Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-03-14
VOL. %.
IMPORTANT WORK BY THE
LEGISLATURE.

| ing, has been a short one. 1t com
menced on the 18th of November On
the 18th of December a recess wa
taken until the 18th of January, max
ing the whole number of days of. tn,
session, including Sundays. seventy
eight, or about sixty-eight. working
| days.
During that tine,- we believe,
more important legislation has beer
accomplished for the benefit of tht
| State than was ever accomplished h,
any previous Legislature of Nort}
| Carolina within the same period. This
is high praise, but We think we 90,
show it is deserved
\ glance at some of tho measures
which have been adopted will show a,
| once the character of the work dore
it's effect uron the material interest:
| of the State. and the efficiency anG
ability OF the Representative to whom
were entrusted the responsibility an6
cares "f the Legislature department.
OF tie Government
To appreciate properly the Difficult
ties aId cmbarrassmcnts under which
the General Assembly labored, we nlrst
remember the circumstances by which
the members We're surrounded at tn,
CONNER cement Of the session. We
must remember that they were ham
p-r,d at every turn blythe Radical Con
stitutiOu, fulI Of absurdities and incon-
ajStaUcies. eighteen amendments to
y.3at<}: were pending before the Leeis.
istrtre. and the adoption Of which would
:orr9r - important part OF he session :
FORK Er must rnnnem;,ar that the
e,.I.. Of laws uader the Kew regime,
VA i almost iHeXtrlcai,ic confusion.
and tina: the statutory Cnactnlents wc' {
il SUCH Il state that II was q difficult
matter ior the most :.-tute and read i
la yer 10 tell what parts of thet,id las
=, re- repealed, modified or amended.
pf which parts .; the. BOW r.-enacttd q
~ a.f"red t.. cid. or which parts oi
both f1.. old anG new were III actual
operation, ~ View OF the various
c!i;ts g;-s aad naoliticntinnsof both with
in ilty a2s: inUr years.
These ana various other difficulties
- which We need BOT reier. stared tie
General Assembly, n the tace ;,t tie
r"ry reception If lis work, hut did not
a?':'"ii It's members from the. perform
;s-sct Of ;:lea task l"fogc th..in. nor cause
ticU:2l - shrink frpL the ar,3:lnIls d:.t.Cs
.3cvn;47nE upon their shoulders.
I9irs;. I II, i.ttCylt0y I.yrc''c'!so mt.
Various IA iro.a.i charters were granted;
before and during mo re.'ass, and the
inrorDnTatorA Of tho several pro; ;ects
arc .aa~tJ.Ga thai their scnenes az;
l,r;3ctica bls antj will I1c carried os.t. I:
80 North Caroline: VIII n :. fcv- veara
l'ostst oi 2 sTSten % Railroads. extend
.3:.c ;'}YHi,y.: .I'u.,i the East 70 the West,
winch vii place tn" otats in quick
Communication, with the outside world,
enhance the real estate % nearly very
coaIsy. and offer facilities FOR trade.
travel and convenience hitherto 1lncn-
loved by orr 79sisses. While we con-
fess we do not enter into the hopes Of
those who look for speedy realiza-
tioi, of these aDticipatjons. Eot i any
benefit shall, il the ona, he re
allied from tI1e grant of these
various charters. to the present Leg
is!"turo s!lonld be accorded the credit
for the contamination of the
proposed enterprises. Not q o3oll01- q
oDDr0 0oz.iGfiG0 has been ntHGc for 0I7y
0f hCsc schemes, and if tho grnnt Of
privileges has IN some instances seemed
extra l5rary, We must remember the
anxiety of our people On the subject OF
railroads, and how absurd it would he
TO refuse to allow Any person to build
railroads i";. us. when they ask no I'd
sistance from tie State.
i5nt the most important act of the
T.erislature u:2 the subject of roads.
was that authorizing the Governor To
appeal from tie decree Of the Circuit
Court. ordering < the sale Of the Western
North Carolina railroad Oh a Judgment
oT 50 hundred and forty Thousand
i ,t,.I tIx-
:t.7ga IH5c!z. \ commission has been
aD,s0inted !sv he Legislature tn sell
lie Road for the benefit OF the State.
tarest and rights oi the State, and the
stockholders uE the road shall require.
III" i:na.l it. franchises, rolling stock,
AID otte4 property viii probably bring
over nn, faI!ilOn OF dollars clsii--.ii.d
the com nl,;sIoners are authorized Il
ak, >,!cIl steps as may lie NECESSARY
save. the property If the Stat" from
ser~!fic-. aud 81 the same time provide
for the speedy c"mpieTiun OF flie
Western North CarniIl2a iioa3. NG
I.1vr I,-fs,r.. gi,cn \ fu!! history -! TIE
Western North Carolina Read. Ee
!,c+e hcforr g:vcrt p tuli history of the
circumstances al sale OF the Road. and
, a.
IL, ,.,i1.a'tt~.- apr 1Ir.aa tn jt:yeGti-
e<.t,. iia 4t,,:. = au,i Il v1:a III" rne:ss'> t.
.:rf,ts # TIE -,rat. < INTEREST.
...rorai>. in f,.t~. ri idu"s2: :@2
Tita ,:cll,a., ;.v mas i,r..*ed . Grcli
f2i.u~.. # ha., dom unth;ng for tbs
.....=, a.. ,..:ic9ti:i,. To-day. Nnrti
5..eo.ir ir... sta,,,:> more IN need oi r'1!i,il'
; schools ;,jid ~ Il l,ra;:, ca. system o
. common school INSTRUCTION than per
I.an. any State in the Union. Educa
ton is rapidly no the wana. ant. IT is I
Ia.,toralpl9 fact that there IS moro ieuo
!. ..:,,ice prevailing among the children II
tI,r State than has ever before been
Known 10 exist. The Legislature ha
50 CHARGED tila law as To provide 'ha
: school shall bc kept up il raci, Sci2oo
District in the State for al Least fou
months in ti!c year. Under the o.
law :. very large majority ot tho DIS
tricts had no schools at al.
Thirdi,. RoSciadii}9 Htc PcR5tcnS'
nry Confr0ct. Under an act q n
Radical Legislature Of ISG8-'G1, In
C.7;qpa;ss:oncrs Of tho p"nitentiary
! Nrcesre. Alfred Dock>ry. O. ". WciheT
\. J.. Eoucc", John r. Harrison All
Alfred Howe. .;il J:epub;ical's, made
co7,t~act With the Coleman jiiofhers Il
Cincinnati, for the stone and brick hw''r
OF tl,e Paaitentiary. i spcc;al Co.n
1ai.tyc Va appointed by tie Lcglsia
t1ro 70 look into this contract and t
see il the Taxpayers Of the State co1l
not be relieved of tae hca.y outlay
required 10 build the p:ntentiar
under the contract with the Messrs
Coleman. After .. thorough ;lavestilg
ton, the Comn;otee aseertalnod tls
the Coleman contract wa1id cost th
State the SUM Of about four hui2t;re
and Twenty-Five Thousand dollars; ths
The ret profits ri The contractors. r.
cordirg to t:iair own computation
! would amount To one hundred s.nd il
+ fv-seven Thousand dollars, ana tr"t L
State would do the work, by eub5tli1i
irr brick Tor stone, and using conEI
? Labor. at q :::lvirg of ebout ttll'ca hu,
4 (rt,i thousand dollars.
- rs the payment ot thirty five tho
O sand dollars iGr the resclssion 81 ii
contract. tho Legislature has save
enough Of the public money to ,p'