The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-25


conferred, as follows:
Geaaeuen ofhe House Of Commons:
Iaceept with grateful sensibility the high
and honorable position which has been be-
slowed upon me by your votes. Places of
dignity like this, seats of authority bring
with them responsibility as well as honor.
Whether this responsibility belong to me
as your presiding officer, or whether shall
share it with you as members of this House,
| owe, and you owe to the people CT North
Carolina a duty which trust we are ready
with honest hearts and upright purposes, to
| undertake and Discharge. 1t is not to this
Chair that the public eye will turn as the
sole place of power and energy in our midst.
The sphere of your Speaker is circumscrib-
ed-his duties are plainly marked-yours
is the broad and ample field of legislation.
Yours are the cOunsels, yours the develop
ments, yours the concentrations that will
pass into history. The duties of the Chair
are undertaken not without an appreciation
of the labor and the care that are incident
and peculiar to it; yet in the hope that your
| kindness and cooperation may not be want
ing either to suggest or to aid. Would you
have your rules enforced: would you have
order and decorum preserved; would you
| uphold your dignity; would you make your
deliberations benefcient in result and your
acts powerful for good, ''tO yourselves be
true" Though your Speaker may be clad
with authority; though he may approve
himself to be impartial. firm and watchful !;
| though he may exhibit commendable en-
ergy in arranging and prosecuting the pub
| lie business, vet he must feel that he governs
with little effect if he fail to have your con-
currence. The meeting of the General As
sembly, bringing together As it does, some
| who are familiar, many who are strangers
to each other, yet readily mingling in BROTH
erhood, in sympathy, and in the discharge
of duty, keeps before our eyes the common
interest of US all, and should heighten and
| eniven the affections which are due to our
common mother. We are members here of
sister Counties, not the delegates of rival
families, not the champions or adherents of
mere sections or of factions. While the
first and highest duty of each should be to
his own constituency, exclusiveness and
isolation should be utterly discarded.
The scene before US now is full of sug
gestion. The past with its incidents, its
vicisSitudes, its good and evil fortune is gone,
yet it lives in its remembrances and its ex
perience. The future lies beyond, and faith
and hope are the spirits that bring US
tidings from the unseen land. The present
is ours. We live in the midst of it; yet this
will have but little value if bounded by the
circle of itself. We have aims, aspirations,
desires that 90 upward and onward. The
prospective is part of our thoughts, of our
intellectual being: the present is period
mere point from which we view the broad
expanse of minds domain. Shall we sup
press and stitle this spirit in ourselves, striv-
ing against our nature and constitution! >
Ill L. a., 6
North Carolina is her past! Shall her ca
reer be checked, her glory dimmed ere the
hour of her MONDAY is come! Shall men
grow pale and startled if you speak of pro-
grcss! Shall Legislators shrink from their
convictions, because insidious demagOgues
may fattcr and mislead! Are we content
to fold our arms and say that all is done
which can be done! Examine the depart
mentS of your government and answer is no
reform demanded Is your system of
Courts such as You would have it bel
Though justice be weighed i'll golden scales,
(when it is weighed) is not the laws delIy
a burden more oppressive than any other
burdcn-an i'll of life indeed Is the COM
pensatiOn of our Judges the charm of their
office? Is their number equal to the public
wants! Shall these things be because they
have been! Much has been done. much
may yet be done. Let us then apply our
selves to the duties before us; let US so d.
rect our Legislation that the good of the
people and the honor of the State be pro-
noted; let US bind still closer all our sisters
in their interests, their pride and their af-
fectiOns.
Mr.. Humphrey, of Onslow, nominated
Edward Cantwell, of Wake, as Principal
Clerk of the House of Commons.
Mr.. II. b. Elliott, of Randolph, nominat-
cd Mr.. Baglv, of PasquOtank.
The vote was: For Cantwell 70; for Bag
ly 29.
DIR. w. j. Blow, of Pitt, nominated G..
Howard, of Wilson, for Assistant Clerk.
Mr.. J. w .Crump nominated Mr.. w. H.
Harrison, of Wake.
For Howard 73, for Harrison %.
Mr.. jenkins, of Warren, nominated w.
Webster, of Chatham, as Principal Door
Keeper.
Mr.. Scott, of Guilford, nominated J. H.
Hill, of Randolph.
For Webster 20, for Hill 81.
Mr.. Cansler, of Lincoln, nominated w.
w wright, OF CIedVelanu, as Assistant
DoOr-keeper.
Mr.. Leach, of Davidson, nominated w.
r. Lovill, of Surry.
For Wright "a, for Lovill 35.
Mr.. j. F. Hill, of Stokes, moved that
message be sent to the Senate, announcing
that the House was duly organized and
ready to proceed with the despatch of pub
lie business.
On motion of Mr.. w. Hill, of Halifax, a
committee was appointed to prepare rules
for the government of the House.
On motion of Mr.. Hill, of Stokes, the rules
of the last House of Commons were declar-
ed in force until others were adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Bullock, of Granville,
the House adjourned to Tuesday morning.
IL o'clock.
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