Communications,
TOll THE FREE PRESS.
THE RAIL ROAD.
Surely every friend to his
country will take pleasure in its
prosperity, and will feel pained
to witness its decline. Such a
friend feels not only interested
in the welfare of his country in
general, but also in the welfare
of his particular location. And
if all the friends would exert
themselves to .advance the pros
perity of their local and parti
cular sectional interest, they
would in the best and most di
rect way possible advance the
interest of his country in gene
ral. I am a native citizen of
Edgecombe county, and 1 do
not know in what better way I
can promote the prosperity of
North Carolina than to promote
the improvement of this county.
AVithout something is done by
its citizens or others for its im-
I"
provement more than what has;
been done, it is evident to every
intelligent mind, that it must
decline. The navigation to and
from this county has been at
tended with such disadvanta
ges, causing so much loss on
their exports and such high per
centage on their imports, that it
has in connection with the low
prices of produce gradually
been leading its inhabitants to
poverty. Heretofore our navi
gation has been considered un
improvable owing to the barri
ers of nature, and in conse
quence of such a belief many of
Citizens have moved tO Other I
sections where they might en
joy a better navigation, carrying
away with them the very means
by which our navigation might
have been improved. This
course will still be pursued by
many more, unless something is
done to better our situation as
an inducement to prevent tlu-ir individual exertion towards elo
cmigration. Something can be i voting the character of North
done, and something must be Carolina and promoting the
done, and something will be : bt interests of our own coun-
aone. i read with regret the
disappointment of the Commis
sioners in Tarborough, appoint
ed to receive subscriptions to
the Tarborough and Hamilton
Rail Road stock. Can it be
true that the citizens of Edge
combe do not wish to belter
their condition? Why then do
they not readily accept the of
fered opportunity which will so
speedily better their condition?
Are they unacquainted with the
advantages that this Rail Road
will give them? Are they un
acquainted with the help that
the citizens of Norfolk have of
fered, to accomplish this desira
ble undertaking? A letter has
been received from Norfolk sta
ting that half the stock would
be taken there. The object of
the Rail Road is to connect us
with Norfolk, that we may en
joy its market, which is very
little inferior to that of New
York either in purchasing or
selling, and it is well known
that the expense of carrying
produce to Norfolk and bringing
articles from there is not even
now more than half as much as
going to New York, and it is
evident that the Rail Road
would greatly lessen the ex
pense and facilitate-our trade.
The Rail Road will greatly be
nefit the farmers in this county
and also those in the adioininrr
counties, though not one of
tuem might ever go to Norfolk
to sell or buy anv thing, for it
would bring capital to Tarbo
rough when the most liberal
prices would be given and the
most liberal lno i i .
most liberal sales offered, which
would be to the farmers almost
like bringing the Norfolk mar
ket to Tarborough.
I am fullv persuaded it would
be belter for us to have the Rail
Road even if we never were to
T(t one cent as interest on our
stock. What would 30,000,
(which is one half as estimated)
be, divided among i lie farmers
of this county A mere no
thing. We should scarcely feel
it. But it is believed by those
bestucquaintedwith Rail Roads,
that this stock will give to its
owners about ten per cent, per
annum. If so, we who sub
scribe have a double advantage,
for whilst we are benefitted by
the general trade with others,
we are at the same time receiv
ing good interest on our funds.
I am sorry to learn that some of
our good citizens in Conetoe
arc raising objections to the
Rail Road, because it will per
haps run through their land.
If ttiey would consider it right-
ly they would be glad, for if the
Ril Roa(l takes some of their
land it will increase the value of
what is left as will much more
than compensate for it, beside
being paid for the land and tim
ber taken. And if it takes some
of the timber from their land it
will make every tree that is left ;
worth just double, whether it
be for timber, for lumber, for the
fire, or for extracting turpen
tine. It will increase the value
of their cattle, their hogs, their
sheep, their turkeys, their chick
ens, and in fact every thing they
have about their farms or in I
their woods. It will crive the
! citizens of Conetoc a deeidod
C-7
n,!..:mt:i(To nvnr nvnrv ntlinr nnrt
ofthecountv. 1 hope this sub
ject will again be considered in
its true bearing, as I trust it was
when first brought before the
people. And that the stock
will immediately be taken, that
we may set the first example in
OUrS?tati what nnn hn dnnn liv
ty of Edgecombe.
A Friend to Edgecombe.
FOR THE FREE PRESS.
