The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-10


ship in History" of the vaue of about
$500 and having for the / urposey etaoi
5000 and having for fits purpose the
encouragement of research in North
Carolina history, and beng open to the
students of all the higher institutions
of learning in the state.
The JUDGES who were TO decide on
the merit and worth Of the papers Of.
fered was composed of the history
professors of several of the higher in
situations.
For the fellowship this year several
remarkably fine papers were offered
n after careful consideration of
them all, the committee decided that
the contribution of Mr.. J. H. Vaughan,
entitled The Powers and Duties of
the Crown Governor in North Carof-
ma" was the ablest and showed the
most careful research and thoroughly
historic interest.
Mr.. Vaughan shows special aptitude
for historical research. He has re-
Gently been selected to do special his
tOrical work in Eastern Carolina, be-
ginning at Wilmington, for the Pub
lie Archives Committee of the Ameri-
can Historical Association, under di-
rectiOn of DIR. c.. L.. Raper, adjunct of
ithe association for North Carolina.
This work will be in quest of Revo
lutionary history, as shown by public
records and will be undertaken during
the present ummer
Mr.. Vaughan graduated at the Uni
versity this year. He comes from ST.
loan, Surry county, n. C. He has
given The Messenger the privilege Of
publishing his paper which won the
fellowship, and the first section is Of
fered to our readers today, unde the
sub title of His Legislative Func-
tons" (reterring to the Grown Cover
nor in North Carolina). The next
section His Executive Functions"
will be published in a week and the
third and last His Judicial Func-
tiOns," will follow in another week
The Messenger is fortunate in having
the privilege of publishing this paper
of Mr.. Vaughan's, and there is no
doubt but what it will be read with
interest.
The office of the Governor. or ad-
~ministrative head, is a Position of
prime Importance in any government.
This was especially true of an English
province more than three thousand
miles away in the eighteenth century
when there was no telegraph or cable,
and when it too from two to four
months to cross the Atlantic. Such
a province North Carolina be
came in 1929 when it's government vent
into the hands of the Crown of Eng
land.
Under the administration of the
Lords Proprietors, 1663-1729, North
Carolina had been neglected; turmoil
and chaos had at times reigned Su-
preme; and twice the government a
been almost overthrow by insurrec-
ions. The sOcalled Culpepper Rebel
lion Of 1917 was caused chiefly by
lion of 1705-1710, by religious distur-
Dances. This state of affairs made the
position of the first Royal Governor a
very difficult one. The people, thinly
settled, and accustomed to little or no
restraint. were jealous of every SEM
bIance of encroachment upon their
Personal freedom. They feared that
the Crown would govern them more
rigidly, and take away many of the
privileges which they were then enjoy
ing: but these fears proved to be
groundless. For there was. in fact,
little or no change in the practical
machinery of the government. The
Governor, Council, Lower House and
other officers and parts of the admin
iStratiVe organization remained with
practically the same functions n
duties as they had exercised under
The Proprietors. Neither was their
any important change in the rights Of
the people; for these rights had all
the time depended not so much upon
the will of the Proprietors as upon the
charters of Charles II. The only sig
nificant change was the transferrence
of the immediate source of power from
the p~atenteeS back to the King who
had originally bestowed it While
there was little or no change, stiN the
colonistS were suspicious of any at
tempt on the part of the Crown to
extend it's influence over them; and
the position of its Governor was, there
fore, not a pleasant one.
These facts indicate in a general way
the Importance of the study we are
going 10 make. 1t is our purpose ID
set forth the Royal Governor in North
Carolina in his relations to both the
King and the c%oloniStS, n to give In
some detail a statement of his powers
and duties. In doing this we hope to
show briefly what were the actual
conditions under which he had to ex-
ercise these powers and duties.
The governor of North Carolina
bore much the same relation to the
~colonists that the King bore to the
Englishmen at home. 1t is true that
ever in North Carolina the King was
the chief executive and the ultimate
source of governmental power, but he
had delegated much Of this power to
the Governor, who was the immediate
aource of government. AS the Crowns
representative he stood primarily for
the Crowns idea of the greatest pos
sible good to England and after that
to the province. His prime allegiance
was due to the Crown, by whose au-
thority and al whose pleasure he held
his position. He vas appointed on
recommendation of the Board OF
Trade. by order of the King in Coun-
Gil. His tenure of office, according to