Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-17
REMARKS OF DIR. S..A. WILLIAMS


The bill just read was introduced by my ~,
que, MIR. Jenkins after the untavorable r.,o oea-
by the Judiciary Committee OH a resolution "ae
duced by me suggesting the prupriety OF eI,ci;O
law requiring ali sellers of spurious LIQUORS
oath IN open Court not to violate any OF tb. 'Nt
the General Assembly ia reference to s.iIin "e@ Of
uous liquors to Slaves. had hoped AIR sI "Plit
when offered that resolution and moyed IL e"AyF
ence, that We should have had tavoratsa .N-
thereon; but the action of that Con1n;t, ePUt
doomed myself and the public generally ia Il DSS
polntment. say the pubic, from the far, sap
have yet to hear the first individual either i, |
OF this body express any opposition TO tIr or '
nIent Of such iaw-styc tue members of Inn '
mittee to whom it referred Sir th.. -; "'
OF those who sent me mere, aye sir, the iut.r'
every S:ayc-owIer IN North Carolina gIila,,i -,
law. And should the bill now under coj,,,,t.r,
become 4 law, the puonc viii owe NV tr,r,,,, |
colleague, neavy uvbL OF gratitude. It is I'm, I
Speaker, lnat some subjects ueuIaAd and r -
more attention i'll Legislative bo,lirs than ,, ,s
but SIR, L DO KNOW Thai tne.mcmbers of TINS ti,,
Assembly Will agree with me, WHEN assert r,.f ~
blliS should receive greater Snare oil atlr,, "
than thUse, the express oDJcct of winch is Inc I,b
lection of one OIL the largest anu at the Saluu t,,
one OF tile most important IaX-paylng lnI,r.,-1
North Carolina. T"e BIZ beiUIv US !, ,,
one of this character, whetner We 1t IN rriaT
to the amount ot taxes paid Oh or Tia, INN,
bur OF individuals omBIDg them. la Ioukil,g nv,
the Gomptro.iers report To this Legislature / find
the numUcr oil slaves iii This oLatc, to DC u,,sI
three hundred Thousand, and cyd, nee If :,
Importance OF tins interest tue report OF the f,,,
committee to TINS ituuse, ana winch report we n,r
adopted proposes 10 raisc 10y the tax slaves .r
ly ninety Thousand dollars Tnc County of N a,,
MI Speaker, DIS Wei as the i've adjoining col,ia
feel deep interest the SUCCESS Ul this iud .r,
tue tact, tina ITO six counties contain more sayr
Sir, " arren las slave pUpu.atIon OF cigLt t,n,,
sand, eight hundred anu evenly, Nash Las >.,o
population OF nIarty tive thousand, franklin u,.r
iy SIX thousand, haiIiaX hearty nInc thousand and
G.aIrvc ncariy Mic thousand. he aggregate hum
Der of slaves la these six Is IT, 6U3, indeed On.
sixth part OF tho S ave opu alton ot \. &. 50 yvu
perceive that my section vi tine STATE feels VERY
deep interest III any tnIng which affects the say
population of the State. by reference 10 the in.
crease of Slaves III North Cago.iIa, / md that II.
rate per cent Of increase 10: ten years has ficn of
very materially. From 1880 10 1850 a pcrlod Of
forty years the increase Tor ten years. Was twypiy
live per cent, but from 1850 u IolU d Irriod ,f
twenty years the rae OF increase Tor Yeas Is
barely ni,e per cent. 1t is true that several caus
es have brought about this decrease, but unGc.
take to say that one cause has contributed more
to the essening OF the figures tilan tic eI
cessive use OF siirituGus liquors.
1t is true. NJ ;aker, Thai SOM sections Of this
S, ate do not CONTAIN as ..any avs Us M parucI-
lar Sec i'm bat this no reas IN WY their repe-
upon this Jor shoul4 not appFeciata ur
grievances ami ltud us u n- png nand c0rrectia,
them. Slaves Sir, i'll one scnar, are the propcrIyy
North Carolna, and 1t bcnouycs this Leg Stature lii
e II si it # justice 10 them that OWN tn IN requires
mat we Snodid throw around them every Necessary
and wholesome protection. North Carolina haS
aun ched out into Il magnificent system of internal
improvements, and without stopping just here to
say whether voted tor these improvements Or not,
one thing at least looks prominently i'll this face
hat the State d bt hereby incurred is to be paid
very great measure by the taxes slaves.
Mr.. Speaker, this not the first effort made in
his House 10 protect the slave interest Of North
Iarolina. Some time since bill was mtroducedtO
prohibit the sale Of spiruous liquors to free negroes
md the same article by free negroes to slaves; and
strange yes remarkable to say, it received its quiet
Is by very large vote against it. 1t is hot my
purpose to say any thing not strictly in CONNECTION
With this subject, but sir, of all the which
'ur slave population is herr to, none are more Oh
us and seriously injurious than that of their a>s0cj
ting and conmngilng with free negroes, the lneFl-
ahe tendency Of which is to corrupt their morals
nd habits, and instiil in them spirit of insuJOId-
aton. In addition, TO protect slaves from the
xccssive use OF spirtuouS liqeurS, am for throw
ng around our free negroes every restriction that
he Constitution of my State and the laws Of hum%n-
all possibly Justify. 1t is fact admitted knO"n
o every member upon this floor, that jug liquor
hops, together with every kind of establishment,
he owners o which sell liquor to slaves in vic
alton of the Acts of the General Assembly se1-
usiy injurious to them, which injuries frequent
J developed in tbs form of lnculable dSeasts
nay be contCnded By some that the fine PROPOSE
this bill $4,000 is too high, and that good manE
OnV!ctCu under THIS act would be rendered penny
IS. Sir it is pleasing election with that TIE
anne CAUSES and reasons which would drive dishoE-
st and unlawful vendors from violating the lax
Iould give to honest and lawful dealers in the
ne profits which every slave owner is perfectly vii
ng for them TO make. Another fact known to eve
one Is that the largest amount of injury done to
ur slaves is 10y those dealing in spirItIous liquors
hose capital does not exceed fifty dollars, and az
with pleasure that one of the main effects
passing this bill is to put down and perfectly al
lhilate these small and contemplate snkhoIes Of
ice and iniquity.
The bill provides that the amount obtained by
under this is to go to the support d
lie free SCHOOLS i'll the County i'll which the cJHTc
ion Is made, which is additional reason TO give
lvor and support i'll the House. | would a'iTo-
ate the principle, Mr.. Speaker, that should DO
vii that good may come out of it, will the ope-
atoms OF such law as we propose warrant any E
hing Of the kind. But sir, if carrying out tho
lws of the State in good faith brings about any
lch result, neither Christianity morality should
held responsible for violating any correct moral
rincipie. 1t is to be hoped that convictions under
ais act, should it become the law of the land, will
c few and far between but when they do come, let +
he putting down and crushing out of the evil 60 to
lie building up and advancing the great cause OF
iucaton in this State repayIng i'll measuIOi9T
he amount OF evils and injuries inflicted. wouu
.inark here that do not advocate this bill because
am opposed to more stringent enactments, but siT
ecause l am fully convinced from present and paS'
ldcations as thrown out in this House during Inc y
resent session. that it is the best thing of the kha
lat we can possibly get through this General Az E
,mby
In conclusiou as see my time has nearly run out
trust may be permitted to differ with the Juor
airy Committee to the report which they have &
ade my resolution without mourning their Cir +