Wilmington journal., 1866-12-13

sNothing but confident reliance on your can
dor and iberalty will support me in the discharge
of this arduous office. So far the responsibility
and permanence of this institution may depend
upon my persevering and anxious exertions. you
may hatter yourselves: gentlemen, with the grate.
full idea OF accomplishing the ultimate design of
its establishment. Much, however, must depend
upon you. Afrequent recurrence to the fundamen-
tai principles OF our constitution will be found ne
cessary. That sacred instrument that magma
charta of the Whist Club-will be sufficient to re-
gulate your conduct when employed in celebrating
the memory of him who will ever receive the title
| of the "great patron and founder OF our order "
so long as one of this body retains sufficient spirit
to spurn with honest indignation, the feeble tram
mels imposed, or attempted to be lmposd, by the
unenlightened, unrefined and barbarous policy of
our countly's legislation.
| "Accept gentlemen, my sincere reciprocation of
your good wishes, together with
| "My assurances of
| "Perfect consideration.
| ''RcBERT MUTER."
Long and loud applause followed the
reading of the above address, and when
the Arch Secretary, carefully folding it up,
laid it gently in the "pigeon hole" among
the archives of the Society, and re-
sumed his seat, with a benign express
sion lighting up his countenance, the
sensation among the members was
intense, and sometime elapsed before
| the effervesence of their feelings
calmed down sufficiently for the ordinary
transaction of business. Order being at
length restored the President announced
that if any member had a motion to make,
or a resolution to offer, that ''now was the
time to do it." Whereupon, Samuel r.
Joceleyn, Esq, rose in his place, and with
great dignity and impressiveness of man
ner, remarked, that he held in his hand an
instrument of writing, which he had drawn
up with all the caro- the great Importance
of the subject to which it referred de-
mandcd, and which he would now submit
to the Club for their respectful considera-
ton. He then read the following paper,
with the gravity and decorum that was due
to the dignity of the occasion, and the i'm
portance of the subject
"An Act to prevent the deceitful purlonnS and
secreting of counters and monies displayed upon
the table of the several members of the Z" Nine
Penny Whist Club, to secure the President in
his just prerogatiye-to augment the Treasury
and for other purposes.
''Whereas the practise ofclandestinely pocketing
the several counters of the Nine Penny Whist play
ers, and converting to illegal purposes the respe-
tive monies of the said members has arisen to an
alarming height, attended with great dole to the
lawful owners thereof and to their manifest dsher
ison, in so much that the Presidents character
and prerogatiye is called in question by unseemly
persons who, ever and anon, attack the same.
:" Be at therefore enacted by the Nine Penny
Whist Club, aud IS hereby enacted by the author
uy Of the same, That whoever has, or hereafter
shall, by any manner of guile, cunning, deceit
full practises, secretly and clandestiney, by any
art of hocus pocus, take to himself under the de-
nomination or pretence of fun, or other comical
jokes, the counters, monies or nine pennys of any
member members of the said club (Other than
the President) full meeting assembled shall, for
every such offence, upon conVlctlon thereof be ad
judged to restore to the injured and despoiled ow
ner, the counter counters, money monies,
nine penny or nine pennies, of which such owner
has or shall be thus surreputiously deprived, and
the said ambidextOr, convicted, shall further
pay into the treasury the full value of the coin thus
deceitfuly taken.
| "And whereas, crime of the above nature is
deemed enormous, in proportion to the character
| of the parsonage against whom it has or may be
committed and whereas, the President by virtue
| of his prerogative and high Office, and the calm
and dignifed manner with which he regulates and
controls the affairs of the Club is, and of
right ought to be, the peculiar object of
the constitution and the laws made in pursu-
ance thereof:-and, whereas, also, enormiies prac-
tised against the supreme executive are the
source Of continued heaviness, and sore distress
to the orderly members Of the Club, and tend to
| bring the President into hatred and contempt of
the honorary VISITORS to his utter disparagement,
| so much so that no man wotteth to what extent
his crime may proceeds well for the defining of
which, and securing the President in his preroga-
tive kingly immunities, and royal privileges and
| to the end that all knowing the offence of "leso
| majestatis " may shun the same.
" Be 1t further enacted, That whoever has, or
| hereafter shall, under any pretenCe whatsoever
whether in fun or in any manner of merry gam
bols, crib, cabbage or purloin, the counter or
counters, or any sort of silver monies being the
rightful property of the said President, more par
| tcularly should any such caitiff presume to lay
his unhallowed rapacious hands, under pretence
as aforesaid, upon those massy counters which
IF tba cold
such offender shall, forthwith, upon due convic-
ton, restore to the said President double the val
ue of the articles thus REASONABLY pur-
loined, and, also, be adjudged to pay into
the Treasury the same amount Provided, al
ways and nevertheless, that nothing in this
act shall be held, deemed, construed and taken to
prevent or prohibit any member from receiving to
himself the full amount of such pieces as he may
lawfully win from the said President or others,
anything in the before recited act to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
Profound silence reigned during the
reading of the above paper; silence that
might almost be felt, but when the last
tones of the speakers voice ceased to vi
brate upon the ear, there was a general
rush of the members towards him, each
striving with the other to be the first to
seize him by the hand and give vent to the
oyerpowering emotion by which they were
excited. Samuel r. Jocelyen was not
man to be disturbed from his equanimity
by any of the ordinary causes which gen.
orally influence or effect poor, frail mortali-
ty, but on the present occasion his man.
hood wilted, and despite his utmost en-
deavors, his eyes would snap, and his up
per lip trenlble. Thrice he essayed to
speak, but failed most signally in each at
tempt, and finally sinking back into his
chair he could only wave his bandana in
token of his thanks. 1t being impossible
in the existing condition of things to at
tend to any further business, the Climb ad-
journed to its next regular meeting.
The Howard Amendment.
We are able to-day, in advance of the
mail, to lay before our readers the very
able, manly and patriotic protest against
the adoption of the Constitutional Amend
ment, reported by the Joint Select Com
mittee of our General Assembly, and read
IN