The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-21
Especial to The Messenger.)
SENATE.

49, - - ~AsD
esting. Many purely local bills were
passed. Bills were passed: Giving Co.
lumbus county a d~ispensary. Creating
the county Of Scotland. Incorporating
the Atlantic and Yadkin railway.
The Judge Norwood matter vas in
definitely postponed, as he has re-
signed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Bill were introduced as follows: BY
Mr.. Rountree, to give livery men a lien
on horses and mules. To make it a
misdemeanor, punishable by $50 fine,
to work on Sunday. By Mr.. Gillian, to
amend the charter of Rocky Mount. To
regulate accident insurance companies.
Bills passed as follows: To incorpor-
ate Gibson, Richmond county. To al
low Greene county to levy a special
tax.
Mr.. Winston, on behalf of the COM
mittee on education, made a report
nominating trustees of the university
as follows: K. P. Battle, c. NJ. Sted-
man, F. H. Busbee, H. c. Wall, Ben
chan Cameron, j. S. Manning, J. w.
Fries, r. M. Furman, w. A. Guthrie,
T. S. Kenan, r. H. Lewis, j. A. Lock-
hart, J.. D. Murphy, j. l.. Patterson,
Fred Philips, J. A. Robeling, Henry
We'll, w. T. Whitsitt, E. ]. Hale, c. M.
Cooke, T. j. Jerome, H. E. Faison, L.
B. PIERCE, James Sprunt, l.. j. Picot,
H. A. London, Frank Wilkinson and
E.. r. Outlaw. Next Tuesday is fixed
as the time of election.
Mr.. Holman, chairman of the finance
committee, introduced the revenue bill,
and Mr.. Craig a bill to incorporate the
Asheville Savings bank; also one Civ
ing deputy clerks power to probate
deeds.
Public printing bills were made the
special order tomorrow.
Mr.. Rountree introduced a bill to ap-
point justices of the peace for the city
of Wilmington.
The bill passed to allow Fayetteville
to establish an electric light plant.
Mr.. Rountree called attention to the
fact that it was time for taking up the
special order-the bill to amend the
constitution as to suffrage.
Mr.. Winston read the report of the
committee with the substitute, which
is the bill.
The galleries and lobby were filled
and all manifested deep interest, as
was to be expected concerning the
most important business of the entire
session, a radical change of the organ
io law Of the state, as the speaker an
nOunced.
Mr.. Rountree said the bill was the
result of most anxious and painful
consideration by the committees; also
the result of mutual concessions on the
part of members, but such as it is, it
has the unqualified approval Of COM
mitteemen and all lawyers in the legis-
lature. 1t is a measure to secure to
North Carolina, for many years at
least, good government. 1t is a just and
constitutional measure. He spoke of
the experiment of universal suffrage
in the earlier years of this country. 1t
was found to be impracticable; in late
years this feeling has deepened; as to
Hawaii and Cuba, there is qualified
suffrage. If the people of North Caro-
lima had had any doubts about the fu-
ture of universal suffrage, fusion rule
of the past four years and particular
ly of the past two years had swept
away these doubts. The committees
had set to work to solve the question
in a Just, humane and legal way. There
were to be locke after white men
who, though unlettered, are fully ca
pable of the full duties of citizenship.
The committee felt that 10 n should
AXE part in control of the state unless
the poll tax was paid. 1t further de-
cided there must be sufficient intelli-
gence to perform the duties of citi-
Zens. Some leading negroes before the
committee admitted candidly that the
negroes voted en- masse at the crack
of the whip. The committee considered
that intelligence could be acquired by
inheritance; that this right to fran
chise might be handed dow from faith
er to son. The committee insists that
there should be exception from the
rule as to being able to read and write
in favor of those whose ancestors have
for long years governed this country.
He read from Hare's American consti-
tutional government a sentence to
show hat the view taken by this COM
mittee was correct. The question
comes up, he said, what will be done
as to the Fifteenth amendment to the
federal constitutions; but the committee
says there is no conflict, because
there is no mention of n race
or color, or of discrimination as such.
Some lawyers have said this bill is to
disfranchise negroes, but the commit
tee says it is only to ~isfranchise
those negroes who are unfit for citi-
zenship. Many negroes will have
franchise; some use it wisely n well.
He read the United States supreme
court opinion as to the Mississippi
franchise law saying it did not con-
flict with the fourteenth amendment,
though it was intended to limit negro
suffrage, and that it was permissible
action. He said this decision enabled
the state to disqualify many more of
one race thar of another. He said that
prior to 1885 a great many negroes
were voters. Their descendants can
vote. There are also negroes who prior
to January 1, 1867, lived in states where
they coud vote; they and their
descendants can vote. He went on to
say that seventeen states north Of this
had qualified suffrage. Descendants of
founders of this state are not affect
ed by this amendment. The amend
ment does not seem to be at all diff
ferent from the present law in Massa-
chusetts, the latter state having an
amendment to exclude foreign illit-
crate vote 1S75) being named were in
the amendment under discussion in
1867 is named.
AT Mr.. Rountree's request, Mr.. AL