The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-12-23

Responsible TOT tnlS puTCudSc, uut uc, iOi
One, would say he was not. To him it was
evident that the committee had been grossly
deceived. 1t would be found upoDingesti-
cation that the greatest part OF this land
laid far away from the river, and that good
mineral land could have been bought across
the river directly opposite the site OF the
Penitentiary He was in favor OF the reso-
luton with one understanding-that cop-
mittee should he appointed to investigate
the matter. This purchase should be declar-
ctl null and void, and committee should he
sent to examine the purchase and report to
the General Assembly. He. for one, did not
consider himself responsible for any thing
the committee had done.
Mr.. SWEET said the ard0r with which the
bill was passed last session was most remark
able. A large minority had opposed it, and
had only ceased their opposition when the
gavel of the President had announced its
passage The reason for tins opposition was
because the bill was considered to grant I'M
due power to the committee. He ha. no in.
tention of impugning the motives OF the
committee in making this purchase, but
it seemed as if they had made the
penitentiary an adjunct to the 5000 acres OF
land, and not the land an adjunct To the
penitcntiary. The br0ad construction placed
upon the act could he made tn authorize
the purchase of the Sandwich Islands or a
genuine South American earthquake in lee
simple, but the general purpose of the act
was not to put the State into the manufac-
ture OF railroad iron hut to select site for
the location of the State penitentiary. He
protested against embarking the State in
business which had ruined every capitalist
who had tried it in this section of the coun-
try. He wanted to see this act repealed by
the General Assembly, not to cast reflection
upon the Committee hut because he believed
they had been defrauded by designing men,
and the purchase should be repudiated. He
was in favor of the repeal of the act even if
the 5000 acres of land should be fastened
upon the State and have to be sold to the
highest bidder. s.-.. ....-.l.se
Mr. BLYTHE thought, as the committee
had done what they had thought their du-
ty and the title had changed hands, it was
question whether we could vitiate that IL
tie ami set the act aside. Ii fraud could be
proved it might be done. He was in favor
of a reference to committee that this fraud
might lie proved. If it was proved he
would vote for the resolution, hut Thought
it would not he right to do So when positive
evidence of fraud was not given.
Mr.. WELKER considered the interpreta-
tion of the act given by the Senator from
Orange correct He himself drew up the
clause in the Constitution which provided
for the erection of Penitentiary. and
thought the Committee had transended their
powers. He hoped the Senate would sus-
pend the powers of the Committee, and let
this go no further. We did not even know
whether the title to this land was valid, nor
where it was situated.
Mr. ROBBINS thought the purchase not
valid if the Committee had been deirauded.
If fraud had been done the Senate should
take such action as to prevent the parties
who held these bonds, given by the Treasu-
rer in payment for this land, from getting
into other hands, and thus causing loss to
innocent parties. He thought immediate
action shonld be taken and was opposed to
the matter being referred to Committee.
The motion to refer to a special commit
tee was rejected by the following vote:
YEAs-Messrs Burns. Blythe, Cook, Davis,
ter, Moore of Yancey, Osborne and Rich-l9.
NAYs-Messrs. Barrow, Barnes, BeGsley, Bee
man. Bellamy, Brogden. Cogrove. Etheridge,
Graham, Harrington, Legg, Lindsay, Long. Love.
Mason, MelchOr, Moore OF Cartcret, Mclaughlin,
Purdie, Richardson, Robbins, Scott, Shoffner,
Smith, Sweet, Welker, White and Wynne-2S.
The resolution passed its second reading;
and its final reading by the following vote.
YEAs-Messrs. Barrow, Barnes. Beasley, Bee
man, Bellamy, Brogden. Etheridge, Graham, Har-
rington, Legg, Lindsay, Long, Low, Mason,
Melchor, Moore of Carterct, Moore of Yanccy,
Mclaughlin, Purdie, Respass, Robbins, Scott,
Shoffner, Smith, Sterhens, Welker, White and
Wison.-2S.
NAYs.-Messrs Burns, Blythe, Colgrove, Cook,
Davis, Eaves, Eppes, Galloway, Martindale,
Osborne, Rich and Richardson.-l2.
Mr.. ROBBINS introduced bill making an
appropriation to secure the Insane Asylum
from fire. u, s.5.I .s.sl
Mr.. WELKER moved suspension of the
rules to take up and give final reading to the
resolutions appointing committee to inves-
tigate the affairs of the Bank of the State and
Bank of Cape Fear.
The motion prevailed and the resolution
passed its final reading.
On motion of Mr. CoLGRovE, the Senate
adjourned. a.eal e. Els.