The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-05
LUMbERTOA It IS
House Committee Reverses
the Senatt'S Decision.
People Of Rob son Will not Fave 10 Vote on
Question Of Moving County Seat 10
Pembroke.

The Robson county fight was before
the House Committee on Counties, cities
and Towns yesterday afternoon, and the
Senates judgment was reversed.
The committee voted unanimously to
report unfavorably the bill to call an
election on this question of moving the
county seat from Lumberton to Penn
broke.
There were large delegations from both
sides, aud the argument was a warm
one. Practically every statement made
by each side was eontradicted by the
other.
The committee might have been some
what in doubt. if Mr.. Britt, one of the
members from Robson, had not at the
end spoken out strangely against the bill,
as inimical to the best interests OF
the majority of the people OF Robson
If the bill were not passed, he said,
the two sides might argue on the mat
ter.
The following gentlemen composed the
delegations:
For the bill: Messrs. NJ. McKinnon,
r. w Lawrence, n. L. Johns, A. r. Bull
lock. j. r. Denney. J. G. Mccormick, M.
MrRae, Ncill Afford, A. T. MeCallum, j.
r. Breeze, b. w Townsend, II. NJ. Brown.
Jas. G. Williams.
Against the bill: Messrs stephen Nc
Intyre, N. A. Mclean. A. w. McAllister,
r. b. Bond, A. w. Mclean, Stephen Ed
monds.
Mr.. N. A. Sinclair. of Fayetteville, ap-
peared as attorney for the bill
NJ l. 4 h., Ia. 3 h I'm,
that was asked was that tine peoIA be
permitted to vote on the question of NOV
ing the county-seat. Nearly 2.000 of the
people of the county had signed petitions
10 this effect
Pembroke was on the Seaboard Air
Line and Nio on the Atlantic Coast Line.
Mr.. Mccormick said, and it was also
nearer To most of the larger towns OF
Robson county.
The merit of the question was on the
side of the bill. Every thing was in its
favor But the real merits of the ques-
ton as TO whether Lumberton or Penn
broke should be the county seat were
not before the committee The only thing
the committee had to decide was wheth-
er or not the people of the county should
be allowed to vote on the question
But he claimed. as a matter of fact,
that Pembroke was in every way best
fitted to be the county seat, both from
its location and its advantages.
Mr. Curtis asked the population of the
two towns.
Mr.. Mccormick said that the last cen
sus gave Lumberton S5S, and Pembroke
had $50 to 200.
Mr.. Britain asked how many resi-
dences there were in Pembroke.
Mr.. Mccormick said there were four
or five.
Mr.. e. f. McRae of Maxton, presented
a big petition asking for the vote. lie
said that for a long time the people OF
Robson had been agitating the ques-
ton of new county but they thought
the trouble might be alleviated by NOV
ing the eounty-seat to a place nearer
the center of the county The petition
ers were not people interested in Penn
broke. They were from many townships
of the county.
Mr.. n. A. Sinclair said that in his opin-
ion all this discussion arose from mis-
conception of the question before this
Legislature He had been surprised TO
hear members of this General Assembly
say that it was dangerous to allow the
citizens of a county to vote on ques-
tion that vitality concerned them. How
could that be Democratic heresy? He
had never heard such a thing before in
his life. If this were a piece of sump-
tuary legislation. it would require the
most careful consideration.
These people desiring the voteEwere
willing to pay all the expenses of the
election. If the people should vote and
it should fail. who would be hurt? If it
should be passed, il would show that
the people wanted it,
AS for Pembroke it was a railroad
junction Nobody contends there is a
town there. And there was no town at
Lumberton at one time. There was a
new railroad from South Carolina into
the southern end of the county that put
that part in direct connection with Penn
broke.
The town of Pembroke was about two
miles from the geographical center of
the county. 1t had been asked if Buie's
was not nearer the center. The center
lay somewhere between the two places.
But Buie's was not railroad junction
like Pembroke.
Col. Mclean called upon Mr., Hall,
member from Robson, as TO whether he
opposed the bill
Mr. Hall said he had been asked about
this question and had said that he
would do nothing TO get such a bill as
this through. In fact he had not known
before that that any such measure was
proposed. He certainly would not sup
port the bill. He did not wish to have
anything to do with it.
Col. Mclean said that Mr.. Hall had
received the vote of his township on the
strength of this pledge that he would not
support the bill
AS to the statement that every town
ship of the county was represented here,
he denied the statement. All these peo-
pie were here from around about Max
This Renoadv - A~ n HnuE