Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-03-16
The Standard.
AID VALoREM TAXATION.

dne S1aA0ar0.
AID VALoREM TAXATION.
SPEECH OF MR.. BLEDsoE,
OF WAKE
Delivered in the Senate Of North Carolina, on til,
18th Of January, 1859, on the bill to alter tn
Constitution 20 as to enable tho General Assembl,
to equalize taration.
Mr. Speaker, the bill to alter the constitution o.
North Carolina, now under consideration, was in
troduced, as is declared upon its face for the pur
pose of enabling the general assembly to equalze
taxation upon all the citizens and property in thu
State in proportion to the protection enjoyed unde,
the government. Under the amended constitution
the general assembly cannotequalize taxation upon
all the property, without imposing an onerous and
unreasonable tax upon polls.
The convention of 1885 so amended the consti
tuition as to require the legislature to lay an equal
capitation tax upon all the "subects of capitation
tax throughout the State" thereby placing slaves
In reference to taxation, upon equal footing with
white men, and granting to the owners of slave
property partial immunity from taxation, at the
expense and to the great detrment of the owners o.
every other species of property.
desire, Mr.. Speaker, to remove from the consti.
tuition this restriction upon the general assembly,
in reference to taxation in order that those who
joy the protection and blessings of the government
may be made to contribute their just and equitable
share to its support Iregard this restriction in
the amended constitution and the inequality and IN
justice of the revenue laws of North Carolina which
are the result of that restriction, incompatible
with the great principle of democratic republican
and the government established fthat restriction,
which was an Invocation upon the eonstitution Of
oar fathers is incompatible with the principles up
on which the government was established, that
alone if there were other furnishes . sufficient
reason for the passage of this bill
In establishing the position which have assumed,
it is proper that should advert to the circumstan-
ces under which the constitution was framed and
the government established, in order to clear I'M
derstandng of the objects designed to be accom-
plished by those who originated and organized it
We are assembled here to day, under the provis-
ions Of constitution protesting to have been framed
by the representatives of the people by the author
ity Of the people, for the benefit of the people, and
adopted by them as the organic law of the State
Then the question arises did those who framed the
constitution, under the provisions of which the
Senate is now in session, have the right to set up
government for their mutual and equal protection
and benefit? Those who at all familiar with the
history of the government of North Carolina, will
recollect that in the year 1775 portion of the peo
pie of the State assembled in the town of Charlotte
and passed the following resolutions:
That the people of Meckleuburg county do here.
by dissolve the political bands which have connected
the mother country and hereby ahsolve ourselves from all
allegiance to the British Crown, and abjure all political
connection contract association with that nation who
nave "antony trampled on rights and liberties and
mhumany shed the blood of American patriots at Lex
ingt"n.
"That we do hereby declare ourselves free, indie
pendent people, are and of right ought to be- sovereign
and se'fgOvenng association, under the control of no
power than that of GOO and the General Govern
men OF the Congress to the maintenance of which indie
honor" ''1 '"' n''S' s~''e1
is thus shown that the people not only threw off
the British yoke, but declared their independence
OF al! other governments, and asserted the great
principles OF popular sovereignty and democratic
republican equality upon which the government
was established. But Mr.. Speaker, the resolutions
winch have just read do not furnish the only evil
dence that this restriction is incompatible with the
principles OF our government and subversive of the
objects contemplated by the trainers of the constitu
ton. invite the attention of the Senate to the LIST
ID Sd and 21st sections of the declaration of rights
which read as follows:
That all political power is vested in and derived
The people of th. State ought to have the ,o,.
right OF regulating the internal police and
That no man or set Of are entitled to exclusive
or separate emoumens or privileges from the community
W. i" S,i"iuctotiOn OF pu0llc ServlceA
That frequent recurrence to fundamental n,;r.;
liberty" '' '"e dressings o'
These sections from the declaration of rights. and
winch are declared to be part of the constitution
Sao" eonciuslvely that the government was estab-
sneo oy the people, in the exercise of that soyer.
eiSn power which is "Svested in and derived from
the people only" 1t has not, and I presume will
not be denied by any Senator upon this floor that
the people had the right to frame constitution and
organize government for themselves in 1776
Ihey not only had the right but in the exercise Of
that sent their representatives to the Congress
mat assembled in the town of Halifax in i776
wh'cn nameo the constitution under which the gov
eTnment OF North Carolina was organized That
congress not only framed the constitution but left
US perpetual record of the notiue, bv which thew
were actuated; the reasons by which they were in.
nnenced; the authority under which they acted
ana the purposes for which the constitution was
Jromea and the government established.
Inc General Assembly is in session TO-DAY under
tne consultation or form of government agreed to
ana resotoed upon by the representatives of the free
"se OF tne STATE OF North Carolina elected and clio
sen ior that particular purpose in Congress Assem-.
bled, at Halifax the 18th day of December. in the
year Of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and
seventy-six. The preamble to the constitution ia.
ciares that Whereas allegiance and protection mr.
IN tnear nature reciprocal, and the one should NJ
ngnt % refused when the other is Withdrawn. And
whereas, George the Third, King of Great Britain.
ana late sovereign Of the British American Colonies
natn not only Withdrawn from them bis protection
out oy an act Of the British Legislature, declared
tee inhabitants of these States out of the protection
OF the British Crown, and all their property found
upon the high seas liable to be seized and conf,sca
teo 70 the uses mentioned in the said act And ~.
SAID George the Third has also sent fleets and
to prosecute cruel war against them, for the
purpose Of reducing the inhabitants Of the said
colonies to state Of abject slavery. In conse.
9uence whereof all governments under the ss;d
Amg within these said colonies, hath ceased, and
~. .o'sl dissolution Of government in many q
tnem hath taken place. And whereas the continents.
congress having considered the premises and otbe.
pf A%e Violations ss Of the Of the good people
teen united colonies are Of right wholly sbso i
nom al allegiance to the British Crown. or .nv
otner foreign jursdction whatsoever; and that ths
saia colonies now are and forever shall be- free and
n% s States; wherefore, in our present
Ssss ~ ordsr to prsesnt anarchy and eoa.on !;
..hs;.S necessary that government should be e.
0OllSne0 IN this State. tAer.fn.. an. n w SS