Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-02-07

best relief for the people of North Caro-
lima. It saved two millions of dollars TO
the State, and Harris resolution would eff
fectually kill it.
Galloway (negro), thought that all reso-
lutions should lie over under the RUE; he
was opposed to the suspension Of the rules.
If the Convention passed the resolution it
would recade from the position it took In
the earlier stage of its proceedings. He
was opposed TO reputation; it was only
the rich who favored that measure, the poor
owed nothing. The moment repudition
was introduced here, it would be death
blow to the Republican party. The best
method to give relief to the people was to
encourage Internal improvements. He
hoped the resolution would lie over.
Harris (negro) said the resolution was
intended only to expedite the business that
brought them here.
Mr. Tourgee hoped the vote would be
taken, and the rules were accordingly sus-
pended and the resolution voted down.
Mr. Rich, q resolution calling on sheriffs
for the number of executions and amount
Ct money to be collected thereon. Laid
over.
Mr. Congleton, a resolution in favor of
immediate action on Constitution and Re-
lief. Laid over.
The hour Of II o'clock having arrived,
Mr. ROdmans report, as Chairman of the
Committee on Relief, the special order Of
the hour, was taken up.
The following is the report
The undersigned ma iority of the Select
Committee on Relief, respectfully report
the following Ordinance and Resolution,
and recommend their passage
AN ORTlTN ANON rrrTT7
TI0N OF THE COURTS OF THIS STATE.
SECTION |. Be ii ordained by the people Of North
Carolina ia Contention assembled, That Court
Of law equity Of this State shall have julisdc
ton CT any suit action founded on any contract
made prior to the first day Of May, 1865, Except
actions against public officers, executors, admin
lstrators, guardians trustees. aud others acting
in tiduciary capacity, and their 3ureties, for
breach OF heir respective dnties, by the appr0-
pratIOn to their own of money or property
officially received by them, other fraudulent
aHt,) or Of any action or process to revive aT en-
force any Judgment heretofore recovered on any
such cOntract, whether such action be now pend
iug. shall be comm need hereafter, and whether
such process has been already issued or shall be
her after sued for the sheritfs, corOpers and
cOnstables OF this State, having in their hands
fnal process issued upon any judgment, founded
such cause Of action, are hereby commando
TO stay all proceeding upon the same, and return
the same to the proper courts.
This Ordinance shall be in force from and after
its rattle ttiOn by this COnvcnf ion and shall con-
tlnu6 1OrC8 until the urSG CAV OF July, 1905 or
until he Constitution. which ehs Convention has
met to adopt, shall so into effect, whichever shall
first happen.
Resotued, That a copy Of the foregoing Ordi-
nance be sent tC Major General Canby Command
ing, &c, and that he be respectfully requested to
arse the same to be enforced.
Mr.. Mcdonald, one Of the committee, agrees in
recommending the foreg )ing with the exception
of the exception in thy first section, which he
thinks should be stricken out
Will. B. RoDNAN, Chairman
JNo A. MCDONALD,
JNo. READ
G. W. BRADLEY,
J. H. DUCKwoRTH.
Mr. Il. moved its adoption. He said
that they were called "repudiators, " and
admitted that as any law passed affecting
debts and contracts was in some degree
reputation, that it was reputation to
some extent. But the people of the State
were impoveI shed and beggared, and, in
justice to posterity, some measure should
be taken to prevent the sacrifice of proper
ty. IT was necessity and necessity knew
moo law. History knew of no case where
a country had passed through a disastrous
and desolating war and not left it in the
same condition as ours at present. He
quoted various instances where repudia-
ton in some degree has been resorted to
and still left the national honor unfair
nished. The bill only touches debts, &c,
contracted prior to May, 1865, and ex-
pired by its own limitation on the 1st July,
1868. If some measure of this kind is not
taken the land would be owned by large
class Of absentee landlords. We would
labor under the same suffering as Ireland.
He did not care where the purchaser was
born, but he wanted him to live and labor
among us. He would say to the debtor
"you must pay, " and to the creditor "you
must give time"
Mr.. Jones, of Washington, had great re-
luctance to dissect an ordinance that bore
the impress Of the gentleman from Beau
forts pen. The people wanted relief and
substantial relief He thought the ordi-
nance calculated to mis~ead its language
was susceptible of great misconstruction.
He thought the analogies that had been
drawn by the gentleman between the bar
barian conquests of foreign countries did
not apply to d Republic. The ordinance
gave to dishonest debtors too great a scope.
He thought the picture Of absentee land
lords was only drawn to influence the i'm
aeination, not the good sound Judgment.
He did not believe that the prosperity of
the State consisted i'll retaining large
amounts of lands, and cited the manner in
which lands were worked to q great advaH-
tage In the North.
Hif. Moore, OF UIanF1lle, ASKED II the gen
tleman was winking at confscation.
Mr.. Jones By no means. That was a
dead duch-a bug-bear to frighten feeble
minds bnt it might come, If the present
antagoniem to the government was con-
tinued. He made an argument in obedi-
ence to suggestion of the Judge on his
circuit, in regard to the constitutionality
of the stay law, passed by the Legislature,
and on being asked by the Judge if he
thought the stay law OF the Convention
was also unconstitutional, he replied that
he would not discuss that he and other
gentlemen of the bar had agreed that the
necessities of the people We're great that
they would not moot the question. This
ordinance would expire on the 1st of July.
1868. Why did not Gen. Canby's order
cover the same ground ? His idea of relief
Was to set the state on its pegs. He was
keeping the honor of North Carolina invio-
late the moment such declaration was
made, the people of the North would begin
to feel contideLce in the bonds of the State.
Then the stream of prosperity would set in
and the struggle for supremacy would be-
gin. That was his idea of a substantial re-
lief.
Mr.. Watts said he stood here a Repudia-
tor, from the circumstances that surrounded
them Cries for relief were heard from