BA.LiKIGII. N. O.
"THURSDAY ......FEBRUARY 13, 187?
OUR RAILROAD SYSTEMS. j
1 5 What is this V N6rth Carolina System ?
is impatiently asked by some, who ao
company the question with', the answer,
that no living man can explain .what is
meant by the term. 'j-
The idea of a North Carolina System of
railroads comprehends convenient trans
portation facilities for all the people of ev
ery county of the State, so that all our
people may stand practically on the same
footing in respect to getting to market
with their produce, thereby - giving to all
sections of the State equal general facili
- Hies for proeress and development. The
idea is almost as, old "fas the State
itself. It originated j,Jon? f f 'before
any railroads were constructed1" in' th
United States, and the North Carolina
System was outlined when no State, north
or south of this, possessed" a mile of rail
road, er had designed any. The' backbone
of our State System was to be a central
line extending ; from our eastern coast to
our western border. It was illustrated by
Doctor Caldwkix thus : ."The breadth of
our State from north to south in its west-
era part is a hundred miles. 3y ex
tending a railroad through the middle of it
from east to west, the greatest distance at
which any man can be is fifty miles, or two
davs travel with a loaded wagon. If we
were to divide this , distance of fifty miles
on each side "of the railroad into three equa
nartsL it becomes evident that one -third
of the " State would be within seven
teen miles of this great 'highway running
through the country like a public street:
through a - commercials city. Another
thirrl would be between seventeen v' and
thirty-four miles from it, and the; remain
ing third between thirty-four and fifty."
This first project was to afford transpor
tation to all the people, as above described
by a main central line, , after which the
general anatomy of the State . System was
to, be constructed, the arms, branches
lateral and cross-lines, necessary to make
a complete system of transportation for alt
sections and all the-interests of our State
It was never contemplated by any intelli
gent advocate of internal improvements to
confine the State to a single line of railroad
or to deny to any portion of our people thej
largest and most liberal facilities for reach
ing all, the markets of the world. It was
the hope of our fathers , that long before
this every portion of North Carolina
should jbe penetrated by railroad? tendin
in every conceivable direction. That with
one general system through the centre o
, the State from east to west, connecting
-1 the mountains with the seaboard, there
should also exist a perfect network of rail
road all over the State, developing bur re
sources and making our people prosperous
and our State a ;great commonwealth
among the sisterhood. No narrow-mind
edness characterized the policy of the
former groat internal improvement men o
North Carolina. One of the first of these
( Rev. Dr. Francis L. Hawks) wrote
many years ago : '
"The mere construction of a railroad.
without reference to its termini, or the
country over which it passes, is not im
provement. There is no magical potency
in the mere existence of such a road nec
' cssarily conducive to wealth. It must be
constructed to some particular end; and
if this be not judiciously studied and ap
predated by the scale of probable results
. it is obvious that money may be sadly mis
applied in its construction. Hence, if
-sin ele town would build a road to ter
mmate within its limits, the first in
quiries are : v Will it benefit the town
- to an extent equivalent to the outlay
of money in its construction ?'' what
v products will it bring to the town for sale,
for manufacture, or for exportation?'
. ' through what region of country will it
pass, i and what, both in quantity and
value, are the products of that country ?
The subject thus presents itself to be exam
ined judiciously in all its bearings, and the
road, if resolved on, rests on a previously
arranged system. This, however, while it
plainly illustrates the indispensable need
of a systematized plan of proceeding, cov
ers the mere local and particular interests
of the supposed single' town. :
'But there is a larger and more ex-
I tended interest,, requiring precisely similar
judicious investigation . and treat meal,
when we let our view reach over the limits
of the whole State, of which that town
forms but a part. , If the town benefits by
system in its proceedings, so also obviously,
will the State be benefitted by first es
tablishing a systematic plan, and i then
carrying it out as an entire unity. The
State therefore has questions to investigate
as well as the town. She must, for in
stance, ask : 'What are my proddes in
all their variety and abundance ?' 'where
are they situated ?' how can -I best
afford facilities to producers to con
vey their surplus to market Y-j-'have
I ports and harborv(either good by nature,
or to be made good by labor, whence, I,
as a State, can freely communicate with
the world outside of me, and by sending
abroad the surplus, receive in return,
money or its equivalent, which will enrich
my citizens?' All these and many other
..questions are to be answered liefore the
State can wisely resolve .on any-system.
But a system it tnust have, if it would per
form aright the - duty it owes' to itself.
There is also this strongly marked differ-,
ence between a system devised for a single
. I locality and one designed for a whole State.
i The former may benefit itself only, at the
expense of the latter, by interfering with
' the higher interests of a general system 5
while the latter, " by executing a general
- system judiciously devised, cannot but in
. elude in the execution, and therefore bene-
fit, every locality really susceptible of per
manent improvement. Generals may and
.will comprehend particulars ; but particu?
lars may be isolated, and not belong to
; y. generals. j. - 5::..'- j . -f .
"Another consideration belongs to gen-
- eral systems, which is wanting in those
jbat are local merely. Jbe former jwjty
so arranged as to concentrate in some de
gree' the benefiVof improvements, making
them of value to the State as a whole, by
givinus her the largest return from the sale
of her own surplus productions; while
the latter may purchase for themselves in
deed a; local benefit, but by means which
impoverish the general wealth, in affording
facilities for transportation of products to"
breign depots when better ones can be
found at home. There is ho selfish
ness in seeking to secure to the
State herself the value of that which
the l: State herself . produces; tut
ibere Is selfishness which, in the end, will
prove, 'as., all J selfishness : jdoes, r short
sighted Indeed, m the " determination
to seek only a local benefit, " regard
less of the injury' it may vinflict on
a "wide-spread territory. . of which the
selfish spot . 2 forms - -but a fragment.
