Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-11-30
Message of Governor Vance.
To The Honorable, tie Gtn@fe5
1.,-uyI1qt Of North Car0t

me- IdDILENI 81
r.esing events render your frequent as
.omh,;3e both necessary and a%pproprl-
o+a Various matters demand legislative
action and will | hope receive your spec
DIV consideration. e. Ill
~. under the acc ef lorty-f five years
-, nd WHICH memo were subject to mil
..y dutv-and the exemption act OIL.
.. late session, the militia OF the State,
virtually absorbed In lieu thereof
craated a Guard for Hsme De
go y embracing al, men, not subject 10
r.nscriDtion, from eighteen to tAty years
If ace. Only a very few persons were
c~xensnte0, and power was givan Inc
Governor to excuse Others at h's nIkcre-
lion / found that by refusing Gex-
nrc;ee his discretion and by sEecdNpgI
49, law strictly, | would seriously inter
F'rc With many Of thc most vital indus
trial nnrsuits Of the country, and YET IL
has appeared evident to me mat your
~;,4entjon was only to give me inc po"@
ar to grant exemptions IN ArscolaE
css.e af necessity or great hardship, ana
not to excuse whole classes OF the coAi-
mnnitv, | therefore respectfully recon-
mend that the list of exemptions be e&-
+.nded to such classes as may appear 10
YOU to be Indispensable
Dopbts have arisen as to Whcther !
was your intention to permit the 0""f'
for Tonne Defence to De USED ioF1 PoI
nose Of arresting deserters from Tue 4
NV and aiding in the execution 81 Ia
C33necrint law; and one of our judge
nae decided that the Executive has no
the mower to use them for this purpose
would therefore recommend that III
act organizing the guard be amsnasd J
AZ to invest the Governor with the sHSl
mower over the recent organlzatlo1
was given him ever the militia, so til
tlcrc NAV be ne doubt as to The |rig
full novers of the Executive.
In this connection | also beg /eave
remark ,thatI am fl equsntly enfbarrass
bv cases of apparent conflict Yatwscn t
Executive and Judicial Departments
the State, from which nothing less tn
an authoritative decision oY the Supre
Court can relieve me. An that body 5
but oncs a ysar-tlns osfng now OF
of the greatest momcnt--1t happens t.
many important quesu1us, principe
concerning the liabrsltk Of parties
render military service, kemain long
decided; the public lcrvice, in cor
ouence. suffers, and the Executive Is
o loss to know what ~ bis duty and
law. VI
rytommend, thereaEd1At hat in {
Rrouls cases the GoveaafA session, in (
to ~obsalns1rom eur highsst judicial
bunals a speedy solution of dou
questions, and to give'uniformity t.
decisions of the Judges,
] also recommend, Gentlemen,
earnestly, the restoration Of the S
term of the Superior Courts.
careful observation for the past t
months, | am fully convinced tina
good Of society positively demands
that the abolition of this tern
bean productive Of evil-and that g
evil still will result, if it is not res'
When increasing crime and a gre
disregard of law are rife and at 9
when the Virtuous and the wise ar'
rywhcre fearful that law and orde
in danger of overthrow, that we S
remove the law further from the I
sounds strangely. 1t should not b.
But to restore the courts will in
the necessity of increasing the SAIL
O the Judges. 1t is VIGOROUSLY so
quats now, that | presume no one
object to its increase. This may
fectsd by taxing %suitors, &c, witho
creasirS perceptibly the burthens {
people.
Your attention is also invited
much Of the legislation of Congre
provides for the disposal by sequ
ton, &C., Of real estate in North G
ma. Very serious doubts are widel
tsrtained as to the power of Congr
dispose Of lands lying within the
of this State. 1t need not be denie'
the power to declare war confers
the Confederate Government the ri
declaring lands held by alien enen
be vacant. 1t is thought, however
upon such cacancy the right of the
as original grantor or representa-
such grantor, necessarily interver
breach of the condition annexed to
grant having occurred. Very hig
thoritics consider that it is net com
for Congress to control the directI
which land lying in North Carolina
60, in case a cacancy occur, from
cause. The Importance of this gu
annot well be exaggerated. Cons
tons as to the perssu in whom is