Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-12-14

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sent to the Senate proposing to elect Councillors of
State At one o'clock z. u. to-day. Not agreed to.
The special order nov came up for consideration,
viz Mr.. Phillips
Resoaations upon tie subject Of Imprsssmsts By tie
Confederate gousrnuent ::
WHsREAs, 1t is = plain principle Of justice that
all the expenses caused by the present war should
to their property and whereas the prices occasiot
ed by the depreciation Of the currency fairly to
ba reckoned amongst such expenses; whereas,
further, it is equally unjust and unconstitutional for
the Confederate government to appropriate the pro-
perty of private citizens without just compensation
to the owners: Therefore,
Rtsoloed, That this General Assembly, in the |
name of the good people Of North. Carolina, doth
solemnly protest against the system now in force
throughout this State by which the Confederate
government claims and exercises the power Of ins-
pressing private property At cersin nominal rates,
arbitrarily established and knowa As schedule prices
Resoloed, That this General Assembly takes oc
cason in this connection to express the opinion that
much of the machinery by which the Confederate
government gives effect to the extraordinary mea-
sures connected With this war is both CALLING aud
ominous, and is well calculated to agitate people
rejecting upon their lineage aad former freedom.
Resoloed further, That such experiments upon
the temper of this commonwealth have increased,
are Increasing, and ought to be diminished
Resolued, That His Excelency, Gov. Vance, be
requested to transmit copies Of these resolutions to
His Excelency the President Of the Oonfederate
States; and also to our Senators and Representa-
tives in Congress-, to be by them laid before that
honorable body. ,.--.-. 80, j. y-.-s -ss-...es
Mr.. Phillips said that the impressment of prop
erty by the Confederate government without just
compensation to citizens for the property taken, de-
served at the hands Of this Legislature, prompt and
stern rebuke. This unjust system of impressments
had been pursued for few years past 10 almost
every county in this State to the amount of mil
lions of dollars worth Of property: 1t vas incum-
bent upon this Legislature to speak ont painly-to
enter an indignant protest against asystet through
which the Confederate government withoat justice
and in disregard to the Constitution, tramped up
the rights of its citizens. He held that the only
practical question was whether the government bad
had not transcribed its powers in its persistent
interference with the rights of private property-
If impressment he made, the impressng officer pay
ing but third of the valae Of the article taken,
bow long, he asked, would it be before they allow
ed to citizens whose property they seize, but one
tenth of its value ?-how long would it be ere they
paid nothing at alls
The immediate cause of the introduction Of these
resolutions was the action Of mpressing officers in
| the county Of Orange. An agent of the Confeder
ate government in that county had recently impress
sed one hundred and sixty horses and mules, pay
ing their owners only an average of $700. He had
asked the officer their market value and he replied
not less than 50, 100 Thus more than $500, 900
worth of property was impressed in Orange county,
the government paying its owners but $l0O, 900
! one third OF the gaue-or rather the citizens be-
| came owners of little pieces of brown paper prom
lsing to pay at an indefinite period in the future.
Mr. Phillips proceeded to characterize this pro-
ceeding as the imposition of an indirect tax contra
ry to every provision of the Constitution. He re-
garded this and similar acts As deli crate unmiti
gated violations Of the rights Of the peope. It was
significant, he said, that our citizens have not
sorted to the courts of law for redress and protec
ton. This submission to oppression did not arise
from patriotism but from despair of remedy and the
fear lest such a course should entail upon them
| we're penalties. No man, he said, will lore gov
eminent that deliberately, and pessiRently, contn
ualsy ro6s him, and it made but little difference
whether the injury was done under color of law or
through the caprice of q petty despot There had
been impressed in this State unconsttutionaly not
property to the value of ten millions Of dollars but
ten millions of dollars. beyond the palue of phicA
the iepressing officers Themselves had assessed it.
Mr.. Shepherd was opposed to the resolutions in
part but was fully prepared to vote for the princi
pies expressed in the preamble He regretted that
the gentleman from Orange had used the term 'rob-
berry" in characterizing the policy of the govern
ment in relation to impressments. He deprecated
further the remark that our people in reference to
their rights had become torpid and that their sub.
mission to the measures of the government was the
result of fear rather than patriotism He moved
to amerd by striking out the I'd and I'D resolutions
Pending the question Messls. Grisson and Sharpe
addressed the House in defence of the resolutions
The question recurring, on Mr.. Shepherds mo-
tion, the House refused to strike out Ayes IS,
noes So
Those who voted in the affirmative were Messrs.
Baxter, Beam, Brown Of Madison, Brown Of Neck.
lenburg, Bryan, Carson Of Rutherford, Cobb, Cos.
tner, Crawford of Rowan, Crawford of Wayne,
Cunningham, Dargaa, Dayis of Halifax. Davis OF
Franklin, Duke, Ealoe. Erwin, Fason, Gidney, Girl
er, Gudger, Harrington, Harris, Hsssell, Halves,
| Headen W. j., Lane Latham, Lewis Little, Love,
Mclean, Murphy, Qutterbridse, Patton, Poo, Pow
ell, Reinhardt, Russ, Shepherd, Ship, Smith IF Du-
pin, Strong and Young-45.
Those who voted in the negative we're Messra
Allison, Afford, Ashew0rth, Banks, BenSury, Best,
Blair, Bond OF BERTHE, Bond of Gates, Caldwell,
Galloway, Carson Of Alexander, Carter. CIapp,
Cowles, Craige. Faucette Flynt Fowle, Gaskins,
Gibbs, Grissom, Hadley, Harrison, Headen h,
Henry, Herbert, Holton, Horton Of Wataugs Hor.
ton of Wilkes, .Isbell, Johnston, Jordan. Judkins,
Lyle, Mann. Mccormick, McGehee, Mcmillan. Nor.
isey, Murrili, Patterson, Peace Perkins, Phillips,
Rddick, Rogers, Russell, Sharpe, Shober, Simmons,
smith OF Johnston, Stips Waugh and Wheeler-61
The resolutions were then adopted without amend.
ment, yeas "a, nays o.
Those who voted it the affirmative were Messrs,
Allison Afford, Asheworth, Banks, Beam, Benbury,
Best Blair, Bond Of Berthe, Bond, Of Gates Brown.
ofMecklenburg Bryan, Caldwell, Galloway; Carson,
Of Alexander, Carson, Of Rutherford, Carter, Clapp,
Gostner, Cowles, Craige, Cunninghauh, Davis, Of
Halifax, Davis, Of Franklin, Eoloe Fanoetts, Rlynt,
Fo"le, Gibbs, Grissou, Hadley, Harrington, far.
rison, Halves, Headsn, J. H Headen, W. J Hen.
~, Herbert, Holton Horton, Of Wssauga, Horton,
Of Wilkes, Isbsll, johnson, Jordan, Lewis, Lyle
Mann, Mccormick, MeGehee, MCMILLAN, Morisey,
Murphy, Murrill Patterson, Peace sPerkins, Phil
lips, Powell, Reinhardt, Riddick. Rogers, Russ, Rus
sell, Sharpe, Shipp. Shober, Simmons, Smith, d
OsoarTus Smith, of Johnsson, Stips Strong, Waugh
. Wheeler, and Young-74, s. -.
those who voted in the negative we're AersYs. Rax
ter, Cobb. Crawford of Rswan Crawford Of WAYNE
Dargan, Duke, Erwin, Faison. G,dney, Grier, Gud