The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-01
A NEW COUNTY SEAT
Pembroke Trying to Root out
lumbertOn.
A Warm and Fiery Debate Pfecedes a Vote
Which Provides for an Election on Change
Of County Seat.

The Committee on Counties. Cities
terday afternoon.
Big delegations from Robson county
were present to take sides and be heard
on the question of the removal of the
county seat from Lumberton to Pen
broke.
A bill had been presented in the SEN
ate proposing to leave the settlement of
the question to a vote of the people OF
the county. In favor of this there We're
here yesterday the following: II. NJ. John,
Alfordsville; j. w. Carter, Maxton; M.
McKinnon, r. +. Devane, DR.. Frank Nc
MILAN, ID. p. McEachern, Red Springs;
Nj l.. Marley, Lumber Bridge; John b..
Mccormick. McNatts: Neill Mcneil
Parkton, M. G.. Mckenzie, A. j. Mckin-
non, j. S. McRae, Maxton; Frank Bull
lock, Alfordsville; V. G. Peasants, W.
w Mccormick. Rowland; Neill Afford,
Floral College; DR.. Luther Mcmillan, A.
II McCallum. w. +. Williams, Red
Springs.
Opposing the bill there was also big
delegation present The members of it
Mclean, Stephen Mcintyre. r. Il. Lee,
r. ID. Caldwell, A. E. White, S. A Ed
mund. A. p. McAllistep C. B. Town
send. Geo. b. Mcleod, J. p. Mcneil, c.
b. Redmond, Geo. G. French, w f.
Finch, Frank Cough, Lumberton; l..
Show, A. l.. Show, Lumber Bridge.
The merits and dement's of the case
were entered into thoroughly, but before
this the opponents of the bill made argu-
ment that the hearing on the matter be
postponed us they had so little notice
that they desired more time to prepare
their case. The friends of the bill urged
immediate action and said that the 9TH
eT side had plenty of notice. The COM
mittee decided to hear the matter.
Mr.. A. ]. McKinnon first spokea for
the bill He declared that the petitioners,
about 2,000 who asked for the election
were among the best people. in The coun-
ty and that there were no women or
children on the petitions as charged. The
people who asked the election would pay
all expenses. He urged that Pembroke
was more centrally located. than Lum-
berton, and that as a new court house
and Jail were to be built the people ought
to say where they wanted these
Mr.. a. w. Mclean spoke against an
election and described Pembroke as a
place in the middle of the road with 10
people mostly negroes, in it, He con-
trasted Pembroke and Lumberton, and
said that Lumberton was the most con-
venient. and that Pembroke was sur
rounded by swamps the Lumber river
sometimes rising to about 200 yards OF
the town. The opposition, he said, had
1885 names on their petition, some of
these being women, children and negroes.
Against the bill he said over 1600 people
had signed petitions in three days while
the other side had obtained some by
false statements, concerning the pro-
posed erection of buildings. He said
that rs of the people of Robson pre-
ferred Lumberton and that not ten out
of the 81 county seats in North Carolina
We're as conveniently situated as Lum-
berton. The county, said he, was about
$1,000 in debt and was not ready for
new buildings. AS to Pembroke he said
it was in the heart of Scuffetown, in the
midst of Croatan Indians. infested with
usquitoes and frogs, surrounded by
swamps and generally undesirable.
Mr.. Mccormick referred to Mr.. Nc
Leans remarks as vain imaginings and
then explained the bill Robson county
was able to pay for what it wanted, he
said, and the county-seat was not to be
changed till buildings were erected. The
Legislature was not asked to settle the
matter, but only to give a vote to the
people. He declared the jail at Lumber
ton was no good and the court house very
poor. With regard to the matter causing
discussion he said there would be more
of it if the question was left over to the
next election. The best thing to do. he
urged, was to let the people vote in
August He denied the statement about
the swamps at Pembroke and the state