Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-01-29
lay a motion TO suspend the rules on the
table could not bo entertained.
Tho Tboir cOsto;naI ba

j. III. Harris, of Wake, colored. again
took the floor. He said he stood prepared
to vote for the repeal Of the bill, but be-
fore that was done he and other members
of the Penitentlary Committee asked that
| the proposition might be laid over until
the proposition of Mr.. Downing might be
accepted or refused, and that proposition
be sent to the Senate to allow this House
to raise committee to investigate the
whole matter and publish the facts to the
world
Mr.. Downing characterized the report of
the Senate Committee as being unfair and
one-sided, and not by any means making
full statement of all the facts, &c.
Ihe question recurring upon the motion
20 suspend the rules the yeas and nays were
called and resulted in vote of yeas 81,
nays 35.
The motion was lost, two-thirds not
voting in favor of it.
On motion of Mr.. Welch the rules were
suspended and the bill amendatory to the
bill Incorporating the Western North Caro-
lima Railroad was taken from the Calendar.
and recommitted to the committee on In.
ternal Improvements.
By consent, Mr.. Durham A resolution
in favor of E. Murrell, Sheriff of Onslow
county. Referred.
By consent, Mr.. Long, of Richmond A
bill III relation to tho issuing of $4,000 in
bonds to W. L. Steele, of Richmond coun-
ty. Referred.
Mr.. French, from the committee on
Counties and Townships, reported favora-
bly, upon the bill authorizing the Commits
sloners OF Anson county to levy special
tax.
On motion of Mr.. Latin the rules were
suspended and the bill establishing Turn
pike Road from Marion, Mcdowell coun-
ty, to Asheville, in Buncombe county, was
taken up.
The bill was read, when
Mr.. Pou moved to postpone the Eill un-
til today two weeks.
Mr.. Latin said he hoped the motion
would be votedId down as this was merely O
dodge of the anti-internal improvement
men.
Mr.. Ingram said that the finances of the
State were suffering on account of the dis
arranged system of taxation. He regarded
the tax and revenue bills as more impor-
tant than these internal improvement bills,
and should have the immediate attention
of the House therefore he hoped that the
motion to postpone would prevail.
Mr.. Welch said it was necessary to pass
these Railroad bills in order to ascertain
the amount of money to be raised.
The motion to postpone was then put to
vote and rejected.
The question then recurred upon the
passage of the bill OH its second reading,
when
MIR. Bowman (the introducer of the bilD
took the floor and advocated the passage
Of the measure at some length.
Mr.. Hodnett said he was a friend to q
ludicious system ofinternal improvements,
at the proper time, but at the present iunc-
ture OF our affairs, the people were in no
way able TO bear these large appropria-
tions. Pass all these bills and you increase
the State debt TO some thirty-seven mil
lions. The expenses of carrying on the
State government amounts annually to
some 400, ,0O0 Add this to some $4OO, 900
for school purposes and you have $500, 900.
Now this $500, 900 added to the $2,22O,-
600 interest upon the debt of thirty-seven
millions, will leave the people the sum of
So, ,O2O, 600 to be raised to meet the current
expenses Of the government and to pay the
interest rpon her debt. Now, the people
are in no condition to bear this enormous
taxation, and he now at the beginning of
these measures, would enter his protest
against them all. Here was the youth of
our country growing up in total ignorance,
and this Legislature, by their reckless ex-
travagance Ill these Railroad matters, were
incapacitating the State for years from
providing a thorough and ample system of
education. He thought education of much
more importance than these Railroads and
they should husband the resources of the
State In order to accomplish this end
Here were gentlemen from different Sec
tions, having each various projects in view
to get through this House, therefore, COM
binations were formed, and "a system of
barefaced log-rollipg INDUCED in, unequal
ing anything he had ever heard of or seen
in his life, to tho utter disregard Of the
Impoverished condition of our citizens, to
Thus turning deaf ear to their cries OF
distress. He. in the name of all that is fair
and just, protested against the sacrifice OF
the interest Of the whole people to this
combination Of certain sections.
He opposed these measures upon the
ground that he wished to preserve the
honor of the State intact. He had always
abhorred the doctrine of reputation, and
regarded man who favored reputation
per Sc. as dishonest.
But he would warn the House that, by
their unconstitutional, oppressive andreck.
less appropriations, that they were rapidly
educating the minds OF the people to the
doctrine OF Reputation. He would warn
now, the bloated bondholder, that the peo-
pie did not intend to pay these bonds, not
DeCdu5e Iuoy were dishonest, DuG because
their Legislature has declared war upon
industry, and has, and is, inaugurating
measures to oppress property-h holders in
such Il manner as will eventually result in
what may be we'll called a complete oonfs-
cation Of their lands, and throw it up for
general scramble.
How DO gentlemen propose to raise all
this money asked for? The whole taxable
property i'll theState amounts only to about
So, 600, 900, which will give tax OF about
$125, 900, and adding to this the tax upon
polls, incomes, &C., the whole possible rev
enue that the State can command will
amount to about 81. 725, 900. Where, then,
is all the money coming from ? Was it to
be wrung from the hard earnings and labor
of our poor people by system of onerous
and oppressive taxation
Messrs. Sinclair, Malone, Gambler and
Latin urged the passage of the bill
On the passage Of the bill on its second
reading, the yeas and nays being called,
resulted in vote of 80 yeas to 16 noes.
On motion of MIR. Latin, the rules were
suspended, and the bill separating and di-
viding the Eastern and Western divisions
of the Wilmington, Charlotte and Ruther-
ford Railroad was taken up.
Mr.. Justice, of Rutherford, advocated
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