Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-02-07
From the Daily Journal, ,aist ult.

We received telegraph last evening from Ralelg' !
stating that the convention bill had passed. We pre-
sumo that it is now law and that the two houses have
arranged their differences and united bill which
is not precisely that of the House that OF the Senate
as originally passed
kilograms since received, and published under the
proper head show that the bill passed essentially tne
Senate bill. When we receive an exact copy OF the
bill, as passed, we will publish it in full.
There are certain points in the bills passed originally
as well as in that passed last evening to which 1t is
proper to call the attention of the public at once and
these are the facts first that the day of election
to boxes are to be~opened at each precinct IN the
several counties of the State. That in Of these
boxes shall be deposited the ballots for persons to repre-
sent the county in the State conveDon such persons to
be equal in number to the number of members to which
the county is entitled on the floor of the House of Com
mons thus New Hanover being entitled to two Com
moners will be entitled two delegates to the conven-
ton; Duplin two; Sampson, two; Brunswick, one :;
Columbus, one Bladen, one Onsow, one; Wayne,
two and so on In the other box to be opened at the
same time and place. be deposited ballots marked
\" Convention or "No Convention" the person
voting may prefer.
the bill passed agrees with the bill first passed
by the Senate in fixing Feb 2lst the day for holding
the election there really time to be lost as the
election would thus precisely On this day three
weeks We give all fair notice. Convention and anti
Convention men, of this fact There only eighteen
working days in which to act aid organize, and bring
ont candidates We thus call attention to this matter,
because think it right that no snap-udgment should
be taken by any party where such important interests
are involved, and where ull and free expression Oh
opinion is so much to be desired to prevent dis
satisfaction in the future.
We have so often urged upon Legislature and
upon our feow-cizens the necessity and proprety OF
holding Convention, that it may be regarded as an
act of supererogaon for to ourselves adj
vocates of the " Convention " ticket Indeed, with
some few and comparatively unimportant exceptions, all
the meetings which have been held hroug State
though differing in other respects and upon other points,
have recommended the holding of Convention, and
urged upon our Legislature to call These being
the facts we trust that no issue will be made against
the meeting of Convention, which is so necessary
to satisfy public expectation, give expression to public
opinion and direction to public policy But it is never
safe take anything for granted and we desire most
earnestly to press upon the attention OF all who 60 TO
the polls to vote for candidates for delegates, that to
give effect to their votes for such candidates. they must
also vote for Convention since without COnven
ton " being voted, be held, and the whole cleo
ton be farce only ridiculous than that celebrated
movement Of the King of France, who, with forty thou
sand men, marched up the hill, and then marched down
again. We trust that shall not sultify ourselves
at the ballobox 1t would subject the State to some
thing worse than ridlcule
As for the candidates for election delegates from
the several counties that will be matter of for
the in such countless will also be the mode and
manner oil bringing out candidates About these things
we have our notions but do not Tor bring
ing them forward now, lest unintentionally we might
say something that might be understood as having
partzan toue or as calculated to impart such tone to
the elections.
We wish TO call attention to some of the conditions OF
the Senate Bill No. 49, which in all essential particu-
lars is no doubt that which was finally passed last
ing. Sections and 3 enact that the statement OF
the polls Tor " Convention or No Convention shall
be forwarded the Governor of the State In the
as the returns the vote for Presidential cleo
tors and opened and compared by him in presence Of
the Secretary of the State, public treasurer and comp
troler, and if it shall appear that majority of votes
have been cast for Convention, then he shall issue his
proclamation to the members elected to such Conven-
ton to meet in Raleigh such day he may desig
nate 10 his proclamation Provided, that the day desg
mated shall not be earlier than the eleventh of March
If majority Of votes be against Convention, then the
Governor shat proclaim that fact and there shall be no
Convention.
Section 9th provides that the Convention shall have
power to consider all grievances affecting North Carroll
ma q member Of the conIederacy Section 10th en-
that all the ordinances Of the Convention shall be
submitted to the people for ratification. Section 18th
provides that each member of tie Convention shall take
oath that he will not do any act contrary to the act
of the General Assembly, under which the Convention
is called.
Apparently the bill is guarded enough, and, nay be.
too much for efficiency. At any rate we think it
trusts the people" as fully as bill could do, and
therefore do not see well how its neution in calling
Convention be opposed by any who are willing to
do so.
We will print any number of Convention - tickets,
which may be had at this Office, sent through the
mail.
P. SIT seems that the election is not 10 be held
until the 28h day of February four weeks from to-day
instead of the 2lst, which would have been three
weeks. The Convention cannot possibly meet before
the middle OF March,
! A COOP TME-Our special Reporter mot our regu-
lar one informs that yesterday about noon or per-
haps little later, pleasant crowd of citizens might
have been and perhaps heard in the cabin of the
New Steamship North Carolina where they assembled
at the hospitabe invitation of E. A. Keith Esq., agent
of the ne and did then and there drink to the health
the Ship, the Captain the Agent the Old North State
the. Steamship Company, and the Present Company
to wit ther-honorable selves.
What more done we have not been able to learn