The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-06-07
Proceedings Ct the Convention.
ADJOURNED SESSION.
TC::sDAY, June 5th. 1866.

Tuesday. June 5ti, 1866.
Mr. Fercbee a. resolution in relation to adj
jnI:nmur.t.
/ Nj Jones of Rowan, II resolution in rcla,
/ ton 10 uS'iry laws.
NJ. Waikup an ordinance 10 extend the
time for pertccling titles to land sold for
t.:%t.S.
Mr. Grisson an ordinance concerning wills
and tcstdnlcIts.
+ GA lls.;it!l III M. Phillips the ordinance
was rrcommlttcd.
Mi. Phillips IL resolution raising Il COM
mittce Of FIVE to enquire into the cyre,liyn-
ry OF lighting the Capitol with gas. Adopted.
Nj. Moore Of Wake. Il report from the
committee on the Constitution. recommend
in.. the passage on the Sll .stitute for Art "
except sections ; and of the reported Con
Sti:utiOn.
Sir. Conirland an ordinance providing
that new county shall hereafter be formed
il ii contain less than the 120ti part Of the
population OF the State or if iii its tnrna-
ton any other county or counties he reduced
below the said 120th part of saII poi:ila-
ton
The report of the Committee Oh tie Com
Stitution csta:'liShing the Office of 1t. Gov
crnOr w;lS read
IN order to obtain the opinion of the Con
moved to strike out the word; - Lieutenant
Governor" in the 1st section.
Mr. Moore. said lie you'll vote against his
own amen lment. for he favored the estab-
!i<hment OF the Office of 1t. Governor He
WAS sustained in this hv the Constitutions of
thTcc-trurtlIS OF the States of the Union.
Mr. Buxton sai,i lie hoped the amendment
to strike out the words It.. Governor" womi:i
1:ns prevail. The Necessity Of this Office was
!, =
would have Il presiding officer ready to call
i: to order on he very first day, an! the cX-
pcnSe and political excitement otthr members
remaining here i'allo:ing day after day for
the e.c.ton OF = Speaker. would lac done
away with forever. Besides the Constitu-
tionS of threc-iourti;s o.: the States OF the
Union provided for 1t Governors.
Mr Con:gland opposed the Innovation
lie thought on" of the chief s!nrirS OF North
Carolina Was the simplicity OF her C0nSti-
tr;ion. He WAS opposed to marfing it
The necessity of the Office 0i 1t. Governor
was already provided for in the person of
tile Speaker OF tie Senate. 1t would only
lie preparing another NEST for some politi-
clan.
Mr.. Boydcn also favored the establish
merit OF thc Office OF 1t. Governor.
Nr. Moore withdrew lis amendment TO
strike out. and moved the adoption OF the
1st section.
The yeas and nays We're called which re-
suited in its atlnption-ycas, 81 nays. IL.
Mr. Moore. OF Wake moved m amendment
recurring oft,Ic Governor and 1t Governor
qualification of five Years citizenship, in.m'c-
diat.iy I1erfejing tie day Of oc,'ion, which
was adopted.
Mr.. Grissom moved TO strike out that part
of the section requiring OF TIL. Governor and
1t Governors landed qualification OF 1000.
ar. Grissom said that this motion required
some holiness on his part. He did not see
the necessity of such Il qualification for the
Governors OF the President OF the United
States and members of Congress no such
qualification required. He was opposed
to such landed qualifications anyway.
Mr.. Moore looked upon this as an enter
ing wedge towards doing away with landed
qualifications. lie favored such qualitica-
tons. Representation and taxation went to-
ycthcr. How cOuld the 1t. Governor or
Governor he the representatives, of the State,
without being interested i'll the taxable prop
ersy OF the State. He desired the Gov
crnor to have all tie qualifications which
distinguish the better citizens of the State.
He did not wish to enter the chair as Il
representative of the will of the majority
merely, but also as the representative of the
landed property. He not prepared TO
cast away this anchor with which our fore
fathers brought tn the old Shi of State,
when sailing too fast, under Executive colors
Mr.. Grissom contentled that this landed
interest would always protect itself That
when the people elected Governor all the
property was represented by the people
themselves in that election. Let the qualifi-
cation for Governor be sufficient length of
residence in the State. Among the most
ignoble politicians in the State were some of
the landed proprietors. Does property
qualification guarantee patriotism
If the gentleman from Wake was willing
to trust the people in a choice for Governor
between white and black, believing that
they would choose n white man, why not
trust them in regard to property Is any
property owned outside the people? Do
they not represent, and will they not regard
the interests OF the property OF the State in
elections for Governor.
As regards the question of taxation and
representation, Mr.. Grissom asked, cannot
the county magistrates tax us, cannot Con-
gress tax us, and are property qualifications
required of either Congressman or magis-
trates
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Grissom's re-
marks, Mr.. McCorkle said that this provision
for property qualification was engrafted into
our Constitution from the laws of England.
In forming the Articles of Confederation for
the General Government, after long con
sideration, our forefathers rejected property
qualifications. either for the Legislative. jul
dietary or Executive departments Only
one State then voted for landed qualiEca-
tions, and only three for property quaiifca-
| ton other than land.
Up to 1860, out of the SO States in the
Union. only now retained property quail
| ification-among them North Carolina. But
it is contended that such qualifications fos-
ter spirit of conservatism. What State
had SO large a property qualification as
| South Carolina2 None. : Yet this property
! qualification, by placing the government of
! dot State in the hands of the few had real.