The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-03-05
a DDle ESS.

meeting composed principally Of West.
srn members of the Legislature. without 10.
,ioc,'on Of Party. wss held in The Capitol on
consider ~hs, measures were necessary to
b sd"p'ed 30 secure 10 the People of North
Caroline the r,gh, TO am, nd their State Con.
stiuiion so - fully to answer the great ends
for which l. ~ss or,g,natIy established; /; and
to msiais,n that equality Of rights which lies
II the foundation Of oil free aud popular Go.
veranaea's.
II ia seMatkshie frsturs in tho history
Of our State. tina, the Free People Of the State
never lave had . voice in the formation Of
that instrument by which alone their lives.
their fortunes. snd their persona! liberty Is
protected. The fret Constitution vas formed
NHsl,fax. 18th December, 1875 immediate.
" after We had thrown oh the Blush yoke,
shen our sncestors were not fully alive 10 the
laeres,s of III. people - bu, sl,lI retained q
reverence for British usages. where proper.
" sas always more respected, and had more
pclii'esl weigh, than the rights OF the people.
The Delcga'es To that Convention, IN couse.
Saence Of that natural difference to their an.
e'eni customs, we're elected only b, F,eeh"l.
ders and Huuseholder.; and that Convention
made the Constitution, az formed. the Ofgsn.
&c Ls~ Of the State. The people no form
Cd neither Of these classes, and ~ho const'.
,u,ed much larger msss of the population Of
'he State. had no voice 10 the election OF Del.
sssies and the Constitution ~as not submit.
ted to them for their approval or REJECTION.
Al the time this Constitution was formed
all the Counues IN The State, except ,iah, lay
East of Raleigh, which has been regarded as
mo dividing line between the Eastern aud
Western poitions Of the State. By lis pro.
Visions. each County, without regard to its
wealth or pot u'a,ion. was entitled TO send one
Senator and two members To tho House Of
Commons; and tho towns Of Wilmington,
Ne~bern and Halifax, to which was added,
IN l7ss, Fayetteville in The East, and Hills.
boso' and Salisbury in the West, each one
member in Tho House Of Commons. Under
this Constitution we lived, suffering gtievsn.
ees the memory of which has no, set left US.
constantly struggling To amend il, until ! s35
when the Legislature, in the plenti,ude OF
'is mercy. granted 10 the people of tho Stare
the privilege to say whether they should
smend tho Constitution in some fsw poiots.
The Delegates TO that Convention were re.
CURED TO he sworn not 10 transcend the Inn.
M prescribed to ,hem by the Lcgisls,ure, It.
"M but the servant Of the people.
Tho result Of their labors was The Consii.
luton under which We now live. Bv u, the
number of members in the Senate is fixed at
hi'y; sad in the House Of Commons at one
hundred and twenty. Each county is enii.
''ed 10 elect one me mber Of least; and the re.
msinder ere elected BY the Counties IN pro.
portion 10 their Federal population - that Is.
70 all wh'tcs arc added three out Of every
nva slaves and the sum total constitutes the
Federal Populsuon. Ia the Senate. the coun.
lies select Senstovs in propor,ion TO the tax.
espsid into the Public Treasury wi,hou, re.
gard TO the sources whence those taxes orig
mated, whether from the permanent wealta
o. The country, OF from those taxes. imposed
70 reairain the vicea Of the community.
Iheclsuss prohihi,ing any one from voting
'os Senator unless he waa the owner in fee
o. ht'y acres of land, contained in tho Con
s'u''on of l776. was still retained. To Thu
esus" IN our Constitution public attention
mas been directed for the last two years; ant
W anti republican and aiistocratic character
severely denounced 40 remnant Of the Feu