The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-07


borer, first man.
Mr.. Ray. therefore, moved to lay the
bill on the table: Mr.. Welch, of Chowan,
seconding the motion.
On this motion Mr.. Petrie (Rep), of
Surry, called for the ayes and noes.
The call being sustained the vote re-
suited: Ayes. 16: noes, 80. Those voting
to lay on the table were: Bryan, of Madi-
son; Coates, Eaton, Hampton, Justus.
Lowery. Petrie, Pritchard, Ray. of
Macon; Snipes, Harrington, Tharp,
White, of Davie: Williams, of Graham:
Williams. of Yadkin; Wright.
The motion to table being lost, the bill
was, on motion of Mr.. Mclean, of
Harnett. referred to the Committee on
Propositions and Grievances.
On the passage of the bill increasing
the Board of County Commissioners of
Jones county to five, by adding Messrs.
J. H. Bell and w. b. Hargett to the
board. Mr.. Noble, of Jones. explained
that it was, under the recent decision of
the Supreme court in the Wright case in
the power of the General Assembly to
do this. The bill, he said, provided for
the two new commissioners going into
office on the first Monday in December.
anu III tHul liIlIt tllt UOdIu tlEly. IL II
sees fit, reorganize by electing a new
chairman.
Perhaps the longest bill yet introduced
in either House is that of Mr.. Leak, of
Arson, providing for submitting to the
voters of Wadesboro township the ques-
tion of voting $4,000 for permanent
road Improvement; and making terms for
the disposal of the bonds; expanding the
money derived from them; levying a tax
of % cents on a 500 of property and
rs cents on the poll to pay the interest
and finally redeem them. Objection was
raised to this bill because of the fact
that it requires judges, upon application.
to send short term convicts from other
counties having no chain gang to Arson,
and it was referred to the judiciary Com
mittee.
The bill of Mr.. Williams, of Dare,
making IT a misdemeanor to get drunk
anywhere except on ones own premises
was looked on with suspicion and general
disfaver, and it did not take long to refer
it to the Committee on Propositions and
Grievances.
Then came the discussion of the pro-
position to erase Jim Youngs name from
the corner stone of the institutions, as
related above.
And on the heels of that. as if the one
thing had suggested the other, the bill
to abolish all restrictions regarding the
emigration of coloIed people from the
State was taken up, discussed and
passed.
Mr.. Frank Thompson, of Onslow, the
author of the bill, said he thought the
law of 81, passed to prevent Peg-Leg
Williams taking negro laborers from the
State had served its day of usefulness
and now ought to be repealed. He
thought negroes like white people, ought
to be allowed to go wherever they liked
or could do best. He, for one, was per-
fectly willing for them to leave North
Carolina.
Mr.. Ray, of Macon thought the law a
good one. He had voted for it when
passed and now he didn't intend to back
water simply because the Radicals had
charged that it was done to keep the
NEGRO here. The law was designed to
prevent interference Of emigrant agents
with farming operations in the eastern
part of the State They always took ont
of the State the strong, healthy negroes
and left the old and weak; often they
came in and took them after the crop
had been planted and advances made by
the land owner Ii it was a good law
then it was Il good one now.
Mr.. Curtis, of Buncombe, said this
law had been thrown in his face more
than any other during the campaign, and
he didn't object if all negroes went. He
pointed out that the act had been declar-
ed unconstitutional.
Mr.. Boggs, of Catawba: IF you don't
repeal this bill the East need never
again call on the West for help"
Mr.. Foushee, of Durham, said the law
having been declared unconstitutional. he
saw no use keeping it on the statute
books.
Mr.. Council said that as for him he
was from the West and up there they
were not troubled by the negro. and it
made no difference to them whether the
law was repealed or not. If the East
wanted the law wiped out, therefore, the
West certainly ought not to object.
# Mr.. Harrington, of Washington, said
he had promised his people to have this
law repealed and he should insist on it's
being DONE
Mr.. Carraway, of Lenoir: .'Pm pledg-
ed to free trade and sailors rights I'm
i'm favor of Peg-Leg Williams and all
the other negro drummers. Let them
come and get all they want"
Mr.. Leatherwood, of Swain, declared
himself in favor of repeal of the law.
Mr.. Gillian. of Edgecombe. said it was
made especially fer his county. The emil
grafton agents, he said, had come there,
often in the midst of a crop. and taken
away hundreds of the strong, and able
bodied laborers, leaving the weak and
decrepit and entailing great loss upon the
farmers. He wanted the bill referred to
a committee.
Isaac III. Smith (eol.), of Craven: I'm
iii favor of a repeal of this law I'm in
favor of all men of all colors having the
privilege of going to any part of the
world where their desires or their in
terests may lead them. When hear the
harsh things said by the white man about
my race. | can only ask. rs Memory
dead is Memory dead? I'm told that
this very State House was built by col.
ored hands and paid for by money dus
from Mother Earth by colored slaves
Are these things forgotten? When the
war cloud rose and darkened the South
ern sky for four years. did we not serve
you most faithfully? When your strong
men went out to battle did we not re.
main and toll for and care for your
women and children? We are friends OF
I,,% L.