Newspapers / The Durham Recorder (Durham, … / March 22, 1820, edition 1 / Page 2
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Counties. Vrre persons. Washington, 2177 Wake, 1 1 208 Counties. Tit* persons. Wilkes, 78?0 Wayne, 5931 O.-ange, Rowan, Lincoln and Ruther ford contain a population of sixty thous and souls. These lour counties arc si tuated to the west, if we make the county of Wake the dividing line, though Wake properly belongs to the west. Now, reader, how many eastern coun ties do you suppose it will take to fur nish the number sixty thousand? It takes Haywood, Hydr, Gates, Junes, Tyrrell,' Brunswick, Chowan, Greene, Nash, Washington, Coi'uinbus, Bladen, Ber tie, Currituck, Camden, Lenoir, and Martin, to equal that number. This is seventeen counties to four. Fifty one members in the legislature to twelve. Could a stronger fact or bct tei'pioofbe adduced to show the ne cessity of equalizing our representation? Of the sixty thousand souls that belong to the four counties of Orange, Ruther ford, Rowan and Lincoln, about one fourth are represented. Are these the blessings of civil liberty? or is this the value of a representative government? The county of Rowan has a population equal to seven of these counties. In tuiking or speaking of this subject, it is not worth while to employ ambi guous language, or use equivocal rea sons, or mantle the just causes for a convention under pretexts of minor im portance. The constitution of our state may want amendment in many particu lars. I know it docs. Instead of electing our sher fTs by the magistrates of a county; the election for that office, as well as that of clerks, should be put on a more popular basis. There ought also some provisions to be nude re specting the eligibility of judges of our supreme and superior courts of law, after passing a certain period of life. As to the removal of our seat of govern ment, it is a matter of unimportance; though I believe that the state would become more respectable were it any Where else than Raleigh. But I wish to put the question on its strong ground, that of equal represen tation; and the people of the west will be wanting to themselves as republi cans. if they much longer submit to be thus cajoled out o* those rights which c.r all others I consider to be dearest to the f-eeman. I do not admire that kind of policy which claims on the score of expediency, what it should demand as a matter of right. A determined course of >? >nduct, on the part of the western people, would carry the point; and car ricci i crght to be let the Const quences be what they roivrht. Kv ry indiv idual comes intothr world with all his r.ghts unalie??3it''i--1auJ ?*? '? y - '?'y- ?- ? ?? r Ul?,?. A J, Ui?W^_ ever, a matter of expediency tu obe> the laws which are found already esia- j b.ishcd, and which cannot he conve rt iitiy revised b\ every individual of e tch s-.icceeding generation; but this e\ >; dn ncy ceases when the present ui d? i ot thinps violates the safety or in f 1 1 . ls the liberty of Ihe people. Here b. ^ins legitimate resistance; and who is t" judge ol the fitness of resistance: P t.cj unswers, every mar. for him^cf a: his own peril. Ti-.ese remarks apply to any form of r;o\ m r.jnent, particularly to those where tliu doctrines ot passive obedience and rvMi-re .Stance arc nevfcr agitated, until t'i'. actual conditi -n of the country elicit theui. The American governments, however, are framed and organised on ceitain principles embodied in a con stitution; and it is jn the preservation an integrity of these principles that the vame of our institutions consists. It is lit l..e point of contact ol the different powers, and on their mutual boundaries with the principles which they involve with us, that resistance is ever likely to become in ccssary; and the importance of t'ie dispute, loo, is not so much to b<; e?'.i n. .ted by the immediate object in v'.rw, as by 'he consequences of a pre cedent. So.dicrs defend to the last drop of their Mood, a breach, which is only a heap of stones, for the sake of the piace behind, which must fall if the enemy succved in making a lodgement. B tt y old friend Hudibras says it better: ? As when the sea breaks o'er its hounds, And overflows the leiel grounds, Those b.,nk< and dams that, like a screen, D'd keep it out, now keep it in. So wlien tyrannic usurpation Inv-vies the freedom of a nation, The laws </ the land, that were intended To keep it oul, are made defend it Kroin the s' itistical table it would ap pear, mat North Carolina has not that < equipoise of power to which her popu- ; bit i oil shouid entitle her. About one hall of the population arc represented . in h? r legislature; the remaining half, , therefore, is, in an estimate of general 1 enumeration, the same as if it did not I fcJU-t. In this difference consists the oppres sion. In a word, what is it