b enactment of what is common
d5CltCraI tSSiemljl jly termed a valuation law, or
SENATE.
On motion of Mr. Hinton, it
was resolved, that the committee
on Internal Improvements be di
rected to inform this House, upon
what terms the Civil Engineer is
employed, and whether the inter
est of the State requires that he
should be any longer retained in
its service.
The Senate resolved itself into
a committee of the; whole House,
Mr. Love in the Chair on the reso
lution, submitted by Mr. Wellborn,
for the appointment of a select
joint committee to take into con
sideration the expediency of in
structing our Senators and re
questing our Representatives in
Congress to obtain for this State
a proportionate part of the public
funds for the purpose of internal
improvement; and on the resolu
tion, submitted by Mr. Wilson
as an amendment thereof, decla
ring that the right by Congress to
carry on internal improvements
in the several States, or to appro
priate the funds of the general
government for that purpose, is
hot contained in the granted pow
ers of the Constitution of the U
nited States, and is at variance
with the rights reserved to the
States, and not sanctioned by
sound policy; and, after some
time spent therein, the committee
rose and reported the said reso
lutions with an amendment, to
wit: to strike out the whole of the
same except the word "resolved,"
and substitute the following: "that,
in the opinion cf this Legislature,
Congress have a right to create
a fund for the internal improve
ment and education, to be appor
tiond among the States in propor
tion to their federal representa
tion, and to be applied to such
particular objects as each State
may specify. The
whether anv other, or, if any, what
means can be adopted to avert
such a calamity; and that they re
port by bill or otherwise.
HOUSE OF- COMMONS.
On motion of Mr. Jones, of ItoT
wan, it was resolved, that, for the
purpose of encouraging domestic
industry and promoting a spirit
of economy in our State, it be re
commended to the members of
the next General Assembly to ap
pear in their places clad in home
spun. On motion of Mr. Graham, the
committee of Finance were in
structed to inquire into the expe-
The resolutions Were read, and
ordered to lie upon the table.
Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Mr. HALL, of North Carolina,
brought up the resolutions pro
posed by him on Tuesday, re
specting the question as to the
power of general government,
tending so far as .to put aside the
distinctive and sovereign authority
of the States, in relation to all
matters connected with internal
Improvements within such Stato.
lie moved to refer the same to a
Committee of the Whole on the
State of the Union.
Mr. Bartlett thought it would
be better to refer it to the Com
mittee on the Judiciary, as it in-
diency of revising and amending! volved a legal question. He
the revenue laws, so as to impose
a certain per cent, on the capital
stock in trade.
Mr. Blacklede, from the select
joint committee, reported a bill
to vest the riht ot electing slier
iffs in the several counties within
this State, in the free men thereof.
On motion of Mr. Earnhardt,
should not make a motion on the
subject; but begged to suggest it
for the consideration ot the com
mittee to the gentleman from
North Carolina, (Mr. Hall.)
On motion by Mr. WicklifTe,
Resolved, That the Committee
on the Judiciary be instructed to
inouire into the expediency of
it was reso ved. that the commit- providing by law, that in any case
i - m i; ! w
tee on Education be instructed decided by the Supreme Court of
to inquire into the expediency of the I nitod fctates, in which shall
appropriating a part of the litcra- be drawn in question the articles
rv fund for the education of noor ofany part of the constitution of a
J - y l VlVHJl KJ IMIl 14. UblHyk) ui
and indigent children in the seve- State, that a greater number ofi
ral counties in this State; and justices than a majority shall con-! ject, submitted to Congress bv
that they report a plan to carry cur in pronouncing such part ofjDr. Hall, representative from
the same into eilect either by bill the said constitution or act to be this District. We are inclined to
ceding resolutions, be applied, iri
like manner, to the object of pop
ular education, in tne same pro
portions, so soon as the public
debt now charged thereupon
shall have been paid.
Xarljorougl),
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1823.
"A merry Christmas." This
being the season generally devo
ted to mirth and festivity, agreea
bly to ancient usage, we tender to
our readers the usual compliments.
Internal Improvements. h
our last paper we gave the reso
lutions submitted to the Legisla
ture of this State, by Gen. Wil
son, Senator from this county,
calling in question the constitu
tional power of Congress to en
gage in a system of Internal Im
provements; and, under the Con
gressional head of this paper, our
readers will tind a series of res-
or otherwise.
invalid, and that without such
m concurrence, the part of tho con-
believe, from the proceedings of
the Legislatures ot several States,
C4S51tilES stmition or act of the Legislature,, that a vigorous effort will be made
JX r,. ,as lho casc m.iy hCf SQ drawn q b Question fullv and
question, shall not be deemed or
holden invalid.
A division was called on the
HOUSE OF KKPUESENTATJVES.
Tuesday, Dec. 1G.
