The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-06-13
Proceedings Of the Convention.
ADJOURNED SESSION.
TUESDAY, June 5th, 1866.

TUESDAY, June 5th, 1866.
Mr.. Ferebee resolution in relation to ad-
journment
AIr. Jones of Rowan, a resolution in rela-
ton to usury laws. N aa
Mr.. Walkup an ordinance to extend the
time for perfecting titles to land sold for
taxes.
Mr.. Grissom an ordinance concerning wills
and testaments.
On motion of Mr.. Phillips the ordinance
was recomnntted. -t
Mr.. Phillips resolution raising COM
mittee of five to enquire into the expedien-
cy of lighting the Capitol with gas. Adopted.
Mr.. Moore of Wake, report from the
committee on the Constitution, recommend
ing the passage of the substitute for Art. w,
except sections 8 and 4 of the reported Con-
stitution.
Mr.. Conigland an ordinance providing
that no new county shall hereafter be formed
if it contain less than the 120th part of the
population of the State, or if in its forna-
ton any other county or counties be reduced
below The said 12Oth part of said popula-
ton.
The report of the Committee on the Con-
stitution establishing the office of 1t. Gov
ernor was read.
In order to obtain the opinion of the Con-
vention upon this ordinance, Mr.. Moore
moved to strike out the words Lieutenant
Governor in the 1st section.
Mr. Moore said he would vote against his
own amendment, for he favored the estab-
lishment of the Office of 1t. Governor. He
was sustained in this by the Constitutions of
three-fourths of the States of the Union.
Mr.. Buxton said he hoped the amendment
to strike out the words 1t Governor" would
not prevail. The necessity of this Office was
apparent. The Senate of North Carolina
would have presiding officer ready to call
pense and political excitement ofthe members
remaining here, balloting day after day for
the election of "a Speaker, would be done
away with forever. Besides. thR Constitu-
tions of three -fourths of the States OF the
Union provided for Lit. Governors.
Mr.. Conigland opposed the innovation
He thought one of tne chief glories of North
Carolina was the simplicity of her Consti-
tuition. He was opposed to marring it.
The necessity of the office of Lit. Governor
was already provided for in the person of
the Speaker of the Senate. 1t would only
be preparing another nest for some politi-
clan.
Mr.. Boyden also favored the establish
ment of the office of 1t. Governor.
Mr.. Moore withdrew his amendment to
strike out, and moved the adoption of the
1st section.
The yeas and nays were called which re-
suited in its adoption-yeas, 94; nays, II.
Mr.. Moore, of Wake, moved an amendment
requiring of the Governor and It. Governor a
qualification of five years citizenship, imme-
diately preceding the dag Of election, which
was adopted.
Mr. Grissom moved to strike out that part
of the section requiring of the Governor and
Lit Governora landed qualification of 50 800.
Mr. Grissom said that this motion required
some boldness on his part. He did not see
the necessity of such qualification for the
Governors OF the President of the United
States and members of Congress no such
qualification was 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 He favored such qualifica-
| tions. Representation and taxation went to-
| gether How could the It, Governor OF
| Governor be the representatives of the State
| WITHOUT being interested in the taxable prop
| erty of the State He desired the Gov
ernor to have all the qualifications, which
distinguish the better citizens of the State
| He did not wish to enter the chair as a
representative of the will of the majority
| merely, but also as the representative of the
landed property. He was not prepared to
cast away this anchor, with which our fore
fathers brought to the old Ship of State
when sailing too fast, under Executive colors
Mr.. Grissom contended that this landed
interest would always protect itself. That
when the people elected a Governor all the
| property was represented by the people
themselves in that election. Let the qualif
cation for Governor be sufficient length O1
residence in the State. Among the most
| ignobe 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 choice for Governor
between white and black, believing that
they would choose a white man. why moi
trust them in regard to propertya Is any
property owned outside the people9 Dc
they not represent, and will they not regarC
the interests of the property of the State il
| elections for Governor. .ll
( As regards the question of taxation anC
representation, Mr. Grissom asked, canno
the county magistrates tax us, cannot Con
gress tax US, and are property qualification:
required Of either Congressmen OF magis
trates J 4
At the conclusion of Mr. Grissoms re
marks, Mr.. McCorkle said that this provision
for property qualification was engrafted int
our Constitution from the laws of England
In forming the Articles of Confederation 70
the General Government, after long con
sideration, our forefathers rejected propert
qualifications, either for the Legislative. ju
aliciary or Executive departments. Onl
one State then voted for landed qualifica
tions, and only three for property qualifica
tion other than land
Up to 1860, out of the SO States in th
Union, only 5 now retained a property qua
ifcation-among them North Carolina. Blu
it is contended that such qualifications fos
ter spirit of conservatism What Stat
had so large property qualification a
| South Carolina? None Yet this propert
| qualification, by placing the government Q
that State in the hands of the few, had real
| ly become fountain-head for Southern rad
icalism. AS type for those Northern State
! possessing property qualification, he quote
| Massachusetts, from whence similar evils ha
| flowed. 443 f.-ffs,
| Such qualifications were against the geniu
and spirit of republican institutions. Thes
| qualifications exclude much of the merit an
worth of the State from our Legislatiy
halls. ~ ilF
| Mr. NcKov of Ha,pett said that the pef