Newbern weekly progress., 1860-12-25
THE UNION DISSOLVED F.!
LATEAND IMPORTANT FROM SOUTH
CAROLINA


MOUSLY!
The News Received all over the City with
Loud Cheers!
CHARLESTON Dec. 2O.-The Convention was
opened with prayer to-day, after which the
roll was called and the journal read.
A resolution was offered, inviting the Mayor
of Charleston to a seat on the floor of the Con-
vention. 1t was amended by including the
Governor of the State, the President of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House. In this
form it was passed.
The chair announced the appointment of a
committee to draw up summary of the causes
for the secession of North Carolina and also
four standing committees.
Mr. Rhett offered resolution for the ap-
pointment of Committee of Thirteen for the
purpose of providing for the assemblage of a
| convention of the seeding States, and to form
a constitution. Adopted.
Mr. Ingles made report from the committee
to prepare and draft an Ordinance proper to be
adopted by the convention The Ordinance is
as follows:
''An Ordinance to dissolve the Union be-
tween the State of South Carolina and the 9th
er States united with her under the compact en-
| titled THE Constitution Of the United States
! of America"
eve, the people of the State of South Caro-
! lina in Convention assembled, do declare and
ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained
that the Ordinance adopted by us in cenven-
ton, on the 23d day of May, in the year of our
Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty
| eight, whereby the Constitution of the United
States of America was ratified; and also all
! acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly
of this State and amendments of the said Con-
stituton, are hereby repealed, and that the
Union now subssting between South Carolina
and the other States, under the name of the
| United States of America, is hereby dissolved" ."
PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE.
The Ordinance was taken up and passed bv
a unanimous vote of 169-all the members vot-
! ing.
The passage took place at precisely quar-
ter past o'clock, p. N.
As soou the passage of the Ordinance
was known outside the doors of the Convention,
the tidings spread rapidly all over the city, and
a great crowd collected in the vicinity of Seces-
sion Hall. Immense cheering ensued.
! Mr.. Miles moved that the clerk telegraph
to members of Congress at Washington, that
the Ordinance had passed, and the motion was
unanimously carried.
! Mr.. Dessaure offered the following:
| Resolred, That the Secession Ordinance be
/ engTossed on parchment under the direction of
! the Attorney General and signed by the Presi-
dent and members this evening at Institute
Hall, and that it be placed among the archives
of the State.
hour to proceed to Institute Hall, for the pur-
pose of signing the document.
Mr.. Magrath said: think the special mat
| ter Of the Ordinance should be Immediately
considered According to my understanding,
there is no Collector of a port, nor is there a
Postmaster in South Carolina. What you
have done to-day, has eXtinguished the authori-
| ty of every man in South Carolina deriving his
authority from the General Government
am in favor Of this body making such proyis-
ional arrangements as may be necessary in the
interval which will exist between shis movement
and the time at which the Legislature may ect
[ am not, however, to be implicated as sanction
ing the idea that there is lawful authority
within the limits Of the State except that of the
! General Government.
Mr. Gregg, of Richland, said: After South
Carolina has abrogatcd the CONSTITUTIONS OF tir
United States arc its laws still OF force?
think not. All laws Of Congress fall i.;t;,n'l.
20 thc ground on the passage Of the act o. *
cuSSion
MI CIrecvcs: An immense cilasm has beyI.
/ made n the law. 1t Is necessary to avoid III
/ convenience 70 the people, and We must there
fore, make temporary arrangements for carry
!ng on the government.
Mr. Gregg: There is now no law On t'.r
subject of tie collection Of duties IN South
! tuuiiaa- We haze now acconsnIiSed the work
. for which every SOL of EaTohHa has been la
boring ior foI y years.
Mr. iIayne--fhe Congress Of the United
States is 10 longer our Government 1t Will
be for our Legislature to say what laws of the
United States shall be continued and wha
not. The simple act of Secession does not
abrogate all laws. We have great many
laws on the statute books, which were passed
by the Governor and Privy Council
Mr.. Gregg--The Congressional laws for the
collection of revenue are for the support of the
Federal Government at Washington !; and all
postofice laws fall on our dissolution with that
Government.
Mr. Miles We have to deal with stern faith
and realities, and must prevent confusion, an
archy and arrangement of our Government af-
fairs Things must, for the present remain In
St0tu qU0, OF great confusion will arise.
Mr.. Ifayne deemed sudden action injurious
Mr.. Chestnut: There are two questions in
vowed, viz: power and duty We must pre-
serve our people, not only from inconvenience,
hut chaotic condition. We must revIvIfy
such laws as will best preserve Us from such
calamities AS to duty ask, will you send
the ship of State adrift, regardless of what be-
comes ofthe officers
Mr.. Mazyck; There is no duty for the Col
ector of the Port to do, The postoffice should
be swept off. My opinion is, that the present
system of postal arrangements is nuisance
The public are better served by private parties.
Between cities ike PMladelpna ana New
York, the postage should be cent instead
of three. Less important places it should be
ten or more
Mr.. Calhoun: We have pulled down tenn
pie which has been built for three-quarters of
a century, We must now clear away the rub
bish, and reconstruct another. We are now
houseess and homeless and we must secure
ourselves from approaching storm.
Mr. Duncan! If the Ordinance be passed
things will go on in the Custom House and
Postoffice exactly as now, until other arrange
ments are made by this Convention, There is
nothing in the Ordinance to affect the dignity,
honor and welfare OF the State of South Carroll
ma. We must keep the wheels of government
going,
Mr.. Withersi The Constitution of the Uni
ted States is not entirely abrogated by the Or
dinance. What is a lei gal tender in the pay
ment of debts? Is it not gold and silver coin
of the United States? In the case Of clearing
our entry of vessels, we are very likely to have
the same confscated
Mr., Carol: The present revenue offices,
if filed, would be continued until the act ofthe
Legislature authorized otherwise.