The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-02-16
SATURDAY, FEBRUAY 18th.

SATURDAY, FEBR UAY 18th.
About the only thing that stirs the
Republican Senator to eloquence these
days is the appointment of magistrates
He is Interested, in languid sort oil
way In constitutional amendments, sep
arate car laws, antitrust bills and in.
vestigatlons generally, but to SIT by In
passive silence and see Big Tom Riley
made a justice OF the peace In Lower
Little Hollow Poplar or Jobs Cabin
township, is too much for his phlloso-
phy. And he Is called on to stand a
good deal of that sort of thing. Every
day number OF new justices are be-
veted, and it was decided in the Sen
ate to arrange a capacious omnibus bill
that shall carry all those appointed
hereafter. According to precedent it
should create much debate by the min
when 1t comes before the upper branch.
The proposed appointment of a mag
istrate in Wilkes county was the occa-
sion OF the only lull in the whirr of
legislative machinery in the Senate.
A petition had been sent
up for the appointment OF one man
and Senator Campbell lRepublican)
wanted another appointed. Senator
Campbell assured his colleagues that
his fayorite was a stauncn Democrat,
but they we're disposed to look the
wooden horse on the inside, and did
not hearken to Senator CampbelPs
reasons.
HOUSE.-Judge Norwood Will be
lmpeached.
Two years ago he came perilously
near the abyss. This time he has top
pied over.
Then he escaped by writing out his
resignation and placing it in the
hands 0! the chairman of the Judiciary
Committee, V. s. Lusk, to be sent to
the Governor in a certain event.
That. event happened, viz he got
beastly drunk. The resignation was
sent to the Governor. The Governor
accepted it. As soon as Judge Nor
wood sobered up enough to know what
was going on he wrote to the Cover
nor Withdrawing his es;gnation and
to Mr.. Lusk withdrawing any agency
he had placed In his hands.
Since then Judge Norwood has been
exercising the duties OF his office.
Even since the introduction of the
impeachment resolution he has been
signing orders and injunctions.
1t was on these facts that the Judi
ciary committee based its first finding
That Judge Norwood is as matter
OF law, liable to impeachment.
The next question was ought he to
be impeached?
On this point witnesses were sum-
moned and it was found that at a |
number of courts, in all parts of the
State, he had been drunk in public |
and on the bench and unable in many |
instances to hold court at all.
On this evidence the committee |
came to Its second finding:
''That Judge Norwood is an haoitual |
drunkard and ought to be impeached."
On these findings the committee re-
commended the impeachment of judge
Norwood for high crimes and misde-
and farther, that a committee
of three be appointed to go to the
Senate and in the name OF the House
of Representatives and of the people of
North Carolina exhibit articles Of i'm
parchment and make good the same.
1t was on this resolution that the
House was called to act.
PASSED THIRD READING.
III. r. l,187: Resolution to equa!lze
for public instructions.
II. B. 1887: Act regulating the
payment of salaries for penitentiary
'fficers and employees and forbidding
he sale of crops.
III. R.: Resolution authorizing
he impeachment OF Judge w. L. Nor /.
vOod.
Other matters i'll both houses of the
legislature were local and Of no special
interest to readers Of The COMMON
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