Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-03-19
COssKESPoNHENCE.
YAR8 ROUGH House. !


Order for II o'clock, the Senate Cham
hor was filed to it's utmost capacity
Tn fact. the House was without a quo
,um and the members only LETT the
Senate Chamber when il was ascer-
+oiped there was aboat to be a call OF
the House.
Exactly at II O'Clock every Senator
heinc in his seat except Colonel Cooke,
of FraukliD, the g4vel Of tine President
fell. other business was stopped. and
tba Clerk was directed TO read the
hill The friends Of Convention had
determined not TO consume time i'll the
sneeches, although some of them were
e!aborateIy prepared. Colonel Will
hanson, the Senator from Caswell,
moved to amend by preventing the
Convention from interfering with the
manner OF e, Getting Judges and Magis-
tr.tes. 1t was promptly voted down.
Other amendments were offered, and
all met the same fate. The negro
Mabson, looking out for his friends,
moved to amend, prohibiting the re-
establishment of the whipping post,
and Acknowledgement for crime.
NJ. Linney proposed all amendment.
leaving it to the people to decide ut
thy polls whether the Convention shall
be restricted or not. This elected
some discussion. Colonel French, OF
Robson, Was il favor OF the amend
m.I,t. but WIS satisfied that il it was
adopted it would defeat the bill, and
he vas unwilling to ieopardize its fate,
e7rnby adopting, asmeritorious amend
neIt.
4 little after l o'clock the clerk be-
gan to call the roll. All was uncer-
tunty. The excitement, as the call
progressed, was intense. All over the
Chamber, Senator's and others, were
keeping the count. The President
responded "aye" in a loud distinct
voice, Us if conscious Of doing his duty.
Mr.. Albright, the Senator from
Chatham, was reluctantly compelled to
vote against his party friends, but his
hands were tied. He had promised
his constituents, during the canvass,
TO vote against the call of Convention.
The Democrats, III succession, yOt
ed aye, and the Radicals nay until
the name of CantwelI was called. He
responded quickly and distinctly
aye" being the first and only frpub-
lican who voted i'll favor Of tie bill.
The friends of the measure now
br, athed freer, but the absence of Col
oneI Cooke left the result in donbt.
The call progressed amidst the
GREATNESS silence Of tie vast crowd.
The Democr ITS voting aye and the
Radicals nay. until the name Of Mr.,
LeGrand, of Richmond, was reached
He rose from his seat with evident
emotion. He was as much III favor Of
q Convention as any other Senator,
but representing a constituency OPP
posed to it he was compelled to re-
cord his vote against his party friends.
Ii the Convention was called he could
be found battling in the ranks for
some worthy man 70 represent the in
terests of his people III that body.
Again the clerk proceeded with the
call Mr.. Marler, of Yndkin, was the
next Democrat who voted in the mega
tive. Mr.. Pegram, the worthy Sena-
tor from Harnett, did not respond to
his name. His position was doubtful,
ali the friends Of the bill were appre-
heusiye of the result. The interest
now became painful. One after
another the Democratic Senators
voted in the affirmative and
the Radicals in the negative,
without comments, until the name of
MIR. Williamson was called, being the
third from the end. Two votes were
required. and it was known thut Mr..
Worthy, from Moore, would vote III
the negative. Colonel Williamson
rose calmly. All turned to him with
anxiety, for upon his vote probably
rest d the fate of the bill, From the
first day of the session he had been
one of the most steadfast aud persist
ent opponents of the measure. He
evi iently felt the responsibility rest
ing upon him, and was fully prepared
to meet it. His voice trembled with
emotion, and his frame swayed with
the feelings which ranked in his
breast. His positi on, he said. was Il
peculiar one. He had opposed this
Dill from the first. He feared it was
against the best interests of the party,
aud had fought it hard and persist
emily, in season and out of season.
And now he found himself in q still
more trying position. Always Dem
ocrat, he had not been in the habit of
setting up his individual opinion
against SO large majority Of his party.
(Lhe Senate Chamber echoed aud re
echoed with applause, which the
president for some moment could not
cAeck 1t may be that he was com
ml'ting a mistake, but if so il could
never be recorded against him-like
uncle Toby's curse, which the record
ing angels blotted out with tears, he
IN W his mistake would be obliterated
py the forgiveness of his friends. His
sponse 'aye" was drowned by the
fnglng applause from Senators and
from the lobbies and galleries. Thus
tnlrty-three votes had been record ed
III the affirmative aud the bill was
SAFE as Senator Young was a pronoun-
ced friend.
MIR. Worthy, the fourth Democrat,
recorded his vote most reluctantly il
.ne negative, as he was personally il
i"'or OF Convention, but he was
compelled to forego his own convic
tiohs to the views of his friends. Mr.
1oung then voted aye, securing the
passage of the bill on its SECOND
reading.