Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-09
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THURSDAY, April l. 1856!


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THURSDAY. April l, 1862
by MIR. Latin A bill to incorporate the
Harnet Hose Company in the city of Will
mington. Referred.
The consideration of tho School bill was
resumed.
J. H. Harris, of Wake, colored, moved
10 reconsider the vote by which section 33
was stricken out.
This section provides that the commit
tee of any township shall, when they deem
it advisable, call meeting of the voters.
who either reside or pay taxes in the Town.
ship, and submit to them the proposition
for continuance of the schools beyond
the four months required by law and
shall also submit to them an estimate of
the expenses per month for tho continuance
of said schools.
j. II. Harris, colored, continued for
some time to advocate his motion to re-
consider, and, during his remarks said
that he would warn gentlemen that rs, 900
colored voters in the State would be more
careful III future how they voted Now,
that those great principles that render all
men equal before the law were firmly es-
tabllshed, tho colOred voters would look
moro at men than at measures. Hereto
fore they had looked at measures, not men,
lie had infinitely rather support an honest
Democrat than weak-kneed, hollow
hearted Republican.
MIR. Ingram said those who had voted to
strike out the section were the true friends
of education. They believed that they
should adhere to the restrictions in the
Constitution, because Constitutions are N
tended to protect minorities maiorities
can take care of themselves &c.
Mr.. Bowman next took the floor in op-
position to the motion to reconsider. La
reply to tho insinuation that he was weak
kneed, he held such insinuations in con-
tempt. He was standing fairly and
squarely upon the Republican platfrom.-
lie was here to represent and protect the
interest OF all in their just rights. He was
astonished to see certain leading Republi-
cans on this floor advocating mixed schools,
&C., when they SO bitterly denounced such
a thing in the canvass. He was opposed
to forcing parents to send their children
whether they wished to do so or not. He
was opposed to the section because the
people were too poor at present to keep up
the schools for longer period than
four months, and the provisions of the
section In question, allowed voters who
tax to keep up those schools longer than
the time proposed in the Constitution, to
make those who would have to pay shoul-
der burden that they were in no way able
to bear. He moved to lay the motion to
reconsider on the table
The yeas and nays were called and the
House laid the motion to reconsider on
the table.
J. 81. Harris, of Wake, colored, moved
to adjourn. Lost.
The same moved to take a recess for two
hours. Ruled out of ORDER
The same arose to question of privil-
ege and during his remarks said that the
gentlemen from Anson Qngram) had said
more than cnce that certain Republicans
had entered into a contract with the Demo-
Gratis to defeat the bill, &c.
Mr.. Ingram said that he had entered in
to no such contract or did he know of any
having been made. Bat he could say
that an attempt had been made by the
minority to defeat the bill, and he could
prove, if required by parliamentary law to
do SO, that certain of the minority had at
tempted to influence others to vote to lay
the bill on the table, because they saw
from the Senate, &c.
Messrs. French, j. W. Leary, colored,
and Downing favored the bill as it came
from the Senate.
B. w. Morris, colored moved to strike
out the 56th section.
(The section provides that the school
authorities of each and every Township
shall establish separate school, or separ-
ate schools, for the instruction of children
and youth of each race resident therein,
and over six and under twenty-one years
of age, and such school or schools shall be
regulated, supported and instructed in the
same manner and to the same extent as
any other public school or schools of the
same grade.)
He (Morris) thought the section injuri-
Gus to the State and Injurious to the Re-
publican party. He was in favor of separ-
ate schools, but thought such matters
should be left to the Board of Education,
or to the various school committees, &c.
The parents Of colored children, as we'll
as those of the white, wished their chill
dren to be taught in separate schools
Then why say that the schools shall be
separate, when all parties desired nothing
else, unless you wished to convey the i'm
preston that either one race or the other
wished to have mixed schools? If the
putting of some two or three colored chill
uIcu III d SCuOOl Ol "ulIC CulluI6ti ID huCA
an everlasting disgrace, is it not equally
disgraceful that we are here together? Is
it right and just to tax payers in some To-
calities where there are but five or six col
ored children, that the expense should be
entailed upon the county to keep up a
separate school for those children?
Mr.. Downing. Do you think anything
Of that kind will happen in your section !?
Morris. No sir. But it will in the Wes-
tern portion of the State
Mr.. Sinclair. Suppose in a district
there should be but five or six coIored chill
dren, would you be in favor of educating
them IN the same school assigned to white
children.
Morris. | would leave the matter to the
good sense of the School COMMITTEES. I
would like to know if the gentleman from
Robeson (Sinclalrl would be in favor of
erecting aschool just to accommodate those
five or six colored children
Mr.. Sinclair. Most certainly, sir, L would.
am decidedly in favor of separate schools
in all cases, &c. .----.. =. ..-.. d
Morris continued by saying he was in