Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-02-06
AMIL1oN WANTED.

MILLION WANTED. tSE
R.N. Cain, colored, offered long resolution
to petition, the Freedmen,s Bureau to loan mil
lion of dollars to the State TO be invested in the
purchase of lands for the benefit Of freedmen,
these lands to be divided into ten, twenty, forty,
sixty and one hundred acre tracts, and sold to the
freedmen or others, who are to have five years in
which to pay for the same. Referred to Commit
tee on Petitions. 80,
THE FREEDMEN's S BUREAU AND EDUCATION.
The report Of the committee recommending the
continuation of the Freedmen Bureau, and that
Bureau of Education be established as soon as
practicable, was taken up, diseased by B. Byas,
of Berkeley, and B. F. Randolph, both colored,
and adopted. e.. .
The report of the committee that the conven-
ton has power legslate as far as may be for the
good of the people was, on motion of +. w. NJ.
Mackey, laid on the table. ( : ~ 2 T#
CONTRACTS BASED ON SLAVES. -
The report of the committee on the above sub.
ject, coming up next in order, was read second
time. ' - .a-f. z,..t .-
Mr.. j. NJ. Rutland thought it was not proper
for the convention to consider this subject. de
thought it should be left to the courts of the coun-
try to determine whether contracts were void or
for the State and reasons had been assigned why
it should be done speedily. The matter Of con-
tracts he regarded as peculiarly within the prov=
ince of the courts. a. 49,
A measure of this character smacks little of
revenge upon parties to whom debts for slaves are
due. He was no advocate of the moral rights of
slavery and had never believed that one man had
But such was the law of the land. Slaves were
property and they were bound to recognize that
fact IF it was the object of the convention to
punish parties who dealt and traf6cked in slaves,
this measure would not do it. 1t would punish
those who sold, but pay premium to the purcha-
ser who had not fulfilled his obligation to pay. He
hoped the convention would not dabbe in this
matter. The question shouldbe left exactly where
they found it.
Mr.. s. Corley, by consent of the convention,
read the argument which he had prepared on the
subject He considered the resolution invalida-
ting all contracts for the purchase or sale of slaves
as of doubtful utility, and highly dangerous pre-
cedent for the guidance of future legislation The
Constitution of the United States denies the right
of any State to pass an er post tacto law, or any
law impairing the obligation of contracts This
resolution was a violation of that plain principle
The idea that because man cannot be rghttully
held as property, is no reason, in q moral sense,
that there is not and cannot be any legal right to
his services as such, is fallacious. Perhaps more
than half the members of the convention could
testify thst they once held slaves bought and sold
as property, and legally held as SUCH No reason
therefore, could be urged for setting aside such
contracts. There was no difference between the
buyer and seller in a moral sense. If the act Of
the specuator was criminal, that of the purchaser
was equally and even more so. If the purchaser,
in his own estimation, received the value for his
obligation to pay it was notthe legitimate business
of the convention to inquire whether he was fool
or an idiot for purchasing The legal right Of the
master being forfeited by the war, and the United
States Government denying the moral right to
hold such property the legal right reverted to the
original owner, the slave himself -. s.....
He was not willing to relieve one class of citi-
zens at the expense of another. Personally, he
had no interest in the matter, having never sold
bought slave. While yet boy he vowed eter-
nal hostility to slavery, and determined never to
claim for himself any right which he denied to
others. Forthe last twenty five years he had been
persecuted because of his devotion to freedom and
the Union He thanked God that he had at last
the opportunity, the representative of the free
dicate his right of free speech. He claimed, how
ever, no right which he would deny to others. He
demanded that while he and his non-sayeholding
friends were required to pay their debts, that eve
~ quandam STAKEHOLDER should also pay his debts
Mr.. Whittemore moved that the subject be dis
charged, and made the special order forone o'clock
Monday. ..... .'..:-..lI
THE PER DIEM OF MEMBERS. --.-.iSs.~y /
The special order heing the unfinished bnsiness
of yesterday, the ordinance providing for the pay
of members was taken up, and after much discus
sion and many motions, in which the attempt was
made to reduce the amount, it was passed to its
third reading, and ordered to be engrossed in the
following shape:
an Ordinance Defining the Pay and Mileage
of Members and Officers Of this Contention.
Sec. l. And be 1t ordained, That the pay per
diem Of the President shall be 500 90; Members,
sll; Sergeantat-Arms, $lI; Secretary ,$ll As
sistant Sergeant-at-Arms $S; Assistant Secretary,
So; Engrossing Clerk, S.; Reading Clerk, 81;
Doorkeeper, $S Assistant Doorkeeper, Sc; Two
Messengers, S. each; Janitor, 81 in bills receiva.
bic of the State, which have not the par value Of
United States currency.
SEC. 2. Be 1t further ordained, That the mile
age of members and officers of this convention
shall be (20 twenty cents per mile to and from the
convention, by the usual mail routes
Sec. s. Be 1t further ordained, That all pay
ments made, in conformity to the several provis-
ions of this ordinance or ordinances, shall be upon
the recommendation of the Finance Committee,
and upon the authority of the President Of this
Convention.
The convention then adjourned.