The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-01-27

4
support it. The language of the first sec
tion Art 5 of the Constitution was ambig-
uous and admitted two very plausible con-
structions one that the tax on property
Is limited by the tax on the poll. because
the word land " instead of the word shut"
is used another, that the tax on poll is
limited to the tax on property of certain
amount. Section four provides that the
! Legislature shall provide for the prompt and
regular, payment of theinterest on tile public
! debt. 1t is implied in every section of the
| Constitution that the Legislature shall pro-
vide for the administration of the govern
ment. We are sworn to provide by taxation
for about $1,100,O00 annually, and it will
require seven or eight hundred thousand dol
lars to administer the government during the
present fiscal year--building penltentiary,
the common school system, payment OF the
Legislature, other officers, &c about $780, 900.
making 81, 100000. A tax of two-thirds OF
one per cent upon the estimated property of
the State $3.50, 600, would procure but
00,O00-$ $780, 900 less than the actual
outlay. So that taking these facts, and
combining the first and fourth sections, it is
very clear the restriction does not and cannot
; limit the tax on property, but on polls. Thus
much aside from reilroad bills.
( These considerations would influence his
vote upon the amendment. The Legislature
was sworn to support the Constitution. The
amendment would restrict the tax to two
thirds of one per cent, and thereby virtually
3 defeat the Constitution, and thereby violate
A duty. For these reasons he did not think
the Constitution limits tax upon property,
and therefore he thought the amendment
should not be adopted.
Mr.. SINCLAIR said the amendment of the
gentleman from Cleveland was bold move.
1t inaugurates new policy for the party of
which he would become member This
State is mere cipher in the Union Her
power was lost by the war. The Repnbli-
can party has gone forth to lay broad and
deep the political structure which will
gather into itself all the power and pres
ige which VIC have lost We found we
could not upset the national structure by
bullet and hayonet The federal Govern
ment had under 1t railway and banking cor
porations, which the rehelion could not
/; overthrow. Our power can be restored by
internal improvements. If we look back it
will be like Lots wife. The people demand
this policy
The moment this amendment, if adopted,
goes out to tue capitalists of the North they
will pause, and our bonds will go down to
45 and so cents Under such provision
not bond could be sold, while he did not
think we should need more than two thirds
of one per cent. He hoped the amendment
would ne voted down and the substitute
adopted.
Mr. HoDNETT said III the message of the
Governor and the report of the State Treas
| tla ri,>1a laiI tl,t
ton could not exceed two-thirds of one per
cent.
Mr.. ESTES said The statement was not in
the message al ALL
Mr.. SINCLAIR said the opinion of no Of
ficer was binding upon the Legislature. He
would not take the ipse dirit of the Chief
Justice unless he was in chambers.
Mr.. HoDNETT proceeded to argue in favor
of the amendment, and against what he
called the policy of the Republican party
progress, reputation of what did not suit
their purposes
Mr. ESTES replied that the Republican
party had repudiated no part of the Con
stitution. They said it was for thee to
decide the limitation of taxation. He
thought these bills would be worthless if the
amendment was adopted. He could put no
other construction upon this than an attack
upon internal improvements, and therefore
hoped it wonld be voted down.
MIR. DURHAM claimed to be friend of in
tcrnal improvements but took the ground
that the people could not bear the necessary
taxation.
Mr.. FRENCH asked if he did not believe if
the Wilmington, Charlotte s. Rutherford
Railroad, under the proposition, for paying
the interest, of Mr.. Estes, it would not in
crease the value of property and enable the
people to pay double the present tax.
Mr.. DURHAM replied that property along
that road or the North Carolina road, is
now worth nc. more than it was twelve years
! ago.
Mr. ESTES said the property along the
Wilmington 6 Weldon road is worth dou-
bic to-day what it was a year ago.
Mr. DURHAM thought it visionary
scheme along the lines of many roads. At
|. the late recess rich men came and told him
to support these schemes because they could
pay the taxes. But he SAID poor men
would he affected by it. He said rich men
we've standing around this Legislature bold
ing the roGf OF terror over members to make
ttem vote for these measures, and he should
make their names known, and was response
BILE for what he said. Not more than one
tenth of the, people of the West read any
paper. and the first they would hear of this
tax would be from the sheriff with his list,
He continued at some length, saying that
the Republicans would ruin the poor people
by taxation to build railroads for the rich
who could pay their taxes and though hs
expected tO he beaten in his district, he
should denouncc the movement.
After a running debate between Messrs
French and Pou, Mr.. French said the gen
tleman from Cleavland had said great
deal about wealthy men. He declared this
expenditure would benefit the poor man di-
rectly. We were going to borrow money
I'm the credit of the wealth of the State and
exnend it among the people. He knew the
greater portion of the individual subscrip-
tions of the Wilmington, Charlotte and
Rutherford Railroad were paid in manual
labor. 20. employ their labor was one OF
the greatest blessings that could he confer
red upon laboring men. He hoped the
amendment would lie voted down and. the
substitute of his colleague adopted. Tha,
substitute was an idea for which the State
could never repay its author, MIR Estes.
Mr.. VEsT said the reason the people re-
ferred to by Mr.. Durham took no papers
and had no money was because they had nc
railroads to, bring them papers Or carry ava!
their produce.
Mr.. DOWNING argued that these railroads
with Mr. Estes amendment, would maxi
money plentiful and enable the people ia
better to pay increased taxation.
Mr.: MALONE said the reason the State hat
~ Il,