Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-12-16

ted some Of the evils pointed out by Mr. Edney but
thought that when magistrates were paid reason
ng) the lists of taxables would be more carefully
taken The duty now imposed on sheriffs was not
complained of in his section and he considered the
bill a great innovation without sufficient cause
Mr.. Donnel was opposed to the creation of new
set of officers without urgent necessity. In view of
frauds he opposed to unite the lister and the COL
lector in person. 1t destroyed the system of
checks, and was dangerous as inviting frauds. II
the magistrates were not fit to take the lists they
were the last men to be entrusted with the appoint
ing power. One man could not do the whole work;
besides, the other duties of sheri in most counties
would not pay, and no decent man. fit for the Office,
could be induced to take it. without the income from
collections of revenue. If the revenue was going
down valuation went up, the fault was not in the
sheriff. he merely collected the amount of the tax
list
Mr.. Edney One of the first duties of the sheriff |
was to discover unlisted property.
Mr.. Donnell If the property was not listed how |
did the Senator find out that the revenue did not
keep pace with it?
Mr.. Edney. That is not the question Mr. E. |
pursued the matter at length, and replied to the
gument of Mr.. Worth. In conclusion he said the
rule proposed had been adopted by many neighbor-
ing States and had worked we'll
Mr.: Turner said this was call for regiment of |
$50 officeholders- would be the result of the
BILL though it did not provide for them He did not
deny there were local grievances but that was no
five per cent. was ample pay for collectors. Some
of our sheris made more money out of it than some
of our Judges received salary. Taxes were in
creased every year, and still the same per centage
was paid. If this was wrong, reduce the commits
sons. The practice alluded to by Mr. Edney of ap-
pointing tax collectors had worked confusion in 9TH
er States. Our system was palmer and eficacious
as the other If men did not give in all their taxa
bic property they were guilty of perjury and would
go to hell-and he, Mr. S., did not suppose the bill
now before Senate proposed worse punishment
& odd laughter) He would vote against the
bill
Mr.. Gorre followed also in opposition to the BILL
If the election of sheriffs by the people were the
of all this trouble the law had better be re-
pealed The effect of the proposed change would be
to reduce the office ofsherff to level with that of
constable, and corresponding effect on the charac-
ter of the law ITSELF would be the result
The question on the passage of the bill was then
| taken, and resulted in its rejection
SUPREME COURT JUDGE.
Mr.. Houston from the committee appointed to
correspond with Hon. Thos Rufin on the subject of
his election to the Supreme Court bench laid before
| the Senate the correspondence which had taken
place; from which it appeared that Judge Ruffn had
accepted the appointment.
Mr.. Houston moved that the correspondence be
sent to the House, with proposition that it be
spread on the journals of both branches of the AS
sembly. Concurred in
| COUNTY CLINGMAN.
The consideration of the bill to establish the
county of Clingman, being the special order,
now resumed, the bill being its second reading
| Mr. Edney offered farther amendment, provid-
ing that the proposed county should not be entitled
to representative till she had the requisite popu-
lation, and not only that but the counties from
| which it proposed to take the new county
should also have the requisite population.
Mr.. Edney said he offered this amendment to test
the Senators whose opposition based the idea
Of population as it effected representation.
Mr.. Steele vas not going to trouble the Senate
again on this question; but having made a state
ment relative to the population of the counties af
fected by the bill, upon the accuracy of which he
had staked his reputation, and that pledge had
been published in one of the papers of this City, he
considered it his bounden duty to make it good.
In order to do this he had again extracted the fig
ures from the .. S. census, upon which his former
assertion founded in the presence of two men,
bers of the Senate, and the result just he
had stated it before with the difference of only tire
in one of the numbers-that is, he had stated the
number to be five less than it was.
Mr.. Edney did not question the correctness of Mr..
SteeleS statements.
Mr.. Steele wished to show that he was right and
the Senator from Henderson wrong Mr.. Steele
then reiterated the statements made by him in the
former discussion this bill relative to the popula
ton of the several counties and in conclusion said
that when he stated thing tact, the Senator
might be sure he (Mr s. was not far wrong, and
he cautioned Mr.. Edney to be careful in dsputing
his figures.
Mr. Edney twitted Mr.. Steele on his admontions
to caution and retored upon that Senator by say
ing thai after all his caution and his boasts of accu
racy, his (Mr. Steeles) statement was not correct
according to his own showing, as he had admitted
an error of toe.
Mr.. Steele appealed to Mr.. Edney if an error of
| five in several thousand was worthy of notice?
Mr.. Edney. In question of boosted accuracy it
is otherwise he would not have noticed it. Here this
part of the discussion dropped with good feeling.
The debate on the main question was then contin-
ued by Messrs. Edney, Pool and Donnell but as it
turned upon the constitutional law of the question:
it is deemed unnterestng to the general reader and
therefore omitted
Mr.. Edney moved an adjournment, for the pur-
pose of taking the opinion of leading lawyers on
some disputed points.
Mr.. Cunningham demanded the ayes and noes
, The motion was rejected-2S to 16
The debate was then resumed for some time.
The question was then taken on the amendment
offered by Mr.. Edney, and decided in the negative
aye Is, no 80, as follows
For the Observation-Disclosures Battle, Boyd, Brown,
| Carmichael, Dobson, Edney, Gilmore, Houston,
Lane, Martini Mills Renhardt and Thomas-13
against the amendment.-Messrs. Basnight, Bled-
soc, Blount, Cherry, Cowper, Cunningham, David
son. Davis billiard, Donnell Douthitt Flanner, Cor
Pitchford, Pool, Ramsay, Speght, Steele Straughn,
l Taylor, Turner, Walkup, Ward Whitaker and
Worth-3O
{ THE question of law involved in the discussion
may be summed up thus: W. as population an indis
pensable necessary in the establishment Of coun
ties Has the Legislature power to establish coun.
ties for municipal and local purposes without regard
to representation; and if the Legislature has the
power to erect and abolish countless has it not the
power to restrict and restrain in their establishment
' Mr. Edney denied the first and maintained the sec
e ond and third propositions, and Messrs Pool an0
/. Donnell were opposed to Mr.. Edney's views
d Mr.. Thomas now got the floor, and as he desired
Q to deain the Senate for time the merits O
the BILL he moved for adjournment till 10 o'clock
;. tomorrow. Agreed to, and the Senate adjourned.