Now it is just this conflict between general
and local , interests which has caused so
much money to be wasted,' both in .our
own country and Iceland, - upon rail
roads." - - : ; ' hi: '!";...-' .-V"
I In the internal improvement of a State
there ", hould be no conflict between
local and - general ; systems. I here is
necessarily no conflict between the central
sj stem of 'North Carolina and the north
and : south system which crosses it ; or
rather there would exist no competition
hurtful to the central system, if the State
herself and the people had not encouraged
discriminations against it which have
tended io its derangemenf. , But if the
transportation policy of the country was
pursued on a business basis of : honest
rivalry and fair competition, neither system
would have anything-to fear at the hands
lof the other; The law of compensation
Would regulate their . natural interchange
of business. 3 .. ..'
When the ; friends, therefore," of the
North Carolina System affect to see its
destruction in every line of railroad which
crosses theJState, they simply misappre
hend the situation, and neither understand
the "true science of railroading nor com
prebend the natural laws that govern busi
ness. And when the friends and sup
porters of these cross-lines deem it their
policy to ridicule and a3sailthe system.
and consequently the interests of the State
they make a grave mistake that one would
expect only of strangers upon the soil of
North Carolina. 4
, . j PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
The Senator from Davidson rose to
question of personal privilege yesterday
and pouted. forth a terrible philippic in jus
tifying himself. He stood manfully to his
record and referred with becoming pride
to a service of sixteen terms in the Legisla
ture of North Carolina. General Leach has
the courage of his opinions to a very marked
degree and a very peculiar but forcible man
ner of expressing them. The lobby was
filled by visitors, and although it was a busy
day in the House.a large number of mem
bers came ov( ' to the Senate Chamber to
hear the veteran Senator. The Senate listens
to him. The people have done so for
many years.
r Insurance companies of other States
doing business in Tennessee are vigorously
protesting against the passage through the
Senate of that State of a House bill requir
ine companies to pay the face values
of policies where . property is to
tallv destroved. Thev assert if this .bill
is passed into law the best companies
will withdraw - from the State. There
arer said 1 to be very harsh insurance
bills before our own Legislature also. As
yet we have had no opportunity to exam
ine them, but gentlemen engaged in the
business told us last .evening that- nine
tenths of the companies now represented
in North Carolina have, notified their
agents that if the bills are passed they will
be forced to withdraw. As soon as copies
can be had the bills will be printed in
Thk Observer, and the necessity or prob
ability of such unfortunate result may
be ascertained. ' ' '
' Thb Indian territory contains a vast ex
tent of the best agricultural lands. It em
braces something over 4lj000,000 acres,
26,000,000 acres of which have been sur
veyed and set apart as reservations for the
Five Nations, leaving more than 15,000,000
acres' unsurveyed and belonging to the
Government. The population includes
48,738 Indians, 8,767 white and negro
members of the tribes, 5.000 negroes not
members of the , Chickasaw or Choctaw
nations, 1,200 railroad employees, : and
5,000 other white residents of the five civ
ilized nations making a total population of
68,708. They have 180 schools, with 6,000
pupils. "
1 Thb Commissioner of Pensions, in sug
Resting . certain amendments to the Pen
sions Arrears act, estimates that for ar
rears chargeable up to the date of passage
of the bill - $34,000,000 will be required ;
for cases added between that date and the
close of the fiscal year, $2,500,000, and for
arrearages chargeable to the next fiscal
year, - $5,000,000. That is to say, the
present Congress must provide for an ex
penditure of $41,500,000 accruing between
the time the bTU became operative and
June 30, 18S0, while the average annual
charge thus created will for years 10 come
not be less than $5,000,000.
. ; Thb latest statistics show that the debts
of the States of the Union amount in the
aggregate to $845, 197,000. Massachusetts
takes the lead, fc and is followed in a de
scending scale by Alabama, Virginia,
North Carolina, , New York, Tennessee,
Pennsylvania and Louisiana, each of which
owes more than $20,000,000. West Vir
ginia, Missouri, Georgia and Arkansas,
owe materially less, although the amount
is over ' $10,000,000 each, while all the
other States fall below the latter figures.
Many municipal debts exceed the State
debts.
. Mobile will soon cease to be a city.
The. bill abolishing its charter and estab
lishing the Port of Mobile has passed one
branch of the Alabama legislature, and
has received a favorable committee report
in the other.
? . ..
