Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-03-01
From the North Caroline University Magazine.
DPINT1N(t

cur purpose at present to gives brief account o
the establishment Of the press, within our Dor
ders.
In the autumn of 1868, Sir illiain Berkeley, ont
of the Lords Proprctorso of Carolina visited the pro
vince and organized the gaFernmentsof the County
of Albemarle. Fight years thereafter IN Jnne, 100
in reply to Inquiries from The Committees the Coz
onies in rclato4rto Virginia, he remarked, we have
forty parishes and our ministers well PAID
and by my consent should be better If they Woud
pray oftener and preach less but as OF all otnef
commodities, the Worst sent us wehave IL" 'nat
can boast Of since the persecution IN CromWeI 5
tyranny drove divers worthy lither Yet thaiih
God there are no free schools, and no printing ana
I hope we shall not have these hundred years, loT
learning has brought isobediencc, heresy and sectS
Into the world and printing has dyuiged thehi ana
libels against the best government mere Is no
reason to suppose that there was any DIVERSITY OF
opinion among the Lords Proprietors, in relation TO
preaching free schools and printing and 1T Is not
yery surprising that in province colonlzed undeT
such auspices the introduction of these elements u
civilization ana civil liberty Should have been long
postponed -
The great object sought to be attained by the Gel
ebrated author of the treatise on the human under
standing in the Fundamental Constitutions OF Caro-
lima, framed by him two years before the da'c oil Is
report to establish government most aSreea-
Bile to monarchy, and to ''avoid erecting numcr-
Gus democracy The devout affection for prayer,
and the pious. horror Of preaching are sufficiently
explained by the established fornuifes OF that day
The tri-weekly duplication for deverance from all
sedton, priyyeeonsp;racy, and rebellion; from all
false doctrine heresy and schisn, was most hearth
ly responded to by Sir William, and the noble found
ers of the infant commonwealth Still more lmPor-
tant impressive and imposing, in their view, were
the solemn services prescribed for the 39th Janua-
rv in commcmoration ssof the martyrdom of the
blessed King Charles to mplore the mercy of God,
that neither the guilt of that sacred and innocent
blood, those other sins by which God was pro-
vokcd to deliver up both us and our k'ng INTO the
hands of cruel and unreasonable men, may st any
time hereafter be visited upon us or cur postcrIty;
The influence welded by preachers CT reasonable
and seditious discourses was most unpropItouS to
tyranny but this power i'll the State, was about not
merely to be cclpsed, but totally obscured by the
electric Examinations of the press.
The pious ard PROF hctic ejaculation of Governor
Berkeley, so far as Carolina the subject of his
prisons, was too nearly answered in relation to the
press, and more than fulfilled with respect to COM
mon schools
The earliest settlements the Chowan probably
date as far back as 1850. The first effort for thc in
PRODUCTION of the press made in l74G, but the
enterprise not accomplished until 1Ti9 Previ-
to this time, the laws were all in manuscript.
The reyisal of 1715 had been multiplied into II man
uscript copies, of which required to kept
upon the Clerks table during each precinct court
and to be audibly read from beginning TO end by
the Clerk, in open court during the first term IN cv
cry year.
In 1746, (Swann's Revisal, chap. ~ we have Gan !
Act for appointing minissioners to revise aed print
the Laws of this province and for granting toll
Majesty for defraying the charge thereof duty on
wine, rum, and distilled liquors. and rice imported
into this province" /
I'll Whereas for want of the laws of tliis province
being revised and printed the Magistrates often
at loss how to discharge their duty, and the people
tranSgreSS many of them through want of knowing |
the same Wherefore
II. We pray that 1T mau be eaactea and be Il en- |
acted by his Ercclleacy Gabriel Johnston, by and
tcith the adcce and consent Of his najesys Council
and General Assenbig Of this Prorince and by the |
authority of the same, That the Honorable Edward /
Mosely, Esquire, Samuel Swami, E;1., the Honora-
BILE Enoch Hall, ESD and Mr.. rhomas Barber or the |
majority be and they are hereby nominated and aI)-
pointed commissioners to revise and print the sever
al acts of assembly in force IN this province"
The mutifarous provisions of this early Tariff for
the encouragement and protection of the press, are
comprized in nineteen sections The Commissioners
we're to receive as compensation for their services
$50 each for the labor of compiling and revising the
laws, to be paid in proclamation money For print
ing, binding, lettering and delivering copy to the
Governor for the of the council, to the Gen
eral Assembly, one to the Secretary, to the Gen
sral Court and one to each County Court they were
10 receive Jointly e100, and to have the exclusive
privilege of printing and vending the book during
the term OF live years, at price not exceeding ff
zen shillings per COPY TO raise the contemplated
expenditure duty Of three pence Eer gallon on each
gallon fwine, rum, and distilled liquors, and three
hiHings and four pence each 100 lbs of rice I'M
ported was relied upon.
Liberal as these provisions would seem to have
1een, they did not suffice to accomplish the great
purpose for which they were designed. The 18th
chapter OF the Acts, passed in 174S recites that
IVY hereas, the revising and printing of the laws
IF this province, though very much wanted and
lcsred, hath hitherto met with unexpected delay:
Cor remedy whereof" &c. &c.
The Act proceeds to confine the compensation Of
EGO to the Commissioner OF Commissioners who NAV
ctualy perform the labor of rcvisa! gives an add
ional allowance of 40 to procure able oerk or
Jerks to expedite the same, and increases the sum
or which the books may be sold to 20S In 1749 /
Chap Ill, We lind IAN Act for the encouragement
f James Davis to set up and carry on his business
printer in this province and for other purposes
herein mentioned" He required to reside in !
Sew-Berne, and ito print with the same type with
which his petition now before the House is printed"
ne speeches and addresses at the opening of each
ession, the journals and proceedings of the House
,urgesses, anda copy of the laws, for each member
fthe council and the Assembly for each clerk of the
assembly, for thegenera court, and county court,
nd each justice Of the peace in this province in con-
Iteration of all which he to receive the yearly
alary of 9160proeamation money.
These provisions appear to have been effectua for
lartin informs us, (VoLH p. 80 that "a printing
ress was this year (l749D imported into the Prov ,
ice, and set up at New-Berne by James Davis from
rgnia this was valuable acquisition for hitherto
he want of establishment ofthis kind was severe
felt; the copies of the laws being all manuscript
ere necessarily very scarce, and it is likely faulty
nd Inaccurate. ~ ,
The settlement of Mr.. Davis in New Berne was
1cceeded but not until after interval of about
years by the publication of the greatly needed
nd long expected rcvisa of the Laws The task of i
vision seems to have been performed by two ofthe
ur Commissioners appsnted by the Act of 1746,
OIL Edward Mosely and Samuel Swami Esq. The
tier of these gentlemen, learn from the dedj-
alton, to Governor Johnston, alone survived the