Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-07-24

ever it is brought to an issue, the great law of self
interest, which, when enlightened, is the greatest
security for any people, will combine both the rich
and the poor against plan which is in truth, moth
ing more or less than scheme for legislative plum
der and extortion.
To convince the Senate what little cause there Is !
for complaint against the workings of the present
Constitution, I will state remarkable fact drawn
from the public records.
The following counties, viz Burke, Cabarrus, !
Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Cleaveland, David !
son, Davie, Guford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell. |
Macon Mcdowell, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, |
Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and
Yancy paid taxes into the public Treasury in 1850.
amounting to $27,957 only, and received during
the same year from the school fund, ST. 1913. Here
are twentythree western counties, entitled to some
fifty members in the Legislature, receiving from
the Public Treasury, exclusive of the expense OF
Judges Members of Assembly, &c, over $4,000
more than all their payments for the support of
government and yet these counties are represented
by the very members that complain most Of I'M JUS
tice-done them by the present Constitution
Mr.. Speaker if gentlemen will permit me to
tender them any advice upon this subject, would
say to them with the greatest sincerity and respect
do not raise the cry OF Convention or no Conven-
ton, with the hope of organizing party upon that
issue in North Carolina Should you succeed, it
will have no other result than to divide the State
geographically; to embitter the two sections against
each other, and for years to come, to place an IN
surmountable barrier to all udcious practicable
schemes of improvement. Wait until the objects
of Internal Improvement which have been COM
menced, are finished and matured if they are sue
cessful, they will be extended by the intelligence
of the Legislature to the remotest parts of the State
Neither Constitution Legislature, can be fair
y blamed that so little has been done for the cause
of Internal Improvement in North Carolina. Our
State is unfortunately situated having no seaport,
which, being the centre of trade could concentrate
improvements efforts were unconnected and
desultory; the consequence of which was, much
money was lost, and many errors were unavoidably
made. But certainly this unfortunate state of things
will not be remedied by throwing the whole State
into confusion, and upturning the old settled
foundations of the Government.
The gentleman from Rutherford complains and
perhaps Justly, that his section has been neglected
can sympathise with him in such complaints. L
have the honor to represent a people who know
nothing of your Government except through the
tax collector. We have great work to be exc
cuted in our immediate neighborhood, which, if
made, would add incidentally to our wealth, COM
fort, and even health and yet when we come here
for assistance, you refer to the General Govern
ment and when we 90 to the General Government
and urge your agents there to exert themselves in
our behalf, we are met by indifference, if not by
positive hostility. We have borne this state of
things patiently for more than twenty years, and
have not even dissolved our party ties, much less
attempted to destroy those stronger dearer ties
which should bind us to the institutions and MEM
cries of our native State.
Let not gentlemen deceive themselves by the
success of Free Suffrage. That question did not
raise any sectional issue it had numerous partisans
i'll all parts of the State, and for years had been
regarded by many persons, as an odious individual
distinction, that ought to be blotted from our
Constitution. The basis of representation is very
different matter; it involves the very security and
protection Of much the larger portion of the proper
ty which pays revenue for the support of Govern
ment; and it cannot be abandoned by those persons
to whose charge it is now committed, without ad-
hitting themselves unworthy of the trust conhded
to them. If gentlemen wish a hobby by means
! of which some Gubernatorial aspirant may ride
into the Executive Chair, l beg them to select
something that will produce less disastrous results
| to the best interests of the State.
As regards the bill upon your table, which pro-
poses to consult the people upon the propriety of
calling Convention, in addition to the evils of a
Convention already mentioned, this bill is liable to
a very serious charge. 1t proposes indirectly to
reach a result, in a mode directly opposed to the
one mentioned in the Constitution. And this result
is urged by who, but few days ago, made
this hall ring with patriotic devotion to constitu-
tional law. Then, the very idea of consulting the
4
raised all sorts of horrors in their minds now, it
seems, positive injunction of the Constitution can
unhesitatingly be disregarded, when another favo-
rite purpose is to be answered.
Well, sir, suppose this bill passes, and majority
of the people, but not constitutional majority of
counties, express themselves favorable to the as
sembling of Convention; gentlemen will be no
nearer Convention then than they now, unless
they intend to get up Dorr rebellion, and after
succeeding in popular vote, to march to Raleigh,
capture the Capitol, form Constitution and install
a Governor, &c. I hope, whilst they are doing all
this, they will not forget to send to Rhode Island
and borrow that celebrated sword of the unfortun-
ate Gov. Dorr that the play may be correctly per-
formed with all the appropriate costume. 1t re-
mains for this Senate to decide whether they will
countenance such proceeding in law-loving, law
abiding North Carolina Pass this bill, sent us
from the House of Commons, and you array the
two sections of the State in deadly hostility to each
other, and we may see, in few months, tumutu-
Gus assembly in this Capitol, calling themselves
the people, acting over the scenes, which but
a few years ago brought the State of Rhode Island
to the verge of destruction and consigned the lead
ers and deuders of the people to prison and the
contempt Of mankind.
i IN. B. Since this table was made, 1 have seen
the Register of the 9Th Of February, containing an
{" Address to the people Of North Carolina on the
subject of constitutional REFORM This address is
signed by Members Of the Legislature from nineteen
sc