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
Senator Mebanb, Chairman of the Joint
Select Committee .on the State Debt, has
reported a bill fto compromise, commute
and settle the State debUw The amount of
bonds to be issued in settlement of the ex
isting claims against the' State' does not;
vary materially from the amount proposed
by Senator Nicholson's bill,! printed in
Thb Observer of the 9th inst? Nor is
there material variation in the rates of per
centage in settlement of the' several classes
of outstanding bonds. In bther respects
Ihe 'committee's "trill: is altogether' unlike
Senator Nicholson's.: . , :s -'i ' u
The amount of "the consolidated debt of
the Stated as proposed to be created by the
committee is about $5,000,000.;, The old
debt Is $8,371,400, and On this it is pro
posed to piy j forty per cent., or $3.34S,
560. The bonds enumerated in the second
class sum up j $4j 009,044, twenty-five per
cenL of which is $1,002,281. The bonds
of the third class amount to $4,320,600,
and fifteen per cent., thereon to $648,090
In all it is proposed to issue $4,993,911 of
bonds in payment of the principal .of the
outstanding debt amounting to $16,960,-
045. The annual interest on the new debt
will be $200,000j and it will be necessary
to levy and j collect annually $200,000 of
additional taxes. . : t ; v i .. j
: The bill is annexed i ,
Section li That when any person or per
sons, holding and owning any bond or bonds
ot tne btate of .North Carolina, issued in pur
suance of any act of Assembly, passed at any
time before the 20th . day of May,
eighteen hundred and sixty-one; or in pur
suance of the aqt of the General Assembly,
passed at its session in eighteen hundred
and sixty-five, it! being chapter three of
the laws of eighteen hundred and sixty--
five; or in pursuance of an act passed by
tne ueneral Assembly at its session m
eighteen hundred and sixty-eeven, it being
chapter nity six of the laws of eighteen
nundred and sixty-seven; or in pursuance
of an ordinance of the Convention of
eighteen hundred ' and sixty-eight," it
being , chapter nineteen, . these ; being
bonds issued for the Chatham Kail
road ; Company : or in pursuance of . an
ordinance of the same Convention, chapter
twenty, these beiug bonds issued to the
Wdliamston and Tarboro Railroad Com
pany ; or in pursuance of an act, entiile-i
"An act to Provide for the payment' of
the State Debt contracted before the war,"
ratified on the tenth day of March,
eighteen hundred and sixty-six ; or in
pursuance of an act,, entitled; "An Act to
Provide for Funding the Matured Interest
on the Public Debt," ratified the tenth day
of August, A.; D., eighteen hundred and
sixty-eight ; or any registered certifi
cate- or certificates belonging to the
Board . of Education, issued in pur
roance of an act of the Geuerally As
emblv of eisrhteen hundred and sixty
seven, shfll surrender and deliver such bond
or bonds, with the coupons attached there
to, or registered certificate or certificates to
the Treasurer of the State, then, and in
that case, it shall be the duty of the Treas
urer of the plate, and he is hereby requir
ed to issue and deliver to the persoi sur
rendering such bond or .bonds, certificate
or certificates, ! a new bond or bonds of the
State, due and payable thirty years from
the first day of July, A. D. , eighteen hun
dred and eighty, bearing interest at the
rate of four per cent, per annum, payable
semi annually, on the first day of January
and July, in each successive year, at the
office of the Public Treasurer.
- Seo. 2. The said bonds are to be coupon
bonds of the denomination of fifty dollars.
one hundred dollars, five hundred dollars
and one thousand dollars, and are to be
numbered from one upwards, in accor
dance with the order of issue. They shall
be signed by the Governor and Treasurer,
and sealed with the Great Seal of the
Slate; but the! coupons' thereon may be
signed by the treasurer alone, or have a
tie ititaiie of his signature printed,; engrav
ed or lithographed thereon. 1 .
Sec. 3 The said 1 bonds shall be exempt
trom all btate, j county or corporate taxa
tion or assessment direct or indirect, gen
eral or special,! whether impossd . for the
purposes of general j revenue or otherwise.
1 be said coupons snarl be receivable in
payment cf any and all State taxes, and
the same shall be expressed on the face of
each coupon ; the coupons snailbear the
same number as the bonds to which they
are attached, and in addition be numbered
from one upwards, in accordance with the
date of their maturity.
Seo. 4. These bonds shall be exchanged
tor the old bonds of the btate, mentioned
in the first section of this act, at the fol
lowing rates : I
Class I. For the bands issued before the
twentieth day of May. eighteen hundred
and sixty-one, forty per cent, of the prin
cipal of the bond or bonds so surrendered.
Class II For the bonds issued since the
close of the war, j by authority of acts
passed before the war to aid in the con
struction of the Western North Carolina
Railroad, and the bonds issued in pursu
ance of the said, act of Assembly of eighteen
hundred and sixty five, chapter three, and
act of Assembly of eighteen hundred and
sixty-seven, chapter fifty-six, and the said
Chatham liailroad bonds issued in pursu
ance of an ordinance of the Convention of
eighten hundred and sixty-eight, chapter
nineteen, and the said Williamston and
Tarboro liailroad bonds issued in pursu
ance of an ordinance of the Convention of
eighteen hundred anJ sixty eight, ' the
bonds iesued October- first, eighteen hun
dred and sixty-one, by authority of act
of eighteen hundred and sixty; and eighteen
hundred and sixty-one, chapter 137, for
Western (Coalfield) Railroad, the bonds
issued October orat, eighteen hundred and
sixty-one, by authority of act of eighteen
hundred and fifty-four and fifty-five, chap
ter two hundred and twenty-eight, section
thirty-five, and resolution Sej Member
twelfth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one,
and the said registered certificates of the
literary fund, twenty-five per cent of the
principal of the bonds or certificates so
surrendered. '" '":'":. ,1::' ;:v ' 7" '"" ;! : 1
Class II L For the bonds issued ' July
first, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, by
authority 01 act 01 eighteen hundred and
sixty and sixty-one, chapter one hun
dred and forty three, for the construction
of the Wilmington. Charlotte and Ruther
ford Railroad, and those issued in pursu
ance of the said Funding acts of March
tenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and
August twentieth, eighteen hundred and
sixty eight, fifteen per cent, of the princi
pal of the bond or bonds so surrendered.
Sec 5. The bonds so to be issued' shall
be in the usual form of bonds of this State,
except as modified and provided by this
act, and shall have printed on the face of the
same the woids, " Issued in pursuance of
an act entitled an act to compromise, com
mute and settle the State; debt," - ratified
the day of ; A. D. 1879. and in
large red letters, " The consolidated debt
of the' State." , .'
