Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-01-30
TIL, BOWERS OF THE CONVENTION.

the Judiciary, to whom was referred resolution
of inquiry as to the legislative powers of the con-
yention, report that the committee are Of the o.
pinon that the convention has the power to legis.
late as far as they may consider IL proper for the
good of the people.
On motion Of j. Moses, Jr., white, the re.
port was made the special order for one o'clock to-
morrow.
ABOLITION OF DISTRICT COURTS.
From the same committee, J. j. Wright report
ed that the ordinance providing for the abolition
of the District Courts was, in their opinion, un-
necessary, since the subject would be embraced in
the report of the committee with reference to the
Judiciary of the State. ..nrL.EEF. -;
The report was adopted.
AFTER THE BANKS.
G. M. Olsen, white, a.Dane by birth, and one
of the most respected and intelligent members OF
the convention, offered the following resolution,
which was referred to the committee On Finance
Resotued, That all banks and savings institutions
in this State which suspended payment during the
rebellion shall, Immediately after the ratification
of the State Constitution, 60 into liquidation.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
B. f. Whittemore, white, offered resolution
that no township or school district shall receive
any portion of the public school fund unless free
school has been kept therein three months; the
legislature to have power to require every child in
the State between the ages of five and eighteen to
go to school for term equivalent to sixteen
months, unless educated by other means Refer
red to the committee on Education. .a.f..
REPUTATION.
R. g. Holmes, white, Of Beaufort introduced a
resolution, which was referredto the committee on
the Legislative part of the Constitution, that no
debt contracted by South Carolina, during the war,
shall be paid by any act of the Legislature of this
State .... .. .H..
NO DISTINCTIONS. ...
B. F. Randolph offered a resolution, which was
voted down, that the constitution shall hereafter
make no distinction on account Of color in such
laws as it may adopt with reference to the public
schools
j. J. Wright moved that the resolution be in
definitely postponed, and it was agreed to.
o. SHERIFTs, MAGISTRATES, &C.
sssJ. NJ Runion, of Greenville, who appears, from
the character of the resolutions, he offers, to be
fishing for political popularity more than the real
welfare of any particular class, moved thatsherifs
magistrates, &C., be elected by vote of the people,
annually, for four years, and that tor four years
thereafter they shall be ineligible to Office. Refer
red to committee.
-.... "A STAY-LAw.
The next special order Of the day was the reso-
luton requesting General Candy to suspend all
sales of property for debts contracted prior to
June, 1866. ..-... i .
amendment. Two or three were offered, when
DeLarge, colored, called for the previous question.
Subsequently this was reconsidered, and l. j.
Robertson ESD, read speech which he had pre-
pared on the subject. .-a
He claimed that those who had brought about
the impoverished condition Of the country were
not the poor men or the loyal men, but those who
pretend to represent its wisdom, intelligence and
wealth. .... .., -,........ ..... .--s.... ...
TI-o H.. -. G. .I.~-
laws and homestead laws Some of them assert
that they cannot live in this country-that war
of races is inevitable. They are the principal
debtors of the State and do not want to pay their
debts, and they never will, so long as they have
unconstitutional stay-laws to protect them.
For one he would say, let the property of the
country change hands, and if lands sell cheap, so
much better for the poor man of the State be-
cause it will enable him to provide himself with
home, and thus identify himself with the soil.
Mr. Robertson did not say, in this connection,
that with one hundred Of his four hundred thous-
and dollars, he expected, on the first of February
FIVE poor farmers and turn them adrift in the world
to seek homes elsewhere. ...-5 -..-.
The men, said the speaker, who are asking for
relief, are those who do not recognize the valid
ity of the Reconstruction acts of Congress, and
who refused to vote for delegates to this conven-
ton. Some of them called the convention me-
nagerie, but it is the menagerie which is to protect
their property at the expense of the loyal citizens
and working men of the country. ,-.
The speaker continued in this vein, so well ca
culated to appeal to the passions of the coored ee
ment and when Mr.. Robertson took his seat, he
was followed by R. b. Cain, of Charleston, a COL
ored preacher, who said that the only reason why
this peculiar question was before the house was be-
cause it affected the poor man as much if not more
than it did the rich. He was in favor of measures
of relief but did not believe that any act of the
convention could effect relief in such manner as
would be either just or constitutional. Even if it
possessed the power, the men to be most greatly
benefited by the passage the resolutions belong
ed to that class who, since the war, have done all
they could to antagonize the true progress Of the
country. IF these people had made contracts they
had done so with their eyes open. IF they now
suffered it was only in consequence cf their own
sins, and for one hewaS not willing to afford them
any relief whatever They not only should sell
their lands, but he would make them sell their
lands and give the poor man change.
The remarks of Cain were thoroug lily revolution
ary in their character, adroity made, and we'll cal
culated to arouse, as he intended they should the
passions of the coored delegates. The speech will
probably have the effect Of dividing the two races
on the foor breaking all combinations of moderate
men, and dragging such as Whittemore, Bowen,
Whipper, Wright, Langley, and others into the
ranks of the negro extremists
We said at the beginning of our reports that the
negroes had the advantage Of intelecton the floor,
and few more such exhibitions as those of Cain
will draw the white men, body and soul, into the
range of colored control. No coored man will risk
his reputation by answering Cain, or put himself
beyond the pale of his party by antagonizing what
are not evidently the preudices of the convention.
The hour of adjournment in the midst of
the debate, and the convention accordingly "rested
from its labors.
NINTH DAY.
FRIDAY, January 24.-The Convention assem-
bled at l2, NJ. The whole of the session was con-
sumed in debating the question, whether General
Candy shall be petitioned to suspend sales of prop
erty under execution fora period of three months.
The Ners says in speaking Of the days proceed
ings, that "the fight On the question was fierce,
noisy, and characterized by the best imitation of
parliamentary pyrotechnics, of which the delegates
are capable" The Convention adjourned, at 8
o'clock, p. NJ, in the midst of the debate.
TENTH DAY.
SATURDAY, Jan'y 25.-The President laid before
the body communication from Major d. T. Cor
bin, accepting the Office of Solicitor of the conven
ton in conjunction with Major G. D. Melton.
H. Judge Moore was elected printer Of the Con-
vention.
A HOMESTEAD LAW.
j. j. Wright, colored, of Beaufort, offered the
following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolred, That this convention respectfully re-
o,,ost tbot Rrayat Major General r. r g Con.