Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-12-17


On the question of agreeing to the resolution,
Mr.. ALLEN said: When this matter was made the
special order for Thursday, it was adjourned over
to Tuesday at my suggestion and at the request
of several gentlemen who had not had time to read
the report. When it came up on Tuesday, the
suggestion was made that it had better lie over
for another year, rather than come to O direct
vote at that time. At the earnest soliciton of
good many, had concluded toabide by it, though
had voted against the postponement, without
remark, very reluctantly. | supposed that the
question would not again come up, but under the
resolution of the Hon. gentleman from York to
print $500 copies of the report, which had met
with considerable opposition from those who were
opposed to re-opening the trade, the question was
examined, and brought before the Senate in its
original form, and that wished this Senate not
to take the position of former bodies in dellbera-
ting on the question Of the slave trade and slavery
by showing great confusion on the subject i'll our
counses, and by showing a want Of confidence IN
our great institution at the South, but by showing
that we are firmly and irrcvocably attached to our
institution; that we having inherited it from sew
eral generations as IN heir loom, are now disposed
to stand by it-frmly attached, under every as
pect, from the days of the delivery of the Deca-
logue through every epoch of civilized freedom to
the Roman civil law down to the earliest history
of the settlements of South Carolina, by Sir John
Berkly and the Duke of Clarendon, protected by
statutes of the British Parliament and the statutes
of South Carolina, and by the Federal constitu-
ton, up to the present time; that this Legislature
represented the institution of slavery and oil its
products; that the institution Of slavery was
stronger now than it ever had been before in s.
Carolina, in the Federal Union, in England and
France, and the civilized world that this was not
a time to blink the subject, or to dodge it, but to
look it full in the face Senator then read an cx-
tract from the Southern Patriot in reply to the re-
ception of a speech from his friend C.. w. Miller,
delivered ut Wylde Moore in Barnwell District
on the re-opening of the African slave trade, in
which that traffic was denounced by its editor as
'inhuman and uncvized," whilst lie himself is
member of slave-hoding constituency. Now,
the Federal Constitution guarantees the liberty OF
speech and the freedom of thought upon all sub
jects, but is this a subject of free discussion in
South Carolina? l. for one, take this subject IN
all its bearings, on the ground that If the trade IN
slaves is "inhuman and uncivilized, so is the pos
session of the institution itself l. for one, would
not hold slaves if I considered the interstate
slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa
to this country as being immoral, unjust or un-
ton. We were committed to its policy, and had
the advantage of knowledge of the Gospel-light
and truth upon our side, and that was astonish-
ed to witness this manifestation of feeling in this
conservative branch of the General Assembly Of
South Carolina, and that therefore, / hoped that
this resolution offered by my Honorable friend,
Mr.. McCaw, of York would be sustained.
The Senate sent to the House Bill authorizing
the United States to purchase sufficient quantl-
ty of land in Columbia for the erection of Post
Office and Court House. 1t was passed by the
House and returned to the Senate. There was
warm discussion in the House on the Banks. Mr.
PERRY offered resolution appointing FIVE mem
bers to take into consideration the whole matter
of banking including Bills and Resolutions before
the House. II was referred to the Committee Of
the Whole. The House then resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Perry addressed the Committee at some
length on the resolutions he had offered. From
the course of the debate he was afraid we were in
the midst of legislative panic upon this question.
He had heard members denounce the banks for
misconduct and for nefarious traffic, yet he had
heard it said that we must not touch these banks,
else ruin would follow. He would not say let the
ruin come, but he would let the issue come and
have the question tested.
The value of the crops had been mentioned.-
He believed we had crops on hand amounting in
round numbers to $50, 1000, 900 and yet we are
held at the mercy of the banks. He argued that
with our crops we could buy the banks three times
over Yet it is averred that We are dependent on
the banks. We are told that our crops cannot 60
to market without we suspend the penalties OF
the net of 1910 and permit the hanks to initiate
the circulation. A friend from Charleston had
said that there was not failure in that city from
suspension, and it was we'll known that there was
less suing and less Indebtedness than was ever
known.
In the Senate on Saturday Mr.. McCAw offered
the following resolutions, which were considered
and Immediately agreed to:
Resolrsd, That this General Assembly highly
appreciates the patriotic and meritorious Conduct
of gallant son of South Carolina, Major D ii.
Hill, late of the United States Army, as c"nspicu-
ousy displayed in the engagements Mt Monterey,
Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco,
Chapultepec, and the Garita San Cosme, in the
war between the United States and Mexico.
Resolved, That his Excellrncy, the Governor, be
requested 10 procure sul'apIe smoru ahu W Pic
sent the same on behalf of this State, rs a testi'
monial of the estimation in which she holds this
di distinguished officer.
In the House, after protracted distracted .
discussions, the bill relating to the suspension Of
specie was ordered to the Senate by vote of 5.
yeas to Al nays. 1t provides that the Act of lS4C
be suspended until the 1st January, ls59--re'
moves the restriction as to paying out the bills Of
other banks-and that no execution shall be en-
forced on judgments obtained by banks not pay
ing specie-thc debtor, however, paying Interest
every sixty days, at per cent per annum
Messrs. BLACK, CHAMBERS, and WHYTE voted
for; Mr.. MOORE against the bill. 1t is uncertain
what action the Senate will take on it.