Sea 6. That all Sta'e taxes levied and
collected from professions, 'tt ades, in
comes, merchants, dealers jn , cigars or
three-fourths of all the taxes collected
from wholesale and retail dealers in spirit:
ous. vinous and malt liquors, shall be held
and applied to the payment of the interest-
on saidiDonds, ana . me provisions or uus
c'ion shall be deemed acd taken to. be a
material part of 4 the consideration' for
which the bonds of the State shall or may
be surrendered. i , 7 f
Sec. 7. That i tie whole fond raised bj
Buch taxes shall not in any one year be re
quired to pay such accruing interest, then
and in that case it shall be the duty of the
Treasurer, with the sanction of the Gover
nor and th Auditor, to ! bay with the sur
plus such of the consolidated bonds as be
can buy at the lowest p-ics ; after thirty
days advertisement in at least two papers.
published in Raleigh,' acd he shall forth
with cancel any such bonds so porchased.
bee. o. 1 hat the Treasurer shall provide
a substantial bound boot for the. purpose,
in which he shall make ft correct descrip
tive Kstof the bonds so-sarrendered, which
list, shall embrace the number, date and
amount of each, an! 1 he purpose for which
the same was issued, when tins can be as -
cetlaiaed. and the name of the per son -sur 4
rendering the same, and after such Us;
shall be made, such surrendered bonds be
ing ascertained to be present, shall be con
sumed by fire in the presence of the Gov
ernor, the Treasurer, thei Auditor, tne At
torney General, the Secretary of State and
the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
who shall each certify under his hand re
spectively in such book that be saw such
described bonds so consumed and destroy-
Sec.; 9. That the Treasurer shall pro
vide a. well bound book in which shall be
kept an accurate account and descriptive
list of the new bonds o be issued, and
such descriptive list shall embrace , the
date, number and amount of such bont or
bonds, foe which the same issued and. the
name of the person to whom issued. . ,.
v Sec. 10 That it shall be lawful for any
executor.' administrator,: guardian; trus
tee, director of any corporation, ' and any
and an other persons acting, m a fiduciary
capacity, holding bonds of the folate; to
make ihe exchange provided in this act,
and they shall be absolved from all liabil
ity on account of said exchange, J
Sea 11. " The provisions of this act for
the exchange and issue of bonds shall con
tinue in force until the 1st day of January,
A 1) loo2. - : (-- : :
,Sec. 12 'That as a further provision for
the purpose of paying the interest on these
said new bonds, if the taxesfor any,one
year upon th subjects of 1 taxation herein
before mentioned,' shall be insufficient to
pay said interest,- then and in that tease the
Public -.Treasurer shall,, be authorized io
apply any funds in the treasury not other
-wise appropriated to that purpose.- si
, V Sec 13. That n the event that the taxes
collected in any one year, ;opon the afore
said subjects of taxation, and the funds
not otherwise appropriated in the treasury
when added together shall be inadequate
jto pay saia lnteresr, vinen ma mjmi c$st,
and in order to provide fyr the deficiency,
the Public Treasurer bev and be is hereby
authorized to issue coupon bopds of this
State of the denomination' jjf flVe hundred
dollars, bearing date of the-first day of Oc
tober or April-of- the year- of the
issue, according as the one! or the other of
said dates shall be nearest in point of time
to the date of the issue. Said bonds shall be
payable forty years after date, but redeem
able after ten years,, aMhe option -of tthe
state, with interest at the rate of six per
cent, per annum, payable semi-annually
on the first days ot April and October.
Said bonds shall -bear upon their face in
red lettert the words "Contingent Bond,"
and shall be numbered from one upwards
in accordance with the order of their issue.:
They shall be signed by the Governor and
Treasurer, and sealed with the Great Seal
of the State ; but the coupons thereon may
be signed by the Treasurer jalone, or have
a fac simile of his signature printed, en
graved or lithographed thefeon. The said
bonds and coupons snail be exempt
from all State, county or corpo
rate taxation or assessment, direct or
indirect, general or special, whether
imposed for purposes of general revenue or
otherwise, and they shall be lawful invest
ments by all executors, administrators,
guardians and fiduciaries generally. The
coupons on said bonds shall bear the same
number as the ; bonds 'to which they are
attached, and shall in addition be number
ed from one upwards in accordance with
the date ot their maturity, and they shall
be, and shall so express upon their face,
that th.y are receivable at and after matu
rity in payment of all taxes, debts, de
mands and dues to 1 the State, of every
nature and kind whatsoever, -
Sea 14. That the Public Treasurer
shall be authorized to sell so many of said
bonds at par as shall be necessary to pro
vide for the deficiencies aforesaid: Pravid
ed, however, That the Public Treasurer
shall not issue and ; sell in the aggregate
more than six hundred of these bonds.
Sec. 15 That all the provisions of this
act for paying the interest on the consoli
dated bonds shall apply as well to the pay
ment of the interest on these said contin
gent bonds. , j.
Sec. 16. That for the purpose of carrying
out the provisions of this act in relation to
the furnishiog of proper blank bonds and
coupons, the Public Treasurer is author
ized, with the approval of the Governor,
to use any funds not otherwise appri
priated in the treasury, not exceeding the
sum of five thousand dollars.
Sea 17. That the! Public Treasurer is
autborizjd to give public notrce of this
plan for a settlement of the State's indebt
edness by advertising in such newspapers
as he may select. j
Sec. 18. This act shall be in force, from
and after its ratification. ,
Senator ftlcltolfcon'at Public Debt Bill.
"' 1 Correspondence of The Observer.
Mr. Editok : In stating the proposi
tion of Mr. Nicholson's bill to provide for
the payment of the State debt, I did not;
think you stated the proposition in a shape
that it would be easily comprehended by
every reader of your valuable paper.
