Article Text
come before the public eye. The limit of time allowed to the purchasers-Senator Sprague and Colonel Pearce-to begin operations, comes on the 5th of July. It is generally understood that these purchasers intend to forfeit the bargain. It has not been so announced authoritatively; but the inference from existing facts is well nigh conclusive. When that date arrives, should nothing have been done by Mesers. Sprague and Pearce, the commission-Governor Scott, R. N. Lewis and Postmaster Charles M. Wilder-will, it is understood, proceed with their duties of disposing of the canal. It is hoped that this time they will.require.a larger forfeit than two hundred dollars, $9.48 not to keep the State another six months out the immense benefits to be rerived from a thorough development of that fine water-power. Let the canal be this time given to a man who hearis-business. ETHNOLOGICALEJUSTICE At the last term of the Court of General Sessions, it will be remembered, a very interesting case was that of the State vs. Thomas Richardson for the murder of Dallas P. Smith, in Columbia, last summer. Part of the in erest of the cage arose, it will be remembered, out of the fact that Richardson was a member of the General Assambly, a Radical, and a negro, while Smith was a Democrat and a white thanj and a part of it out of the intense excitement that atteaded the act at the time of its perpetration. Judge Boozer heard the case. Both prosecution and, defence were ably argued. The jury consisted of five white men !!and seven negroes. They remained out for about two days. They took the vote on the Casebut once; that vote was, for conviction five (white,) and for acquictal seven (colored.) One of the whites was of the prisoner's political party. The jury failed to agree. It was mistrial. Judge Boozer bailed the prisoner. This case came up at the present term. The evidence, pleadings, charge (three hours and half long,) and all were repeated in extenso. The jury this time were twelve negroes. They remained out an hour, and returned a verdict of not guilty. This verdict, like the one at the first trial, is purely ethnological. As soon as the jury was impanelle}, in both cases, nobody in this community for a moment doubted as to what the verdict would be. Among the witnesses for the prosecution was on who swore that he was near Smith when the latter was shot: that he knew Richardson and recognized him, and saw Richardson shoot Smith; and all this in moonlight. The testimony of this witness was not invalidated at all; and the strongest offset to it, of the direct kind, was the testimony of the prisoner himself. Those of our community who are disposed to give Richardson the benefit of all doubts in the case, think that he shot Smith, but did's in a state of mentalconsternation or panic that he was hardly aware of what he was doing. BILLS OF THE BANK OF THE STATE It will be remembered that the General Assembly at its last session, in pursuance of an "Act to close the operations of the Bank of he State," appointed a committee of one from the Senate and two from the House to examine and destroy, in company with the ComptrollerGeneral, the bills of this bank that had been funded or redeemed by the treasurer with bonds. The committee consists of Senator Rainey (colored,) Dr. Bosemon (colored,) and Mr. Crews, the Comptroller-General being Dr. Neagle. These parties have been at work the past week, I am informed, in the ComptrollerGeneral's office in Columbia, at this task of examining and destroying these funded bills, Each member counts his pile, verifies the amount, and lays it aside to be burned-and it is burned. That is regular. That is right. That is what the law requires. These men are, of course, honest; but suppose, by some possible mistake of the Legislature, some one unprincipled man had been put on that committee. Is it not practicable for such a person to put false labels on some of the piles and put some of the bills into his pocket Such bills might, after awhile, find their way into the hands of some banker, who, by a judicious use of a portion of them, might secure the passage of a law to extend the time for funding the notes of the bank. What venture to suggest in the premises is that the Legislature has probably not taken the very best way to accomplish the given purpose, and that this division of the responsibility among four men might be, in certain cont tingencies, far less safe than if it were given to one officer. I speak of possible contingencies; and of course do not mean to reflect in any way upon any individual of this committee, who are all, I take for granted, above suspicion. The Legislature had the most unbounded reliance upon their honeaty, or it neyer would have entrusted them with 80 delicate and responsible an-office. The-incorraptible honesty of Joe be a proverb-in Isn rens ; while Dr. Neagle is understood to graduate of Davidson College- a Preebyterian institution of the highest standing. The colored members of the committee have the appearance of being honest men: and they tainly have the confidence of the General sembly of South Carolina. We trust that this committee will do its work thoroughly; and let there be no Bank-owe ghosts to bother us afterwards. FEEKDOM AND CRIME. One item in the presentment of the Grand Jury of Richland County is worthy of special note. They recommend to the Legislature "to elect another judge, whose special business it shall be to hold conrt for criminal business in Charleston and Columbia.' .In explanation of the manifest need or such extra criminal courts they say: "From the fact of Columbiale being a city, and the capital of the State, the idle and: #colore from all parts congregate here; and, as they do not work, many resort theft crimes this consign