THE TARIFF,
ilr. Editor: I have recently
been reading the history of an
cient Rome, where a division
took place between Cassar,
Pompey, &c. Viewing the dis
tracted and complex situation
of that republic a little previous
to and about thai time, and com
paring it with the United States
in our present distracted situa
tion, may we not say we are
travelling the same road and
fear we shall shortly arrive at
the same end. It does not re
quire a philosopher to discover
a Ccesar and a Pampey in our
national councils, each forming
his party, and instead of striv
ing to reconcile the conflicting
interests of the country, are stri
ving to carry their points re
gardless 01 wnscfllifinnns
Where is that patriotic spirit
which displayed itself so visibly
in the conduct of the ancestors
of our northern brethren? Has
it become wholly extinct by ge
neration? It appears to be lost,
not leaving a trace to. be dis
covered in all iheir acts and
in all probabiliiy the present
Congress will have to rise with
out materially altering the tariff
law, leaving the South to groan
under a load of duties uncalled
for by the wants of government.
(Question.) Shall we, in order
to relieve ourselves from this
"u,,l"" oissoive our Union and
( perhaps thereby destroy the
best government ever framed by
the hand of man, the wonder
and admiration of the world,
and perhaps our liberties like
wise purchased by the blood and
treasure of our fathers or,
shall we patiently submit to the
lariff with all the evils attached
to it of which we so justly com
plain, a tax embarrassing the
many for the benefit of the few
or, shall we endeavor to de
vise some plan which will make
it the interest of our northern
brethren to repeal the tariff or
so modify it as to remove the
grievance, and thereby restore
peace and harmony in our belo
ved country? The North are
not ignorant of their duty on
this point, but unless we make
it their interest it will avail no
thing. May an humble old ci
tizen of Edgecombe submit a
few thoughts on the last ques
tion proposed, not with a hope
that it will be received by the
public, but that it may call the
public mind into action on the
subject, that in their united wis
dom they may devise some plan
that may save our country from
dissolution and ruin.
1st. That all the States in the
Union which feel themselves ag
grieved by the present tariff,
meet in Convention by delo
gates chosen by the people.
2d. That when assembled,
they so modify the tariff law 'ns
to bring the revenue within the
wants of the government, tak
ing care to apportion it as far
as practicable to the protection
of American industry that comes
in competition with foreign.
3d. -That the Collectors of
each port be authorised and re
quired to collect no more duties
from foreign articles imported
into the several States, than ac
cording to the regulation of the
Convention aforesaid.
4th. That each State forming
this Convention be responsible
to the General Government for
the residue of revenue not col
lected from foreign importations
according to the present tariff.
5th. That the Legislatures of
the several States forming this
Convention, at their first session!
thereafter, lay a tax on all mer-!
chants and traders within their
respective limits who trade on
articles of northern manufac
ture also, on hogs, horses and
mules, from any tariff State
which shall be sufficient to pay
the revenue for which the State
is responsible to the General
Government, allowing a reason
able time for the merchants and
traders to dispose of their stock
on hand that no loss be sus
tained. Some may object to the last
proposition as being unconsti
tutional but I hold that each
State has a right to regulate her
own internal concerns, and of
course a right to lay and collect
taxes within her jurisdictional
limits. And should the Legis
lature think proper to lay a tax
that would amount to a prohibi
tion, (according to the old pro
verb, the hotter war the sooner
peace,) the sooner their market
is cut off the sooner they will
come to their senses, and rather
than lose their great customer
the South, they will find it their
interest to repeal the tariff.
And where is the patriot who
would not rather pay a direct
tax a few years to make up the
revenue for which his State is
responsible to the General Go
vernment, rather than submit to
an indirect and unconstitutional
tax on the necessaries of life
impoverishing & distracting the
whole country for the exclusive
benefit of a few manufacturers.
A iV. Carolina Republican.
SENATE.
Tuesday, April 3. -The Se
nate resumed the consideration
of the amendmentsof the House
of Representatives to the bill
supplementary to the several
acts for the sale of the public
lands, and the amendments hav
ing been advocated by Messrs.
Moore, Kane, Buckner and
King, and opposed by Messrs.
Ewingand Holmes, were final
ly concurred in. The bill ma
king appropriations for the sup
port of the Government for the
year 1832, was taken up as the
unfinished business, the ques
tion being on the amendment
proposed by the committee on
finance, adding an appropria
tion of $4,500 for the return of
the ministers from France and
England. On this question,
Mr. Sprague first addressed the
Chair, and continued his re
marks until a late hour, when
he gave way for a motion to
adjourn.
Wednesday, 4th. The bill
making appropriations to carry
into effect certain Indian trea
ties, was reported, read thrice,
1 J A. I.lf . 1 O
ano pussca. xvi nan nasi
the Senate went into the consi
deration of Executive business,
in which nearly three hours
were spent.