Mr. HALL, of North Carolina referrennn nf llm rnsnlntinn wlmn
rose and said, that the resolution there appeared in favor of it 70
which he was about to present against it 59.
had been suggested by a bill Mr. Sawyer moved the follow
which he found on his table the ing resolution, which was read,
Cumberland Road bill, the pro- and laid on the table;
this question fully and
fairly before the ensuing Con
gress; and we are satisfied, that
unity of action alone is required
from those who doubt its expedi
ency and its constitutionality, to
effect either a total abandonment
of the system, or an amendment
to the Constitution, defining the
i
(extent to which it may be carried,
anreeinsr to the amendment ot
the committee of the whole was
determined iu the affirmative 29
to 27.
Mr. MTarland presented a bill
to provide for poor persons who
are desirous of becoming free
holders in this State; which pass
ed its first reading. Gives every
head of a family, not able to pur
chase land, the privilege of enter
ing 50 acres any where in the
State, not prohibited by law, on
their paying the fees of Entry-taker,
Surveyor v& Secretary of
State. And if they erect a dwel
ling house of any kind & cultivate
for five years, 15 acres of the land,
and paying the public tax, they
shall then be entitled to a grant
from the State.
The bill to regulate the eman-
cipation of slaves, was read the
third time and, on the motions of!
Messrs. Beasley &, Deberry, a
mended and passed ryeas 45
noes 10.
Mr. Ruffm presented the follow
ing resolution, which was adopted:
Whereas, under the existing
state of embarrassment, and scar
city of circulating medium, incal
cable sacrifices of property arc
likely to be made undor execution
sales:
Be it therefore resolved, That
he committee on the Judiciary
pe instructed to inquire whether,
. f I'll It 1 Tm AVV(lll IU tVlllUIJ lb HI CIV UUlilbU)
visions of which he believed eon-; Resolved. That the Secretary: nnti uA
nnn Min n,JraT l th, knsfltutlon a,,(l thoj of War be d.rectcd to lay before 'funds appropriated to it, shall be
nKZ 0"-ifU.',,lTnCn-taI P,"I,,C,I,110S of our po- this House, a copy of the report distributed. This, and this only,
...v. .o ..uw .o. itua3 iiuims m u.u unuui s uuiuiuy eu , unuer ,n our opinion, can induce the
purpose, himself, to go into a dis- a special appropriation by an actjs0utliern States to tolerate the
cussion ot tlie abstract constitu-! of Congress, passed in 1326, tOsystem.
tional question. But if it should) make a survey of the Roanoke'
be thought proper by others, the
resolutions might offer an option
to' the House in, discussing the
question separately from the bill.
If this should not be done, Mr. II.
said, the resolutions would yet
serve him as a protest against the
bill and its principles. Mr. II.
then offered the following resolu
tions: Resolved, $c. That the people
of the United States, in the for
mation of their Governments, did
not alienate their sovereignty.
. Resolved, That the rights of
Jurisdiction and soil are the es
sential attributes of sovereignty.
Resolved, That the power to
execute a system of Internal Im
provements within the States, in
volves the right of Jurisdiction
and soil.
Resolved, That the power to
make Roads and Canals within
the jurisdiction limits , of the
States, and to make laws for their
preservation and protection, and
to erect toll gates, and to inforce
the collection of tolls, involves
the right to execute a complete
system of Internal Improvements.
Resolved; That Congress does
not, under the Constitution, pos
sess this power,
Inlet, in North Carolina, with a
view to a navigable communica
tion between the Albemarle
Sound and the Ocean.
On motion of Mr. Bryan, it was
Public Documents. Since our
last, we have received from Wash
ington City, in addition to the
Report from the Treasury De-
nartment. a namnhlet conv of the
resolved, that the committee ofjl resident s Message, with the ac
Commerce be instructed to in-i
quire into the expediency of ma
king an additional appropriation
for the improvement of Ocracock
Inlet, in North Carolina.
The following resolutions, mo
ved by Mr. Mercer at the last
Session, was taken up and refer
red to the Standing Committee
on the State of the Union:
1. Resolved, That the nett pro
ceeds of the sales of the public
lands, not specifically pledged for
the payment of the public debt
of the United States, be applied,
under such regulations as the Le
gislatures of the several States
and Territories may, respective
ly, provide, to popular education.
2. Resolved, That, in effecting
this purpose, the said sum be dis
tributed among the several States
and Territories according to their
respective federal numbers.'
3. Resolved, That the nett ! pro
ceeds of the sales of the residue
of the public lands, not included
within the provisions of the pre-
companying Documents, viz:
Irorn the Uepartment ot War,
Navy Department, General Post
Office, and General Land-Ofiice.
We have already given an extract
from the President's Message,
and the following is a brief outline
of the principal features of the
Documents:
Treasury Report In the years
1825-6-7-8, there were applied to
the interest of the National Debt,
the sum of $14,930,454, and to
the principal 30,373,188, ma
king an aggregate of$45,303,G4
The National Debt, on the l1
January next, after deducting the
seven millions of Stock of the l'
S. Bank, will be $51, 302,1
which, it, is conjectured by th3
Secretary, will in effect, be total
ly paid off in little more thanfotf
years. The total receipts for 1828,
are estimated at $24,703,149 9J
the expences at $25,637,511 6
exhibiting an excess of expends
tures over receipts of upwards 0-
one million of dollars.