Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-12-20
EDITORIAL CORREsPONDEN

matters OIL Interest E1eEOEC Inc
Iaturc-- q m 4 tutiOnal Amend
ments-'rhe Csury LRyys-The Public
PrintinS-The New York. Norfolk |
and Charleston RaiirOad-Scw Han |
overs Kntercsts-Thc State Debt- |
Deat.. of Nes,ublicanism.
RALEIGH, Dec. -, 1872.
DEAR JOURNAL Several important
measures have occupied the attention
of the Legislature during the week. On
Thursday the bill Of amendments to the
Constitution was taken up, and after some
skirmishing, was referred to the Joint Selec'
Committee on Constitutional Reform, with
instructions to report on or before the 18th
Of this month, whether in the opinion of the
| Committee the amendments can be sepa.
rated, or whether the bill must be acted
upon as q whole, and passed or rejected
without any change. If the Committee
| shall be Of opinion that the amendments can
| be separated, then it is further instructed
| to report the amendments back to the
! Senate separately, on or before the 10Th OF
January. The prospect is, therefore, that
before the recess is taken, we shall kno"
the fate of Constitutional Amendments
! The Radicals do nUt seem to be acting to-
gether in regard to the amendments. Mr.
! Grandy, one Of the Radical Senators from
the first district, has announced his pur
pose to oppose any change in the present
| Constitution. 1t suits him just as it is
other Radical members of the Legislature,
! however, very fortunately for the good OF
| the State, are Of a different opinion upon
the question OF the right of the Legislature
to separate the amendments. Legal gentle
men differ in opinion. Some OF our most
distinguished lawyers and jurists of the cid
school, are of the very decided belief that
the Legislature has the right TO treat the
proposed amendment to each distinct pat ct
the Constitution as separate bill. Amongst
the many gentlemen who are said to enter
tain those views, are Judge Battle and Hon.
B. F. Moore. Their opinions will doubt
less go a long way to remove doubts and
quiet apprehensiOns.
And in this connection ii may not be out
of place to remark that separating several
distinct independent amendments to indie
pendent parts OF the Constitution, which
have been put together in one bill, is quite
a different thing from altering or changing
any particular amendment proposed to any
one part Of the Constitution. In other
words, even if it be admitted that this Leg
F islaturc has no right to change i'll any 1c-
spect any one Of the amendments, it by no
means follows that it has not the power to
accept one amendment and to reject anoth-
er. But we shall see what we shall see.
Another important question which was con-
sidcred on yesterday and elicited,a good deal
of discussion, WAS Il bill to repeal all usury
laws, AID to permit parties to borrow and
loan money upon any terms that may be
agreed upon. y proposition to fix the max
imum rate Of interest at II and then at -
per cent. was voted down in the Senate by
vote Of twenty yeas to tWenGy-four nays,
and then the proposition to repeal all uSury
laws was voted down by a vote Of TO "a.
, The bill to elect Judges of tie Superior
: Courts by The people Of their respective
Districts and not by the people Of the State
, at large was also acted upon yesterday.
The bill passed almost unanimously.
The public printing was also discussed,
and bill passed by the Senate i'll accord
ance with the recommendation Of the
Joint Committee on Printing. 1t fixes the
compensation to be paid by the State at
reasonable market prices. One or two of
! the Radicals attempted to fillbuster little,
bat it was weak attempt.
, The ''big thing Of the week, however,
; was the bill to incorporate ''the New Y oIk,
) Norfolk and Charleston Railroad This
road is TO enter the State somewhere in
Gates county or in some county east there
of, and to run in an air line as near as may
be to Sampson, Duplin and Bladen, and
leave the State in Columbus county or in
, some county east thel eof, with one branch
to kinston, and another to Jacksonville, in
Onslow county. The fact that Henry
CleWs is one Of the incorporates does not
tend to inspire our people with much conf
= denco- The bill was urged as an Eastern
measure by Eastern aUd Northeastern
members and Western members, some Of
whom wished to oppose the scheme, found
themselves unable to assign any sufficient
reason therefor. The interests Of the city
Of Wilmington was not even alluded to in
the discussion. One could not help think
ing that had New Hanover only been
represented as in former times she had
been represented, when 4 McClanlmy, an
Ashe, Hall, or 4 Cowan watched
over her interests, what a differ
ent fight would have been made
1t was painfully humiliating to think that
when such a project as that under discus
si)n was bsfore the Legislature not voice
was heard to enquire even what effect it
would have upon the city of Wilmington!
Western gentlemen have told me they
desire TO oppose the scheme, but they were
prevented from doing by being asked
what they had to do with the matter, and
by being told that il It hurt any one it
must mart the Eastern people, and that
opposition from the West came with an i'll
grace! Poor Wilmington! She seems no
longer to be Of any consideration in the
Legislature OF North Carolina. Among
the fifty Senators and the one hundred and
twenty members CT the House of Repre-
seUtatives, not one has been heard to raise
bis voice to defend or oppose the bill, be-
cause it affected tie welfare Of a cummu-
nifty, that, to say the least Of it, is second
to none in the State in either wealth, man
ners, morals or intelligence. To think of
the past and then to think of tie present,