The first object of the bill is to issue iq
tere8t-bearing fractional bonds to the
amount of one million of dollars, and with
these fractional bonds to buy the old out
standing bonds of the State, then these'
fractional bonds thus paid out are to be
come a circulating medium among the peo
ple, and to answer every purpose as a
North Carolina circulating currency; and
the second proposition is that should this
circulating medium become too abundant,
or any holder of it desire to turn it into
four per cent coupon bonds of ihe State,
such holder can do so, and this offers am
pie security to all the interest bearing
Vnds based upon the faith and credit of
the State. - . i -. i '.' :
I Now, the idea is, (that should this bill
be adopted by the Legislature tnaV hold
ers of the old outstanding bonds who live
ia the State, and desire to Convert their
old bonds into a ' circulating medium that
they can use as capi al, will come forward
first and sell for the interest-bearing frac
tional bonds, and then go into the market
and buy anything they choose, and in that
way set the circulation afljat, and give it
a start ; and once under way, would be
one of the grandest things that was ever ;
done for North Carolina, and especially at
this particular lime, when there is such a
grand and - extensive scheme of : internal
improvement on foot, i This circulating
medium would pay for labor, buy pro
visions, start up manufactories, and put
new life into en tei prise, and start out good
old State once more on the joyful path of
prosperity. It would be converting! the
State debt in the shape of a circulating
madium by the people, and utilizing it to
their good, and finally pay " the debt and
not tax them one cent, and add to the
prosperity of the State all the while.. -
- Knows his Bibls. A member of a fash
ionable up town congregation called at a
m usic store and inquired : Have y 00
the notes of a piece called 'The Song of
Solomon' f: adding : Our pastor referred
to it yesterday morsing as an exquisite
gem, and ray wife would like to learn to
tllO.Tl HAUIGmX.
Special Correspondence of Tur Observer.!
Washington, FobL lli.l878,V
Mr. Eiwtor : The Democratic caucus
last night was largely attended, and con
tinued ia session Until 11 o'clock.)- Among
the Senators present were Thnrman. Bay
ard, Wallace, Eustis, Ben j Hill,! Gordon,
Coke, Davis, Randolph and Kernan. The
House was largely represented. Discussion
was participated in by Senators Thurman,
Bayard, Kernan, Gordon. Hill, and Re
presentatives Bteekbara Hef bert,-Cox of-
New York, Atkins, Southard and Reagan
I Mr4WaddelL of North Carolina, offered
a motfontd the effect that"! he" party insist
onr4giskuive amendoaent-to Alia legisla
tive, judicial and execuuve appropriation
bi l,- providing f or "IM repeal or sffCtlonS
820 and 831 of the TJ S. Revised Statutes,
known as the jurors test- oath law.. This
was adopted unanimously by the caucus,
and it is believed that the Republicans in
the Sepajte will concede this amendment. -Mr.
Southard, of Ohio, moved that' the
further amendment be insisted on, to repeal
the federal; election law contained in the
Revised Statutes sec! ion 2 011 to 2,031 in clusive,
which was carried by a large ma
jority As I stated yesterday,, if these
amendments are adopted by the House and
refused by the Senate, the result , may be a
failure bf the appropriation bill tofpasajahd
consequently an extra session of Congress.
Judge Thurman .took; high ground in the
caucus in favor of refusing all these appro
priations until these - la ws were repealed,
Senator Bayard however took the ground
that a . refusal to , make the appropriations
was, a ; sort of a "revolutionary stepj and
areued that his people would not" sustain
such measures that because the Republi
can party had passed revolutionary enact
ments, it did not follow that the Demo
cratic House should do the same thing, i ;
The country is with Senator Thurman
on this .question; and fince Senator Bayard
was so easily entrapped by Edmunds in
the Electoral Commission bill perhaps his
judgment . is 4 not - entitled to so great a
weight as some other Senators.
The emergency demands that a Demo
cratic House should do its duty to the
people and let the foenate through its pres
ent Republican majority talte the respon
sibility. -
BRNA.TOB OOKB AGAIN'.
On the receipt of Senator Coke's speech
(delivered last week in the Senate) at Aus
tin,' Texas, a joint resolution of' the Texas
Legislature was passed endorsing the
scueme ef a railroad system connecting the
United States ' with Mexico as a peace and
commercial measure, and asking Congress
to aid, the building the line from points in
texas to the UioUranda as a "national en
ter prist-" ; 1 , j ,'f , ; ... ; I
. i L THE BLA1SB T1CLLKK OOMMirTEK. c
If. is reported tbatihi3 grand "humbug'
will culminate to-day ia its last meeting.
F-oor lilaine ! i ilo w dead t , "Who can
tell ?" (Teller.) - "
"THK 8HOWISG OF HANPS."
In the House yesterday,. Manning, of
Mississippi, got the fl or and asfced a sus
pension of the rules to put on lis passage
a bill to repeal the jurors test oath and the
law providing for the appointment of Su
pervisors in Congressional elecions. The
yea and nay vote resulted, yeas 136, nays
113, not voting 50. It require a . two
thirds vote to suspend the rules, therefore
the motion failed by a strict party vote
Every single Democrat who voted is
rec irded in the yeas, while every single
tiepublican who voted, lucluuirg Gov.
p Brogden, voted nay. This is a positive
recognition of the Republican party that it
intends to retain these iniquitous laws on
the statute books ot the nation. 1 am a
little surprised at G jv Broaden who has
shown such great liberality in this Con
gress. But it is the dying struggle with
the Republican parly. 7
Blaine's bull dozing resolutions, Ed
munds' tirade about the cpaslltutional
amendments, and the terrible effort to
bring .forth enough "horny-headed Ku
Klux" to frighten the North, all, have
failed --even Senator Windom's coloniza
tion scheme has failed, and the only hope
is. in the appliances of (jrantism, fraud,
intimidation, use of money, &c. History
records no party more infamous and un
blushing. ; ". ..
THB A8HRV1LLE POSTM ASTBR.
The Senate yesterday con firmed G. M
Roberts as Postmaster at Abbeville. Col.
