Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-01-26
SPECIAL ORDER.

PE(IAL ORDER.
The chair announced the special orGe :,
tC-wit: The bill i'll regsrd to the debt Of
the State. The question required upon the
substitute offered by Mr.. Welch yesterday.
The following is the substitute
WHEREAS, The results of the late war
and the legislation of the general govern
ment towards the people of this State, since
that unfortunate period have destroyed at
least twO-thirds of the property of the State,
and thereby so impoverished the State as
to render it highly impracticable and
! ruinOus for the people to fully discharge
the obligations which they had CONT acted
before that time; and, whereas, irrespOn-
| sible Legislatures since the adoption Of the
present Constitution, without the concur
renee Of the tax payers proper of the
| State, have foisted upon the people Of the
State additional enormous obligations,
thereby rendering impossible what before
would have been rltinOlls; and, whereas,
millions Of the peoples money have been
| extracted from the treasury Of the State
through fraud and COLLISION; and, whereas
but a small portion of this money has
been returned to the people i'll the internal
| improvements, of the State or otherwise
| therefore,
Sec. /. The General Assembly of North
| Carolina do enact, that the Governor OF
the State is hereby empowered and author
| lied to appoint three discreet and able per.
sons as commissioners on the part Of this
State, whose duty it shall be at once to as
certain and estimate the States interest il
! railroads, canals and other public improve
ments.
Sec. ,. That the commissioners to be
| appointed by the Governor, as provided il
the above section, are authorized to ascer
tain the debt contracted by the State an
| terror to the war, as we'll as the amount
actually expended for the legitimate pur
poses which appropriations We're made O
| the bonds issued from the Treasury during
and since the war.
Sec. 3. That when these facts shall have
been aScertained the said commissioner
| are hereby empowered and authorized Il
assign all the interests which the State O.
! North Carolina holds i'll all railroads, canal!
and other improvements to the parties as
certained by said commissioners as holding
such legitimate claims against the State o
! North Carolina i'll such proportion as thu
aggregate interest of the State in railroad
and canals and other improvements beaI
to the ascertained aggregate claims hell
against the State in consideration OF thu
surrender on their part of all claims helt
by them against the State.
Sec. 4. That the people of North Caro-
lima, i'm their representative capacity, here
by solemnly protest against any other Com
promise of their public liabilities than tina
set forth in the above sections in this act
and further declare that no other claim
held by any party or parties against tn
State of North Carolina shall ever be pal,
III part or in whole.
Sec. 5. This act shall be in force from
and after its ratification.
On motion of Mr.. Loftin, the matter mn
der consideration, was postponed until to
morrow ut II a. III.
On motion of Mr.. Loftin, tho Senat
resolution adjOurning sine die OH the Sis
inst, was taken up and adopted by vot
of yeas, "a nays, o.