North Carolina standard., 1851-01-22
SENATE,

SATURDAY, January Is, 1851.
The Senate met according to adjournment.
REPoRrs FROM Committees.
| Mr.. w Woodfn from the committee on Judiciary, re-
ported the bill authorizing the election of magistrates
liz Onsow, and recommended its passage. Ordered 10
lie the table.
Mr.. Drake, from Committee on Claims, reported
unavorably the message from the Governor with the
memorial of David Patton, late architect and super
nendent for the rebuilding the State Capitol, and
asked to be discharged from the further consideration
of the subject. Discharged.
Bills, &c.
Mr.. Bynum, bill to repeal the act passed at the
session of 1S46-7 TO repeal the act establishing the
County of Polk, and also repeal the act passed at
the session Of 1859, entitled supplemental
to passed the present session, repeangthe law
establishing the County of Polk. Read first time.
Mr.. BYnum, sundry memorials from Rutherford
County, praying the restoration of the County of Polk
Laid on the table.
The engrossed bill relative to purchasers of Chero-
kee lands, securing debts due the State and authori
zing the sale of lands surrendered the State under
the acts of 1S44'5 1867, was read I'd time and
made the special order for the day for Monday
Equal SUFFRAGE.
The hour Of eleven having arrived, the Speaker an
nounced the special order of the day the engrossed
bill from the Commons, to amend the Constitution of
the State The bill is as follows:
Whereas, the freehold qualification required
for the electors for members of the Senate,
ficts with the fundamental principles of liberty:
Therefore,
Be it enacted by Tie General assembly of the State
Of North Carolina, and tt is hereby enacted by the
thorty of The same-three-ffths of the whole number
of members ofeach house concuring-That the Sec
ond clause of the third section OF the first Article of
the amended Constitution, ratified by the people of
North Carolina on the second Monday of November
A. ID. 1885, be amended by striking out the words
-"and possessed of freehold within the same dis
trict, of fifty of land for six months next fore
and at the day ofelection;' that the said clause
of said section shall read follows: 3. All freemen
of the age of twenty-one years Except is herein
after decared) who have been inhabitants of any one
district within the State, twelve months immediate
y preceding the day of any election shall be enti-
tied TO vote for member of the Senate.
Be il further enacted That they Govsrnor.of the
State be, and he is hereby directed to issue his pro-
clamation to the people of orth Carolina least six
months before the next election, for members of the
General Assembly, setting forth the purport of this
bill and the amendment to the Constitution herein
proposed which proclamation shall be accompanied
by true and perfect copy of the bill authenticated
by the certificate of the Secretary of Sate and both
the proclamation and the copy of this bill the Gov
of the State shall cause to be published in all
the newspapers of this State, and posted in the court
houses of the respective counties in this State at
least six months before the election of members to
the next General Assembly.
Mr.. Barrnger offered amendment providing for the
election of Justices of the Peace by the people.
Mr.. Barringer spoke at some length against amen |
ding the Constitution by legislative enactment, and
in favor of an open Convention. If such Conven- |
outcertaIn measures-Equal Suffrage Judges by the
people, &c. in this way. In that event, He should
prefer to all these measures included m one BILL
Mr.. Clark said all he desired was to see gentlemen
meet these questions in the proper way. If the plan
of amending the Constitution by legislative enact
ment was wrong, had been argued in certain quar-
tiers, this Legislature could not remedy that wrong
The Constitution in that not be dsre-
garaed. This mode had been so established in that |
instrument, and it must remain as twas and all ar