Thursday , 5th. The bill
supplementary to the act for the
relief of the surviving officers
and soldiers of the Revolution,
was taken up, and, on motion of
Mr. Foot, amended, so as to in
clude seamen, officers and ma
rines of the Navy. Mr. Wilkins
moved an amendment, extend
ing the provisions of the bill to
"Indian spies." Mr. Marcy
moved to mend the amendment,
by adding "boatmen, wagoners,
and express riders;" which mo
tion was, after some discussion,
rejected, and the bill was laid
on the table. Mr. Webster,
from tho select committee on
the apportionment of Represent
tatives, under the fifth census,
made a report thereon, accom
panied by a bill. The general
appropriation bill was taken up;
the question being on the a
mendmcnt, allowing $4,500 for
the expenses of the return of
our ministers from France and
England. Mr. Sprague resu
med and concluded his speech
upon the British ColonialTrade
arrangement, which has inci
dentally become a subject of
discussion.
Friday, 6th. Mr. Smith sub
mitted a resolution, which was
adopted, calling on the Presi
dent for a copy of Lord Aber
deen's letter in answer to Mr.
Barbour's, of the 27th Novem
ber, 1828, and also so much of
a letter of the 22d April, 1831,
from Mr. McLane to Mr. Van
Burcn, as relates to the propo
sed duty on cotton. The gene
ral appropriation bill was con
sidered as the unfinished busi
ness, and Mr. Kane, oer.unind
the Senate for the balance of
the day in reply to Mr. Sprague.
; The Senate adjourned over
to Monday.
Monday, 9. After the
transaction of the usual morn
ing's business, the Revolutiona
ry pensions bill was taken up
on motion of Mr. Foot, and
Mr. Robinson offered an amend
ment, to which Mr. Grundy of
fered an addition, to include in
the provisions of the bill those
officers and soldiers who serv
ed with Generals Wayne, Clark,
Harmar, Ilamtranck; and St.
Clair, in the Indian war after
the Revolution. This amend
ment was supported bv Messrs
Robinson, Bibb, Grundy, and
Benton, and opposed by Messrs.
Foot and Smith. After a short
discussion the bill was laid on
the table, in order to take up
the appropriation bill. After
Mr. Kane had concluded his
remarks, Mr. Holmes took the
floor, and addressed the Senate
until the adjournment.
II. OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, Aprils. Mr. Bell
introduced a bill to provide
means for extending the bene
fits of vaccination among tho
Indian tribes, as a preventative
of the small pox, which was
committed to a committee of
the whole on the state of the
Union. The report of the
Committee on the Judiciary on
the subject of the charges a
gainst the Collector of Wiscas
set, was again considered; and
Mr. Mitchell, of S. Carolina and
Mr. Anderson addressed the
House until the close of the
hour. The Indian appropria
tion bill was ordered to be en
grossed for a third reading.
The House afterwards went in
to a committee of the whole on
the state of the Union, and took
up the revolutionary pensions
bill, which was discussed until
half past 4 o'clock, when the
committee rose, and the House
adjourned.
Wednesday, 4th. The mo
tion made by Mr. Slade, on
Tuesday, to reconsider the vote
rejecting the resolution offered
by Mr. Arnold, directing tho
committee on internal improve
ments to enquire into the expe
diency of constructing a Na
tional Road from Buffalo, in the
State ofJVew York, to New Or
leans, was, after a desultory dis
cussion upon a point of order,
taken up. Mr. Arnold addres
sed the House in a long and
discursive speech, in favor of
the reconsideration of the for
mer vote, and the adoption of
his resolution. After a few re
marks from Messrs. Carson,
Mercer, ami Blair of Tennes
see, the motion to reconsider
was Iost-7-ye.is 74, nays 94.
The bill making appropriations
for the Indian Department for
the year 1832, was passed.
The bill providing for the vacci
nation of the Indians as a pre
ventive of small pox, &c. was
considered in committee, re
ported with amendments, and
postponed until Friday. The
pension bill was next taken up
in committee. Mr. Davis, of
South Carolina, addressed tho
committee in opposition to the
general principles of the bill,
until the usual hour of adjourn
ment, when he gave way to a
motion that the committee rise,
which was carried, and the
House adjourned.
Thursday, 5th. The bill
providing for the vaccination of
the Indians as a preventive of
the small pox, was amended
and ordered to be engrossed for
a third reading The House
resumed, in committee, the con
sideration of the general pen
sion bill. Mr. Davis, of S. C.
concluded his remarks against
the bill, when the committee
rose, and the House adjourned.
Friday, 6th. The consider
ation of the report of the com
mittee on the judiciary on the
charges brought against the
collector of the port of Wiscas
set, was resumed, and Mr,
Penrcc continued, until the ex
piration of the hour, his argu
ment for an investigation by the
House. The internal improve
ment appropriation bill was ta
ken up in a committee of tho
whole on tho state of the Union,
A long debate ensued on the