Fagg, the retiring Postmaster, has met
with the Brutus ot his party and he has
fallen, covered with a muUitude of wounds
" Republics are ungrateful." Col. Fag,
however, has declared war on what he
calls the "Greensoro Ring." He is going
for Keogb, u juglass, Settle. J udge Dick.
and others, with "gloves off."
Col. Fagg hid strong, backing among
smeof the Senators, especially Senator
13dmund3, who thojasht a yeteran of the
Mexican war shon'd not be displaced.
JUOGAN is coming.
- Another one of the Grant rirjg managers
is to have a rect-ption soon in Washington.
tren. ljoan, the Senator elect from 111!
noia, will have a reception tendered on the
20th lust, by the Grant "howlers." Look
out for fire-work9, music, and resetted
committee?, and after that the drinks.
.. W. U. M.
Stop I lie I.trillt .
(Correspon len;e ot Tub Orsebver.
Mr. Editok : I am glad to see that con
siderable interest; is being manifested by
our legislators in regard to the support of
lunatics outside of the Asylum. The law as
it now stands is an outrage, and should be
expunged if possible from the statute
books. By a cvmal perusal of the Auditor's
report for 187S I observe : hat some of the
small tax paying counties received almost
as much from the State for the support of
lunatics outside of the Asylum as they pay
into, the Treasury. There is simply no
j'iS'ice in tbigj and the matter should be
looked to at once. I observe further from
the A uditor's report t hat it take-over f 1,000
to run the - Adj'itant ; General's v office,
about as much as the taxes of two of the
Western counties amount to. We, need
more retrenchment and less military da-1
ring these times of peace and quietude.
Let the Legislature look to this. Further,
I am informed from the report of the Au
ditor that it takes over $1,200 to keep
gUErd over the State Library,. "not to say
anything of what is paid to the Supreme
Court . Librarian.- This is ra lically wrong.
These hard times $3 X) ought to be enough
for the position: If we are going to re
trench let lis do it in the right way, and
begia by stopping the sen ill leaks., x
Taxpayer.
Kelicff of Diabtltste.
- Correspondence of The Observer. 1 f ,u
- t Raleioh, Feb. 3d, 1879.5
Mr. Editor: I think the present Leg
islature will compare favorably i with iiny
since 1865. It ia quite evident after visit
ing bo h Houses that it has the good of
North Carolina at heart. There la less
bitterness of feeling than in any that has
met since the war and the great Demo
cratic party has nearly everything its own
way. , I sincerely trust that the Senate
and House will proc!aim to the world that
there is not a man in North Carolina but is
relieved of all political disabilities. I? be
lieve ex-Governor Holdea is the only citi
zen in the State that is not a free man.
Q lite a number of prominent members
say that they are. quite willing to vote for
Gov. Holden to be relieved. Citizen -
-...f 4 i,: ttlAltUIED , . , ,. '
HAYWOOD TANLY. At tlie Charch of the
Good Shepheril, Ralelgb, N. C. oa istft -Warn-.
try, 187, Ed. Gbahaji Hatwood. Jr., to Mart
T. Makly. - " - . - 1
Wlioaston (Texxs) papers copy, d h.- a
Col. Brown' Speech.
: When the Bill to charter the extension of :
the R. & A. A..L. to Charlotte was on its
second reading yesterday, Mr. Brow a of
Mecklenburg said . .
Mr. Speaker : When I introduced this
bill to charter the extension of the Raleigh
and Augusta Air-Line from some point on
its line to Charlotte, there was no opposi
tion to it. . When it was first considered ,
by the Committee I on Internal Improve
ments there . was a very : full meeting of
theiCommittee and the Chairman
was i unanimously : instructed : to- re
commend that the bill .should . pass.
But that was done before certain railroad
officials came to this' city. I hope I shall
hot be forced to the conclusion that what
is said in regard to the very great influence
certain railroad men have, is true. I tell the
members of this House that what I say to
them is true, and I ask them to reflect seri
ously before they vote to defeat a measure
to build a railroad through an entirely new
and undeveloped par' ion of our State, that
does i not ask ; one dollar of an appro
propriation or aid from the ,Siate iu any
way. i - All the bill .asks is simply
a charter to extend the b a..; A. i
Road to Charlotte, where it can get. an putr
let and a fair competition for : the freights
of Western North Carolina And who is
to be benefitted by j this com petition ? I
ask' every member of this House Vn cm
sider this questton seriously before he v.ites
against this bill. ,WW, I ask. agairi, is 10
be benefitted by the extension of tna iL. &
Air-Line r 1 wiilUeil you. genilefneu.
The hard-working farmer, the laborer and
the mechanic. What are the facts in
regard to our rahroads. They are con
troled by a . monopoly, a combination.
Every road running into this State is un
der iti control except the R. & A. Air Line,
and a combination has been formed and a
pool made against the shippers, the pro-'
ducers, farmers, merchants and mechan
ics. The producers are the sufferers by
this combination pool and monopoly, and
that is the reason why Ihia combination, is
fighting the extension of this road. It
knows it will open up a new route and
give the people another competing: line to
the seacoast.. . : ... ;
Why should the people of one portion of
our State be required to pay tribute to those
of another? Mr. Speaker, you might as
welt try to change the current of the great
Mississippi as to try to force . trade out of
its channel. It will seek (he - best market,
let that be Wilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh,
Norfolk or Charleston. . , . . : !
The county which I have the honor to
represent, together with its. citizens, . has
nearly, one million of dollars invested in
railroads. Therefore we have a right to '
speak. -in a favor of free railroacL charters.
Let capitalists build roads wherever they
will, if they will only do so with their own
money. ..... . . '' v. ,
Why does the R & A. Air-line ask for
an extension of its charter , w hen it con
nects with the. C. C Railroad at Hamlet ?
I Want every member of this House to
consider this question seriously," for :it,i$ a
very serious matter. It is because of ihis
combination' and pool against- shippers.
