Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-07
resolve into the Committee of the Whole.


he would state that they had no intention
of creating unheard of offices !; that the Of
fee of Lit. Governor would be no addition
al expense to the State; that the other Oil
ces had been exercised in tie State within
the last ten or fifteen years
Mr. Heaton favored the creation Of the
Office of Lit. Governor, and assigned varl-
Gus reasons therefor, and also the creation
of the offices of Superintendent of Public
Instruction and Superintendent Of Public
Works.
Mr. Durham said that it had been re
ported that he and other Conservative gen
tlemen were opposed to q system OF Free
Schools He would not allow himself to
be thus misrepresented. He was III favor
of liberal system of education, whenever
the State was able to bear the necessary tax
to support it. They were creating officers
here, now, whose salaries would have to
come out of the Treasury. We have, since
the war, been scarcely able to pay the Or
dinary tax actually necessary to carry on
the State government. He did not care
what Northern States were III the habit
of doing; he wanted the established sys
tenn of old North Carolina for his guide
no importations of northern customs. He
did not care much about the office Of Lieu
tenant Governor, but they had heretofore
got along without ono very well, and he
did not see the necessity of creating the
office now, simply because Ohio, New York
and other Northern States had One.
Mr.. Tourgee next addressed the Con
vention in favor of the creation of the Of
fee.
Mr.. Ashley followed on the same side.
Mr.. French, of Chowan, related an anec-
dote concerning The Maine Liquor Law and
a certain QTQnnV III the State.
Mr.. Durham said that various gentlemen
had given Ohio, New York aud other
northern States, as an example worthy to
be followed, but he did not care for them
or their g1'dnmieS; if any gra2anyS example
should b followed, he wanted to follow
that of North Carolina.
Mr. Graham said the mass Of the people
were in favor of good system OF Common
Schools, and that, before the war, there
were more children in North Carolina at
school than in any one other State, accord
ing to population; and that he would favor
liberal system, but, at the same time, he
would not allow himself to be mis- cure
sented in the matter.
Mr. French, of Chowan, read some sta
tistics gathered at Washingt0u City.
Mr. Welker thought SO much discussion
unnecessary, as it was no party measure or
sectional scheme.
Harris. OF Wake (negro), advocated the
creation of the office.
The question on Mr. Durham's amend
ment, offered yesterday, striking out the
provisions for the Office of Lieutenant
Governor, Superintendent Of Public Works
and Public Instruction, was put to vote
and lost.
After a good deal of confusion, and in-
Vulnerable amendments, the 1st section
of the Report was adopted in the follow
ing modified form
SECTION l. The Executive Department shall
consist of a Governor in whom shall be vested
the supreme Executive power OF the State,
Lieutenant Governor, a Secretary OF tate, an
Auditor, Treasure or, superintendent 4 Public
Works, Superintendent of Pablo instruction.
and Attorney General, who shall be elected for
the term of two years, by the qualified electors OF
the State. at the same times and places, and ln
the same manner as members Of the General As
semblY are elected: Their term of office ehau
commence on the first day of January next after
election, and continue until their successors are
elected aud qualified pTOrtded the officers fr.t
elected shall assume the duties Of their Office 30
days after the acceptance of this Constitution by
Congress, and shall hold their offices for two years
from and after January l. 1859
Mr.. Abbott moved to amend the 2d sec
tion by striking out the words ''have been, y
in the Cd line, and inserting the word
"be," and strike out the words ''for twenty
years." in the Sd line, and insert the word
''and"
Mr. Tourgee moved to amend by
striking out the first five lines and insert
ing "any qualified voter of the State shall
be eligible as Governor OF Lieutenant Gov
ernOr."
He thought the original did not give the
colored man a fair chance
The amendment was lost.
The question REQUIRED on lLr. Abbott $
amendment, and it was adopted.
An amendment by Mr. NIcCubbins, which
had been previously offered but ruled ont
of order, to strike out two years residence
in the State and insert four, and to require
a freehold value of $1,000 for Governor,
was again offered.
Mr.. Nicholson offered the following sub
stitute for the whole section, and it was
adopted:
No person shall be eligible as Governor or
Lieutenant Governor unless he shall have attained
the age OF 80 years. and shall have been resident
Of the United States for twenty years, and Of the
State for two years next before such election, nor
shall any person elected to either of those two
positions be eligible to the same Office more than
four years in any term, unless cast upon him as
Lieutenant Governor or Speaker Of the Senate"
On motion of Galloway (negro) the Com
mittee rose, the Chairman reported pro
gress and asked leave to sit again.
On motion, the Convention adjourned
until II o'clock Tomorrow.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 90, 1867.
The Convention was called to order at II
o'clock, A. NJ.
Prayer by the Rev. Ashley, Of the Con-
ventiOn.
A communication was received from the
Public Treasurer, in compliance with a
resolution passed some days ago, asking in
formation in regard to the amount of stock
held by the State in the Albemarle and
Chesapeake canal. Referred to the COM
mittee on Finance, with instructions to con-
slider and report the best course for the
State to pursue in the matter.
Mr.. Watts, memorial from Sampson
county in regard to the late election. Re-
ferred to the committee on elections.
Mr.. Abbott presented communication
from the President of the Wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad Com
pany.
Harris, of Wake (negro), a memorial
contesting the seat of Mr.. Williams, of
Sampson, by one Hall. Referred to the
committee, with instructions to report as
soon as possible.
Mr.. Jones, of Caldwell, q majority re-
port from the committee on Homesteads.
Ordered to be printed.