Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-06-09
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BE ADOPTED
The seventh article OF the C0nstitu-
ton relates TO municipal corporations,
that is to say, to our county, town
and city governments. The amend
ment proposed TO this article of the
Constitution is a very important and u
very sweeping one, in that It places
the power over these several govern
mants in the hands of the Legislature,
thereby restoring it to The people. Tie
amendment is IN these words:
e'Tha General Assembly shall have
fpIi pGV:cr by statute 10 modify, change
o. aI5-3o2te any and all of the prOvls-
jors q this article and substitute 9TH
or u their place, except sections
seven, line and thirteen"
i VIII be seen that the only restric-
tion upon the power of the Legislature
is as to sections seven, hino and thir-
teen. The sections are as follows:
Sec, :. No county, city. town or
other municipal corporation shall con-
tract any debt, pledge its faith, or
loan It's credit. nor shall any tax be
fire came, except for the necessary OK
perEcs thereof unless by vote Of q
moiorit- q tha qualified voters therein.
sec .. All taxes levied by any
county. city, town or township, shall
be uaiform and al Uai0rcn2, upon ali
properly II the same, except property
exempted by this constitution.
Seo. 10. No county, city, town or
other municipal corporation, shall as
sumo or pay, nor shall any tax be levied
or c5.lectod for the payment OF any
deby, O. the interest upon any debt,
contracted directly or Indirectly, IL nld
Or support Of the rebellion.
The restrictions upon the power OF
The Legislature contained III the above
SECTIONS the Convention for reasons
obvious 10 everyone thought it was not
expei,i> Mt to remove. 1t IS not proba-
bic anyone desires they shall be re-
moved.
The effect OF the proposed amend
ment It will be seen is to give the Leg
islaturo the entire control OF the
county governments and the election of
Justices Cf the Peace; that is, the Gen
era Assambly may continue these pro-
visions as thoy are now, or change
them rs they may be instructed by the
people. 1t Will have the power to
abolish many useless offices thereby
saving 30 the people the large sums of
money now required to make up their
salaries and above all it VIII be en-
powered to provide that we who live
under negro rule may once more en-
Joy the blessings of honest Intelligent
government.
The importance of this amendment,
we repeat, arises from the power it
confers upon the Legislature to abol-
ish the present system of county and
township governments, and to substi-
tute another therefor. The Legislature
had the same power under the ola
Constitution, the one that was the
handivOrk of our fathers, and so have
now the Legislatures of "a majority of
the States IN the Union. No harm but
great good came of it in the past and
the same viii be the case in the future.
The power conferred by this amend
ment goes so far as to enable the Leg
islature to establish one system Of
county government in one county and
a different one in another, as the ne
cessities o. the case may require, and
in this way il no other, will enable the
Legislature to free us from negro rule.
Townships and their governments
are also put in the power of the Leg
islature by this amendment and will
doubtless be speedily stripped OF their
unnecessary power of taxation. The
people are taxed enough already for
necessary State and county purposes
without having the additional burden
of township tax laid upon them. If
the amendments shall be ratified it 4