The CL C, Railroad, on account of hav
ing gone Into T ft combination or pool
with other- railroads, refuses to have
any u connection f or business in
tercourse with the R & A. Air Line R.
R. So, at least, I have been informed,
It refuses to extend to it the common cour
tesfcs and an exchange of freights on a fair
aad equitable basis. - What redress has tho
R & A. Air Line got, after 'building a road
from Raleigh to Hamlet-, costiog millions
of dollars, but to extend their road to some,
point where they can get an outlet ? And
what are the facts in regard to the coun
try which this proposed line will open
up. It will go through the counties of
Moore, Montgomery and Stanly. This is
the onjy hope to have a railroad through
this section, and will you deprive them of
ic-simpiy because the C. C. R. R opposes
it. I have very grave doub:s about us in
juring Wilmington. Ido not see how i'. can,
for 1 know that their merchants are en-,
terprisiog and energetic, and they have de !
cidedly the advantage of any other seaport
town or city in being nearer Charlotte by
one half! the distance; and I assure my
Wilmington friends there is no gentle
man in this House who wishes them greater
success than I do, and 1 regret exceedingly
to seemmgly oppose them, for I do not
feel in my heart that I do. I thiuk it is
all a delusion of theirs, but if lam against
them it is in the interest of the producer,
the class which deserves pro'ection at our
hands. 1;
Mr. Speaker, I know it to be a fact that
the merchants cf Wadesboro have been
forced.to put on a wagon train- from that
place to . Cheraw, and: the cotton
c after being hauled from Wadesboro
to Cheraw goes rom- there to Charles
ton, S. f C. What difference does it
make to. the . merchants of .Wilmington
whether the produce of the counties of
Anson, Union and Richmond, of this State,
and Lancaster and Chesterfield, of South
Carolina, go to Charleston or Norfolk ? It
seems that Wilmington cannot get it, as the
freights are so high they can wagon it for
less than theycan ship it over the C. C.
R, R. An I I appeal to . the gentleman
from Anson to know if his merchants have
not been hauling their cotton in wagons to
Cheraw because it would net them
more to wagon it to Cheraw and ship
it from there tar Charleston, 8. C , than
it would to ship it ;to Wilmington.:; I
think that Ought to convince our friends
that they cannot force trade to their city.
Trade will seek the best market and it
ought to, and the producer (the farmers)
should have the advantage of the best
market wherever that is, and gentlemen of
this House, His our duly togiveit to them.
It has only been a short time ?ago, that
the merchants of . Monroe had to 1 wagon
theif cotton to Charlotte, And why ? I
will tell" you. Because the Carolina Cenf ral
Railroad was trying to force the shipment
of it to Wilmington and Charlotte being a
better market at that time, the merchants
of Monroe could get a better; price for
their produce in Charlotte after paying the
price of wagoning it. 1 have seen what
was called the Monroe opposition wagon
train. , come into Charlotte , consisting of
from twenty to thirty wagons at one time.
And it created more excitement than any.
thing I have ever known to occur in our
city. The very, idea of wagons running
in opposition to railroads is an evidence
that there is something wrong somewhere.
The friends of . the C. C. R. R. are
fighting the extension of this road when at
the same time they . have applied to this
Legislature to grant them a charter to ex
tend their road from . Lincolnton to Hick
ory, when, they know that, their branch or
extension will run : parallel with Lthe road
uow building, known as the Chester and
Lenoir narrow gauge,' from Lincolnton to
Newton, and it will tap the Western N.
4i. R. at Hickory and will at least,! divide
the freights with it from that point,
: As to a N. C. R. R. system, jlhat is all a
delusion, as there is no such thing, that
idea having exploded long since.
Why dot s Wilmington oppose the exten
sion of the: R & AI Air-Line to Uharlotte ?
The reason given for the opposition is thai
it will divert trade that should go to Wil
mington to Norfolk. ; But there is another
side to this question, and what rvilmington
apprehends from ompetition is already a
reality, and it ha4 been brought ab.5Ut by
the pooling of the freights froui Charlottes
The C. C. R. R has entirely cut effWiN
mington ifrom - alt"' participatioa in . the
cotton trade east, south and west : of
Chai lottl the - pa cent. the C. C.
ISJ R. vrecei vei by virtue of i the pobl,
pays thiiiroad mucH bettefvihan if ihsy
txk the iCOttoa to Wilmington., Jbrs
what do we Bee? "That ber valuable cot
mn trade to being catted to Richmond;
Norfolk and Chirletton cannot, be denied,
because the C. C. R. R.-is receiving raor
money I from the Pl-wriilef its frti2M
cars are-standing idle- than if
were busy, while the cotton and ntwZ
produce ia going to other ports -when
it should be going to j Wilmington
And this has all been brought about bv
this combination and pool.! I do not tL
how .any member can vote against grant in?
conscience: to do so. i i 1 "r
.Caiicor Enirland ew ivnr.
i: ' tFroin the New York Tlm8. lithj'
" The causes 'of the war were sufficiently
trivial, as will" appear from the ultunpturn
presented to King Cetwayo in December
last, and to which that potentate peremp.
torily declined to accede.; Tjae uliimatuiii
contained an acknowledgment that the
Zulus were right in the claitn; they set up
to the disputed land 00 the south side of
the Pongolo River, and a great portion of
the land ; which they claimed from the
Boers was returned to theml, apparently .
wit houj :con4tj5ons;- :There were -two out
rages for which British officials exacted
redress: In the oni case a chseftain named
Uairayo carried oil two Zultjt women by
violence t from i Nnt-d territbry, and this
chief - was la be given jup and a
fine of 50 -. cattk: was, to be paid
for the: outrage. Fultherij it appears
that k in the.: month of Septemlxr
last a party of fifteen armed ?alus arretted
two British subj icU and detained them for
an hour And a htt'f for being ojh land which
is claimed by Ki Cety wayo. For this
act of interference reparation was demand
ed in the shape of a hundred, cattle The
Zulu King was also reqjired to surrender
Umbeline, a Swaze chief who had found
refuge in his territories. But the demands
which evidently proved too much for the
Zilu King were-those referring to freedom
of marriage among his subjects, to the in
stitution uf .: courts . of justice iu his terri
tory, and to the free admission of mission aries.
