North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-01-11
nrvARKs OF GEN. SAUNDERS,

4s' Ete-T, or WAKe. 4s g. -.
,,-,;,.o;sd in the House of Commons Of North caro-
lima. on the proposed amendments OF The O0"S'''O
ton Of the State. Tho House
Mr Saunders said the questions before ihe Ilou sS
,.ere clear and simple, and in submitting drsc,lv
"a saw il was his purpose to conhne n'''
- the matter under consideration. q. ,av;sa IN.
II was competent for the Leg's SIC ,he Stat. in ane
,endment of the Constitution OF Tue "a III 80
-. ,rovsin either case, the saHcticn OIL ',ie p1o
Me was necessary. The first mooe "as yS;.b ,v.s
live act proposing a specific amenu sS,hs Of
r =, no carried by vote OF uiee'h'"S Vi
heceJ ~ he published for six montns' ana tnen
e"I" -; .orped to by a vote OF tMo-'niIds OF edch
b.ncb of the General Assembly me ; n'. ,t
80 hv the call Of Convention, WHY" e4" .s. .e
wa, ~ two-thirds of each branch OF Tue Leg
vo'e Gnvenion may be restricted by the act Gaining
. 80 particular subjects therein named a9o' IL APP
W. INV the people, becomes valid. ne hrst ques-
i;on is on the bill reported by the Gotnm'ee, Iecol
ZION !? single change-tat of aboshing the free
ssrtv acres of land eniilng the voters to vote
nolu S - in other words, the recommendation
loa ~ establish free suffrage. The second Is the
nronosition of the gentleman from tierIoro N'. 10y
Iii a Convention TO be limited to the single
H' of amending the Constitution In regafG 10
4snfraye: and the third proposition Is 10 can
sraraI Convention, as proposed ny me gen';1'""n
- Oavidson, Mr.. Foster. MT. saunders salu' as
s Tor LEGISLATION uerSus Convention, ne was the
nc 1a,e ef the first plan. And here Mr.. saunders
I'll he must correct statement maze oy ali o "'e
tIemen on the other side OF the F1ouse-aH ASST
sS;on which they must know TO DE erIoheous, anu
uv 10 f,Ilowed up and persisted In by tne wing
"lo f the State to what end 1t is not difficult TO
Pp These gentlemen say, and repeat over ano over
s;n until they seem to have persuaded themselves
s ITS truth that We, the Democratic parry, wiz. al
snpct for the people, are unwilling 10 trust any.
gu =, heir discretion; whereas they, kind souls
.re willing to consult the people as 70 "ne':iei
Ibcv wish any amendments, ana "nd' e"ey !e
Fortunately for us, assertion is not PloUi' a'u " -
,i,inn does not 90 to make it but before he pro,
FIaJ 70 discuss the question Mr.. >. said ne woulo
Iii the attention of the gentleman from DaViasoh
- matter which appears in the report oil MS SPeeo'
and which he, MIR. S. trus'ed' ior the sen"eLIHn
~nto was mistake. He was young man. and he'
NJ 8 would gladly give him the opportunity OF Set
in himscIf riGht The expression alluded to was
this .:.l c-o,, I--e N 1926
The Constitution, as 1t existed from 40 10 Iooo'
was framed by monarchsts and the people never have
tJ 49, nnoruni,y of fully amending II, and making 1t
s'ch ss bcy desired. The people should have this
privilege.
Mr. S. How far the explanation relieved the gen
,I.map it was for the House TO decide. He thought
the explanation not at all satisfactory.
rba Constitution of the State was formed by
Congress of the freemen OF the Sta'e, VINO Me' d'
Halliday in December, I776 and so far from being an
assembly of monarchists, 1t was composed OF sucn
men as Richard Caswell, its President james Iedel'
Abner Nash, Waightstlll Avery. and other dslln-
guished patriots and soldiers OF the Inc
assertion said Mr.. S.. to which he had referred, was
that the Democratic party, who advocate this change
from freehold to free suffrage, did not wish 10
consult the wishes of the people This was contra
~ to the truth. What. he asked, were the 1acts
Both parties of the State had held their Conventions
in this Citv in May last for the nomination OF can
didatp for Governor Iathese Conventions both par
ties proftssed themselves in favor OF free suffrage
the Wings saying steps ought to be ia ken for con-
sung the people as TO this and other changes, and
the Democ rats considering the wishes OF the people
as already fully known as to this measure, and de-
caring that the change ought to be made The Dem
ocrac candidate had before declared himself In favor
of this CHANGE and this declaration he again repeated
in the most uneqpvocal terns-so much so, that he
vas charged with using it as hobby. And notwith-
standing all this, are charged with introducing
into this H al hrebrand, and this change, thus pro-
posed, is called a humbug, and other hard names.
Mr.. S. said he again demanded to know the neces-
sity of consulting the people in relation to
which they had already spoken in such decided
terms; and why gentlemen would he At the expense
of calling Convention to effect a'change which could
be SO easily effected by simple of Legislation.
No member of the House was more disposed than he
execute the will of the people, when there ex-
listed doubt to what that will was. He had ever
held mutual confidence betwee the representative and
constituent form the brightest gem in the diadem
Of representative government and, for one, he had
only TO be informed as to that will, and ne stood
ready IN obey
Again, said Nj. S., it has been asserted by Wes- |
tern gentlemen that the people Of the State have |
never had opportunity Of expressing their wishes
as 10 the changes they desired In the organic law
MS he RE HIMSELF Hd0 Ocen VI
a Peoples Convention, composed exclusively of
members from the Western Counties, about the year
1922; and pray, what did the w est then ask The !
election Of Governor by the people, the abolition of
County representations, biennial sessions and less
number of Senators and Commoners. And, asked, !
Mr.. s., have not all these things been granted 1t
conno be denied but what they have. Where, then, !
was there any proof that the West demanded Con- !
venon He had heard of no demand of this sort, /
save only by few this floor.
And now, continued Mr.. S., let inquire VI hat |
was the Constitutional compact entered into between
the East and the West in the Convention of 1885, |
when the Constitution was amended. And he, Mr.. |
s., ventnred to say people had ever acted with
greater degree of liberay than had the people of the
East, in the surrender of the power which they then
held. He was neither an Eastern nor Western !
man. He had been born in the West, on the banks |
OF the Dan, where now repose the bones of his an
cesiors; yet he claimed be North Carolinian, /
prepared TO do justice TO every section of the State
Before the year 1885 you had a County representa-
tlon-one Senator and two Commoners for each |
County, without regard to either population or taxa
uon This was so manifesty unequal and unjust, |
that change was then made. The East, having |
much the greater number of slaves, and paying, Of
course, the greater OF po-tsx, agreed
promise by giving up their County representation,
provided the West would agree adopt the basis
OF representation the rule had been adopted
by the Federal Government. This was accordingly
agreed to- and hence the Federal hasiSs He, Mr. S. !
would ask his Western friends if it would be right
'or Just for Wake County, who has upwards of ten
thousand slaves, and who pays upwards of $4,000
OF taxes into the Public Treasury, give up one of
her members in favor of County who scarcely pays
an amount of taxes sufficient to defray its County
charges the State He, Mr.. s., thought not;
and this brings me, said Mr.. s., to the Immediate
question before the House-the abolition of the freehold