The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-03-13

QeS Cnat, me Oeneral Assembly Snall
not pass any private law. unless it be
made to sppesr that thirty days notice
Of application to pass such shall have
been given, under such directions and
such manner ss shall be provided by
law" Again, the Convention which
framed the Constitution of the United
States placed perpetual limitation upon
Congress and also upon the States for
instance, " No bill of attainder or exi
post facto law shall be passed" !" No
tax or duty shall be laid on articles eI-
ported from any State" "No title Of
nobility shall he granted by the Uni
ted States" "No State shall enter In
to any treaty, alliance, or confedera-
ton, grant letters of marque and repri-
prisals, coin money, emit bills of cred
it, make any thing but gold and silver
coin a tender in payment of debts, pass
any bill of attainder, ex post facto law,
or law impairing the obligation of con-
tracts, or grant any letter of mobility"
Here then are limitations of power per-
petual in their operation Tor until the
Constitution is changed,) both in the
Federal and State constitution upon
Congress and the State Legislatures
If therefore Convention had the power
to make restrictions for an indefinite
period, surely they could for definite
specified time. AT all events, the wise
men who framed the Federal and State
Constitutions thought they had such
power, and have undertaken to exercise
it. e;1sT ,s.
The first paragraph, ninth section,
first Article of the Constitution of the
United States is as follows; "The mi
grafton or Importation of such persons
as any of the States now existing shall
think proper to admit, shall not be pro-
hibited by the Congress, prior to the
year 1908, but tax or duty may be
imposed upon such importation not ex-
ceeding ten dollars on each person."
Section first, Article first of the amend
ed Constitution of the State limits the
power of the General Assembly for GER
tain fixed periods of time.
The only remaining question is, have
ordinances of Convention the validity
and binding effect as if they were in
corporated and made part ofthe Con-
stitution. If they have not, then each
and every ordinance passed by the late
Convention may be repealed by any fu-
ture Legislature, for all and every part
of its action is contained in ordinances
and resolutions, no one of which has
been made part of the Constitution
To what monstrous conclusions would
this lead us? The ordinance declaring
null and void the ordinance of the goth
of May, 1861 the ordinance prohibit.
ing slavery in North Carolina the Or
dinance declaring what ordinances and
laws are in force, and validating the
acts of civil officers during the war;
the ordinances recognizing the just
debts of the State and prohibiting the
payment of all public debts created or
incurred in aid of the late rebellion,
would be the new subject of repeal by
the General Assembly; and if the sub
.jeet of repeal of course the subject of
re-enactment, and thus we shall have
nothing settled, and the public will be
the victim of ever changing and incon-
sistent legislation. Great questions in
volving peace and prosperity and even
the very existence of society should be
permanently settled and definitely un-
derstood. A proposition, leading to
conclusions such as those l have de.
scribed, would shock and alarm the
public mind, already excited with anx-
iety as to the uncertain future. Enter
tanning the opinion that the Convention
had the right to impose the restriction
upon the action of the General Assem-
bly, which it has done, it is unnecessary
that should express an opinion upon
the other question which has been pre-
sented, whether the act of the General
Assembly does not contain provisions
repugnant to the Constitution of the
United States"
TvTv