.-, These and other reforms were to
be carried out under the supervision of a
British Resident; and rather than snbuiit
to this- species of vassalage,! King Cety
wayo went to war, and has achieved a suc
cess which will probably be the end of. his
line and his Kingdom.
-i - Prospecu of the liar,
.From the New York IleraM, Uth.
The defeat of the British column by
Cety wayo, the Zulu chief, brings a crisis
in British affairs in South Africa. It in
volves, as a probable result, . a costly and
tedious,war with the majority Of the other
Caffre tribes, which the Zulus will doubt
less be able to bring to their! assistance.
The' country is wild and rugged and such
as to make a bush . warfare extremely
tedious aud dangerous. v j
This is not the first appearance of the
Zulus as warriors. They are a branch r
the Caffre race and are said tj have come '
from the north and to have; conquircd
their present territory aboutj the Intgin
ning ot the century Under ai chief nam
ed Chaka, they overran the country as
far as the southern" border of Natal. Chaka
was. succeeded by his half brother, Dingan,
and the latter by Panda, a full brother of!
Chaka. .. Under these chiefs the Zulus (or
Z wloos) had a regular military organiza
tion, their forces being divided into bauds
of 1,000 men each, aud each band or reg
iment being distinguised by different col
ored shields. It i3 authoritatively stated
that in 1810 they could put 40,000 wan 1013'
in the held. Their progress was tiddly
checked by that thrifty Dutch-African
mce called the Bjjrs; but the Zaius hivo
grown iu streugth, and the organiz;.iti.)Q
and traditions of Chaka have been 111 un
tamed. Of all the Caffre tribes the Zaiiis
haveibcen the most troubfesohie to the
Briiisu im the prisucu ion. of thtir schema's,
ot conquest in South Africa. Since ac
quiring tne Transvaal Republic the Zulus
have maift-s;ed renewed hatred to the
British. Believing truly that .Kifirlaml.
north of Natal, was to be made a sealxHrd
for the new Territory, . and that, the native
inhabitants were to be reduced tjocompiete
subjugation, Cetywayo, inheriting all the .
courage and energy of his great predeces
sors, declared war,, and the campaign,
which has been prosecuted for nearly a
year, readied a stsigo on January 27- when
it cannot longen be treated as a small aff iir.
Tobaccoand VIiky lius.
Special to Battimpre rtazettejatli.t
Washington, Feb. II. Your corres
pondeut was to-day informed by Secretary
Sherman that he was violently opposed to
Mr. Bayard's revenue bill. The Senate bill,
he said, would rednce the revenue from
tobacco $9,000,000 and the House bill
!$ 1 1,000,000. He is opposed tp both or
either and will do all in his power; to defeat
them, lie is quite as much opposed as he
was when the House bill passed. I Seimtor
Bayard said that be meant to cill up the
bill on Thursday and if the Senatje did not
agree to its consideration it must gj on the
calendar and take its place. j .
. Commissioner Raum says it !is better
than the House biy, because it mfikes les
reductions, but regards both against me
mterests'of the government. He j wants
two things. One is the authority to de
siroy illicit distilleries and their . products
where the officers cannot get aytjay with
them., Another is to allow a revenue offl
cer.to arrest without a warrant any 'illicit
distiller caught in the act. The present
bill has many advantages over trppreyj
ous one in matters of detail,- bui he will
fight it to the last. j
The Expected l)a(l-:.ocK.
Special to tne Richmond Dispatch, l'-'thj
Washington, February TL Aiict list
night's - Democratic caucus it is generally
conceded that an extra session is inevitable.
T his afternoon, at a quarter to 4 o'clock,
Eugene Hale, in a epeech on the1, consoli
dation of the land surveys, gave notice that
the Republicans intend to resist to the last
extremity, and even at the risk ofjan extra
session, the adding to the appropriation
bills of an amendment repealing.the elec
tion laws. As to the repeal of the jurors'
test oath they cared but little, because it is
now, practically, a dead letter, he said.
1 lie 1 ndlanM a Citizens
Special to thRichmond Dispatch,' !2tM
' W AsnrsGTOS, Feb. 1 1. The biH reprt
ed from the Senate Territorial Committee
to day makes the Indians in Ind an Tern
tory citizens, and gives them, a delegate ia
Congress.' It establishes for' them the iu
estimable boon of a United States couit,
and iq effect opens the Territory to settlers.
National Conference of Colored .'"
Washinotost, Feb. 11. A codference
of leading1 colored men was held in lli!3
city last night to consider the fcxppdi9:y
of holding a national conference ot coior-'
cilizmsof the United Stales. It was de
cided to hold the conference at Nasuvi! x,
Tenn , Tuesday, May , 1879. Theohj ci
of the conference-is -.ioxnsider the sini
uonof the colored people in the''11
relative to the enj yment of 'life, ?i-'r7
and - properfy j aioO their educw:1,j
moral, Bodal and pDliticaLcoaditiOJ
liie question of emigration. ;
- The shoe opera' ives of Lynn, Mi?.
received . e vera! . favorable pivp-f1' 10
from.Yu-ginia.aud Worth Carolina.
Aiaumjer of wealthy New
. n.!
aiUniversity w litre colored and whiw
will be educated as teachers lor the c
race in the South, i : ;