The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-06-13

Is that too great an interest in the soil of
your State to be possessed by a Governor ?
The servants of the people should have an
interest in common with them. The people,
who owned the property of the State, de-
sired this safeguard 1t was barrier against
adventurous demagogues, who might come
among us, and in an hour of brief authority.
impose onerous burdens upon the people
If we desire dignity and respectability, let
US retain these qualifications.
Mr. Winston moved to amend the section
by striking out $4,000 and inserting $4,000,
as proper qualification. Adopted.
Mr.. Furches favored the proposition OF
Mr.. Grissom.
Mr.. Logan argued that property qualiica-
tions had become farce, and were so regar-
ded. One of the limbs of property qualif-
cation had been Topped off by free suffrage,
so that it had actually come to be of no prac-
tical benefit One OF the best representatives
from nis county he ever knew owned only
the top of mountain, valued at about $50,
and remained qualified member for years,
and good member too.
Property qualification does not make an
identity of interest with the people. Resi-
dence does. A man may own a $1,000 dol
lars worth of land in North Carolina and yet
reside in New York His interests are not
with u.s. Did he make his residence here
for life, his interests would become our in
terests. Therefore he gave notice that he
intended to move I'M amendment making the
qualification of residence for Governor as
long as possible.
Mr. Caldwell of Guilford said he was in
favor of keeping there checks in the Con-
stitution. He would favor if necessary a
property qualification for the lowest as well
as the highest officers. They did not debar
merit or worth from the Legislative Halls,
they stimulated industry and honesty and
offered them a reward Besides those quail
fications would guarantee to the people OF
the State, that their Governor was interested
in the soil of the State.
The experience of other States, that had
retained those qualifications to the protec-
tion of their best interests in times of trouble,
admonished us to retain them now.
MIR. Moore, of Wake, said that reference
had been made to the fact that no property
qualification was required of the President
of the United States The Presidents have
come from the people, and are elevated to
spicious qualifications. They always pass
through intermediate grades of office, and for
the President there is perhaps no necessity
at all for such a qualification. Judges had
been referred to in the same connection, he
said He had never heard that any such
qualification was any where required of
judges. But he had heard of nations, pros.
porous and happy, that, after abolishing pro-
perty qualifications indiscriminatelv, were
hurried to ruin.
In relation to the qualification of Con.
gressmen, at the time of the adoption of the
Constitution he said, all the electors for Con.
gressmen voted under property qualifications
These electors were the same for the lowel
House of the Legislature in every State and
for Congressman. and a freehold qualification
was then universal thing. We can SEE
therefore that there was no necessity fol
Congressman, to be SO qualified, because
the voters would have been qualified in
the first instance Therefore, if you desire
property qualification for members of Con
gresS, in the spirit of the Constitution, quail
ify the electors. They were so qualified al
one time, but Time, which sweeps away the
muniments OF civil liberty, had been bus.
with those bequeathed to us. One by one
they had been falling away,
Was this qualification an odious thing
that it should be contemptuously wiped out
of our organic law? He venerated the Con
stitution. Whenever it became necessary to
touch that instrument, he would do so, but
only for the very best of reasons.
He held that the Governor was the repre-
sentative of the people-thc State; that il
order to be true representative he mus
combine the will of the people and the Ian
ded interests, must be himself composition
of those principles blended in the formation
of the Senate and House of Commons
In regard to the qualification of magis
trates, he apprehended that had our forefath
ers foreseen the abuse of the present system
they would have required qualifications fo
them also.
After some further remarks by Mr. Moore
Messrs Grissom, McCorkle and Furches ad
dressed the Convention
The question being called on the motor
to strike out, the yeas aud nays were deman
ded-yeas 2S, nays rs. The Convention re
fused to strike out. Adjourned.