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

ing the act Incorporating the town ot Lii
lington. Referred to Committee on Corpo-
ratiors.
Mr.. BEALL introduced bill to amend the :
charter of the town of Lenoir. Referred to
Committee on Corporations. Nt si+
Mr.. BLYTHE introduced bill to amend
the charter of the Buncom,,e Turnpike Conn
pany. Referred to Committee on Corpora
tions it yti A"k h'i f'as
Mr.. BEALL introduced bill Incorporating
the Yellow Mountain Bridge Company. Re-
ferre,l tc Committee on Corporations.
The report of the Committee on Privile:
ges and Elections in the case of Mr.. Purdie
came up by assignment.
Mr. Moore, OF Carterct, introduced res
olution declaring the seat of the 14th Scna-
torial District vacant. ~
Mr.. BRoGDEN reviewed the report of the
committee and the facts against Mr.. Purdie
at length, and advocated the passage Of the
resolution. 81" li'i
Mr.. GRAHAM did not agree with the views
of the Senator from Wayne [and quoted
from the opinion of Attorney General STAN
berry to sustain his objections. He held
that compulsory service did not disqualiy
person from now holding office land read
from the report of one half the Committee
on Privileges and Elections to sustain
this view] The Senate had once consider
ed the claims of Mr.. Purdie when he first pre-
senter his credentials, and must have
thought him qualified, or they would
not have admitted him to his seat in the first
place. 1t had now no right to reverse its
action and turn him out. The Senators were
judges and should judge but once.
Mr. BLYTHE felt it his duty to give the
resolution his support. Mr.. Purdie lad been
a magistrate both before and during the war,
and also chairman of the County Court, and
had in addition contributed money to aid the
rebellion. He was also a member of the
Home Guards. That he was magistrate
before the war and during the war, was not
denied and it was. "a well known fact that
during the war all magistrates were obliged
to take an oath to support the Confederate
States Government Thus Mr. Purdie must
have taken an oath to support the rebellion,
which alone was sufficient to ban him. He
had given money to volunteers for the Con
federate army, and had consequently given
aid and comfort to the rebellion. He held
the ground that every man who held office
under the Confederate Government had aided
in carrying out the designs of the rebel gov
ernment in its war against the United States,
for without officers to run the government,
there could have been no government Under
these circumstances, he maintained that Mr..
Purdie was banned by the Howard Amend
ment The gentleman who had just taken
his seat had said that after the Senate had
once admitted Mr.. Purdie, it could not recede
from that action. He did not think this true.
He for one had not known these facts at that
time or he should never have voted to
admit him, and now that they were
known and proved, he considered
it the duty of Senators in accordance
with the oath they had taken as Sena-
tors to remedy wrong as soon as discov-
cred. The gentleman had also said that we
had no right to ban Mr. Purdie under the
Howard amendment. The Senate had al
ready done so several times, which made
his two objections antagonistic Ito each
other In one case the gentleman said we
had no right to reverse decision and in the
other he said that it was right As to our
| having no right to enforce the Howard
amendment we had an undoubted right to
| do so, and it was the desire of Congress
| that any State should do so. We had taken
an oath to support the Constitution of the
| United States of which the Howard amend
meni is part, and must act in accordance
with cur oaths. In this case, and in all 9TH
| er similar cases, we should render verdict
according to the facts befnre us. In this
| case all the facts showed that Mr.. Purdlie
was banned and the verdict must he given
accordingly He called upon Senators to
consider well the votes t:iey should give on
this matter for the decision of the Senate
must 60 before the people of North Caro-
lima and should be just. l'
Mr.. ROBBINS thought the whole case
rested upon two points The report of the
committee was the sole basis that we could
Judge from and from that all arguments
must be made. From the facts presented
in the report there could be no doubt that
Mr.. Purdie had held office both lefore and
! during the war. But there was reason
to have grave doubt whether he had aided
the rebellion by so doing or in any other
way. All disabling or criminal statutes
shonld be construed strictly and any dnubt
that might arise should be given in favor
of the accused. There was reason for great
doubt as to whether MIR. Purdie had aided
the rebellion, ard he thought that deabt
should be given in his favor and that he
should be allowed to retain his seat.
Mr. BRoGDEN would not undertake tc fol
low the argument of the Senator from
Orange. There had been no decision on
this question by the Senate as assumed By
| the Senator from Orange and consequently
there was no decision for the Senate to re-
verse. He regretted that duty compelled
him to vote for this resolution esteeming
| as he did the Senator from Bladen.
On motion of Mr. MOORE, of Carteret, the
previous question was ordered.
The resolution passed by the following
vote:
| YEAs-Messrs.- Barrow, Bellamy, Brogden,
Burns, Blythe, Colgrove, Cook. Davis, Eavcs,
| Etheridge, Forkner, Galloway, Hayes, Harring-
| ton, Hyman, Jones oil Wake, Lassiter, Martin
dale, Moore of Carteret, Moore of Yancey, Smith
| and Stephens-2. stt s-,.f
| NAYs-Messrs. Barnes. Beall, G, aham, Lindsay,
| Love, Mason, Melchor, Osborne, Rich, Robbins,
Welker, Wynne, Winstcad and Wilson-1S.
Mr.. MOORE, of Carteret, offered resolu-
tion declaring vacant the seat of the Senate
| rial District to which MIR John A. Oates had
been elected.
The PRESIDENT decidedit out of order as
the case had been passed by and must await
its turn upon the Calendar.
| Mr.. WINsTEAD moved to reconsider the
vote Whereby bill relative to executors and
administrators was postponed.
| On motion of Mr. WINsTEAD the Senate
adjourned. +"
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
| 1 5d WEDNESDAY, Jan. 90, 1869.
+ The House met at 10 o'clock. Z ~
| = The SPEAKER in the Chair. a