Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-07-24

REGISTRATION of the voters OF the OtaIe, IA0i0
can be no election in North Carolina, 1t
would be in the power of the present
General Assembly to disfranchise our peo-
ple for all time to come, and continue IN
office the present officials for their natural
lives. They have only to adjourn Without
making provision for such registration,
and North Carolina would not only not be al
lowed, according to this Interpretation, to
vote in the Presidential election, but there
could be no future State elections under
the present Constitution, and as Gov.
Holden and all the State officers hold
their Offices "until their SUCCESSORS are
elected and qualified" such neglect or re-
fusal on the part of the Legislature would
practically give Holden life estate " in
the Governorship, with remainder over
to Tod Caldwell. And SO with the officers
in all the other departments. This would
practically end the little semblance of a
Republican government yet left to us. and
establish, through the forms of law, a
monarchy on its ruins. We are fully i'm
pressed with the belief that the mere want
of registration, induced by the neglect OF
the Legislature, cannot vitiate the election.
We learn through rumor that on Thurs
day, the day Of election, a bill was hurried
through both Houses of the Legislature,
purporting to amend the charter Of the city
of lmington-among other things, alter
ing the boundaries of the wards, postpon-
ing the day of the election, and ordering a
registration of the voters. This might be
all we'll enough, as an act taking effect
sc from and after its passage "-(and we
suppose this one so reads)-has the force
of law from the first day Of the session,
vet Section Fourteen of the Second Article
of the Constitution reads:
The General Assembly shall not pass any pri-
vate law unIsss it shall be made to appear that
thirty days notice of app ication to pass such law
shall have been given,
It will hardly be assumed by any one as
to the character of a law amending the
charter of corporation being Other than a
private law. And it is wise provision of
this very Ubiquitous Constitution to prevent
changes being made IN the acts of incor-
DOGdIIOu vi IOWuS anu
the rights of persons and property to a
large extent, without giving such citizens
at Least thirty days notice that such change
is proposed to be made. In fact, in
wicked design now being perpetrated to
enlarge the corporate limits of Goldsboro',
in order to take into that place large set
tlement of negroes, for the purpose of con-
trolling the town elections by their votes,
the objection was raised that the required
notice had not been given. There was no
attempt to deny the Constitutional provi-
sion, but the abettors of the movem ent
had complied with this requirement, hay
ing inserted the notice in an obscure cor
ner of the Raleigh Standard, where it had
eluded observation, as was designed
This has not been the case with us. In
fact, postponement was not desired by the
adventures, who propose to take charge
o. Our municipal affairs, until few days
previous to the election. And the little
scheme of gerrymandering the Wards
as one of their candidates very facetiously
calls it, was evidently conceived subsequent
to the 18th of this month, as upon that day,
the Radical city ticket was first announced,
and the change in the Wards throws their
two candidates for Aldermen of the Fourth
Ward into the Third, and, probably, one
for the First into the Second Ward. In
con sequence of these anticipated changes,
ye believe the ticket has not since been
announced, and we suppose some altera-
ton has been made therein.
For these reasons, and others not neces-
sary to advance, we believe the election
has been in strict conformity with the law,
and therefore regular. If there has been
an attempt to amend the charter of the
city by Legislative enactment, it is abso-
lutely null and void for want of legal no.
tice. Such is our candid opinion.
That these adventures were persuaded
that the election would be valid without
the passage of the amendatory act, is evil
dent from the haste to pass the bill before
the election was consummated, and the
telegraphic announcement here, even pre-
vious to its ratification. If, then, the act
be unconstitutional, we have their admis-
sion that the election is valid.
We trust, therefore, the newly elected
officers will qualify, and contend for their
rights. In the immortal language of Sena-
tor Sumner to Secretary Stanton, we ask
them to &" stick
Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford
Railroad.
We made reference to the bill intro
duced in the Legislature few days since
to amend the charter of the Wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad. Know
ing that our people feel great interest in
this work, and that many of our readers