Charleston, January 14, 1868, and completed its labor March 17, 1868. The constitution was submitted to the people April 14 and 16,1868, and was ratified by 70,000 against 27,2...