The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-02-05

loudly for reief, ana that u tnls tnas y
sible TO create wealth by legislation. The; war,
into which wicked rebellion plunged u.s. has
well nigh ruined our people entirely From
real esfate valuation Of an hundred and twenty
five millions, we have to come down 10 less tnah
sixty million, and the personal property OF the
State is more than covered up WIN oeots. sne
State could furnish every man the means OF pay
isg his debts, or could, by any act OF legsiation
] enhance the value of property, then we might
gain relief without prejudice to the DEBTOR or the
| creditor. But to attempt to give rellef TO one
class at the expense OF another Is UNJUST ana
| inexpedicnt.
The amendment offered by the delegate from
| Guilford 10 as lust as the ordinance, but am op-
posed to both. i am as much entitled to relicf as
any one. My property in Northand South Carolina
was coIfscated during the war, and deots que
| me remain unpaid But have not forced any
one. lam opposed to stay laws because they
lead to reputation and ale unconstitutional
Let every man fulfil his obligations to the best
of his ability.
voted in the Convention of 1865, to make the or
| dinancc Of secession null and void, and also to
pay no war bonds, while other delegates had then
confessed to him that they coud not vote against
their pockets. He thought they were unworthy
to represent an honest peopleIhe said SO taen H.
honesty. Stey-laws prevented no honest man
| from having and when the people become able to
pay. they would do So But he thought it unjust
that they should be paid as they stood-it would
be practical confiscation. Lands Will be sold at
nominal prices, bought up by spectators, and
the State owned by few men,. He could bor-
row ten thousand dollars and buy more land than
a dog could run over in ten days. Even now the
people could not pay taxes. Under the order OF
! Gen Candy, he had known some, who had sold
meat and bread to pay their taxes. 3 The farmers
had been ruined by the late and failure OF the
last crops, and as North Carolina was now only
territory she is free to legisate tor their relief
Where theirs is one creditor there are hundred
debtors Where one man can raise So, an hun
dred cannot raise So. These were facts. 1t he
had his way, he would wipe out the whole con-
Germ; and disappoint the shyloeks, who were
going round to see whom they could devour.-
He was in favor of fair hack. If merchants
bought and sold on credit 1t was their fault. he
was in favor OF relieving the suffering poor. Let
the law be so arranged, that the collection offees
will be also prevented, because persons were sold
out of home for that merely without paying
cent of their Indebtedness. That was the way to
build up North Carolina; and it would avert
civil war, which was threatened If these eXecu-
tons and sales went on.
| Mr.. Parker said his constituents were as much
indebted as any, but they were willing to pay
They wish little indulgence, on debts contract
ed during the war, but on late debts they asked
for none Such debts were contracted on the
faith of property in possession and would be
paid 1t was not excusable in justice OR law to
stay debts since the war. In the case of Others
it might be. But to adopt this amendment
would be to stop the circulating medium of the
country. People will begin to think they never
will be made to pay any debts. There would be
no money paid out, and put in circulation, and it
seemed to him that man might as well be ex-
pected to live after the blood had ceased to flow,
as State or commonwealth with its circulating
medium stopped. 70
Mr. Congieton said that all debts were con-
traced in good faith, and should be placed on the
same footing. If relief be given to one class, ex-
tend it TO all One cannot be satisfied, until both
are 1t would be unjust to stand by and see a
person sold out for debts, when the old ones were
not collectable The new ones were US much eff
fected by the late war as the old ones just after
the surrender, cotton was one dollarin the pound.
At this price men were deluded and runined.-
They went to work in earnest, butt seemed that
the Providence OF God frOwned on the country,
and the crops were failure. If the old debts
were stayed because of the and its effects, it
seemed TO him as just to stay the new ones. I'm
less it were done the agricultural interests OF the
people would be broken down, and 1t was better
to stay all or kill all.
Mr. Hood said that he was in favor of relief and
believed that all the delegates WERE but the ques-
ton was how is it to be given? Will the mea-
sures pending give relief? The ordinance Of the
committee appeared to be sensible, but the amend
ment if adopted would carry distress TO the doors
of one half the families of the State The excep-
tons were doubtless well, and.it was sugar.
coating perhaps palatabie to mechanics and other
laborers. But it will stop all enterprises, and
the laborcrs be turned out of employment, and
the exceptions be of no avail. In such an event
those who have the means will not have the will
to employ, and those who have the will lack the
means. Everything will come to a stand STILL
Instead of relief misery will be the consequence.
Now there was doubtless plenty of money
boarded in the country. And last spring the peo-
pie prepared to meet portion Of their indebted
ness But staylaws and general orders had pre-
vented this, and the people sat down and did not
pay any thing. gentleman in his town had ff-
ty thousand dollars out standing and due, but
could not collect. Parties owing didn't care to
pay so long as they are prevented by stay-la
If he had this money he would put it into enter
prises of value, and give employment to labOrers.
This was not an exceptional case. He was afraid
1t seemed to him also that the action of the Con-
vention was likely to be hasty. A gentleman on
the committee proposes to bring in minority
report. Let the Convention wait and see. 1t
was not proper to rush such an important meas
ure through without mature consideration. Pc
thought the very best measure of relief would be
to exempt certain amount of property from
sale, and dispose of the matter in that way
Mr.. May said there was one question on which
all the delegates seemed to agree-that there
must be relief, but every one had his opinion as
to what and how it should be- There were two
plans: one, to allow the process of law to go Oh
in certain limits. Costs would thus be accumu-
lated, and officials be well kept upon their fees.
This was poor consolation to the humble debtor,
who would be held responsible in the end for in
terest, principle and COSTS The other was Just
to spike the gun and stop all operations Now
this discussion reminded him of the fable of the
rats and mice, who proposed to bell the cat
Who would bell the cat? The conflicting argu-
ments of both Sides show that neither are pre-
pared to do So The Convention was utterly I'M
able to decide now, and he suggested postpone
ment for further consideration.
Mr.. Jones, of Washington, said that if the
matter was postponed he hoped it would be SO
done as not to interfere with the regular bust
ness But what is the meaning of relief? There
might be as much overharm rs relief, in too much
legislation. The stay-law Of 1851 was the Begin
ming of this legislation. Men, who made money
by the cart load during the war, bought large
estates, held them now, and would not pay their
debts. When the time comes to do so, they look
for further legislation to keep them from paying
their honest debts. Now much had been said Of
the lawyers, shylocks, &c. When the Conven-
ton stay-law was passed in 1865, which was
unconstitutional, the lawyers as an act of grace
determined not to test that question. Perhaps
it was no act of grace, but they determined to
ions, men got ready to pay. They refused be-
cause the Legislature passed another stay-law -
The ordinance OF '65 gave five years time. That
was quite sufficient. But the debtor now sits
down and calculates that this Convention will
repudiate. Ii relief means means to shield those
who sit on their broad acres, from paying their
debts, put him down against it. Land was given
common heritage to man. There is new
class OF laborers here, and the sooner they be-
come land holders and taxpayers the better
The System of division of lands in small farms,
will be substantial relief. The laborers must
have land, and their labor will give it to item
He thought the ordinance under consideration
fraught with danger. Instead of ten grains of
mercury, it was thirty. He cited from the ordi-
nance to prove his position.
The amendment of the delegate from Guilford
lead to reputation. Notwit standing the hete.