but control ling a majority by a minority? A multitude of p'.ople can do busi ness jointly only in ilirec ways: first, by tin d* ' iM'in of a mjjoiity; secondly by th< decision of a minority; or, thirdly, by the decision of th^ whole. ()ur> bci.ig a representative republic, we have no oc si /H to^pejkof tnc last mode; the question 1 propose then is which is most reasonable ami equitable, that the i majority should bind the minority, 01 i that the former be bound by the latlei? It seems to be the most reasonable, that the majority should govern, because it is not so probable that a greater num ber as that a smaller .concurring in judgment should be mistaken. It is most equitable, because a greater num ber are presumed to have an interest in the socicly proportioned to that num ber. In the course of legislation some question of internal policy will arise, when the interest* of a greater and a less portion of our population will conflict, and if our representation continues as at this day, thousands of the population of our state are to be bound by the opera tion of a law or laws to what they had no consent in making. A liberal bi t misguided policy has given to the eas tern section of the state a controlling power. The people of that part of our slate have had the art and address to *jet their territory split and subdivided into small counties, until they out number the western people. So long as this state of things lasts, opinion never will have a fair direction; measures of wise and liberal policy will be forever sub jected to the narrow and shortsighted view of minds actuated by local jealou sies and t rritorial partialities. When public acts are adopted under these cir cumstances, is it reasonable to expect that the true interests of North Caroli na will be considered? The value of a representative govern ment consists as much as any thing in affording to the great mass of the com munity a channci of easy and undisguis ed communication of opinion; it is a system by which the direction and the amount of the public sentiment may at all times lie ascertained with a certainty quite sufficient for all practical purpos es. And unless there be some conduit in the structure of every society, for the transmission of political opinion through the great mass of the commu nity, it will be impossible ever to acquire a just estimate of the habits and tem pers of the people. Those circumstan ces which most powerfully excite and impress the opinions of the great body of the community, never will be knovn j or felt until just before they have pro duced a violent convulsion; and to the operation of this principle may be trac ed those great events in the history of J nations, which have most importantly influenced their political condition. C1VIS. March 18th, 1820. Friday, .Warch 3. The journal of proceedings of the house ?m yesterday being read, Mr. Randolph lose and intimated an intention n<?w to move the house to con sider their vote of yesterday, by which they concurred with the senate in strik ing the rc triction from the Missouri bill. The speaker declared the motion out of ordt r until ihc ordinary business of the morning, us prescribed by tht rules of the home, should be disposed of. From which opinion'of the chair, Mr. Randolph appealed. The question b- ii?g taken on the cor rectness of the decision, it was affirmed by the house. The house then proceeded in receiv ing and refening petition*; when, peti tions being called for fi^rn the members of Virginia, Mr. Randolph moved that the house regain in their possession the Missouri bill, until the period should arrive, w'ten according to the rulci of the house, a motion to reconsider the vote of yester day on concurring in the firsf amend ment proposed by the senate to the bill aforesaid, should be in order. The speaker declared this motion out of order, for the reason assigned on the first application of Mr. Randolph on this day. Mr. Sergeant, from the judiciary committee reported a bill to continue in fol cc the act of Mai ch 3, 181 9, 44 to pro tect the coinrm rce of the Uniu d States, and to punish the crime of piracy." Mr, Randolph, bring in the majority on that question, moved the house now to reconsider their vote of yesterday, in which they concui red in the fit bt amend ment proposed by the senate to the Missouri bill, winch was to strike out the slavery restriction. Mr. Archer, of Virginia, seconded the motion. The sp< aker having ascertained the fact, stated to the house, that the pro ceedings of the house on that bill yes terday, had been communicated to the senate, by the clerk, and that the bill not being in possession of the house, the motion to reconsider could not be enter tained, Whereupon, Mr. Randolph submit ted the following resolution: Hr*(,lvtdy That, in carrying the hill, eniitled 44 an act to authorize the people ol the territory of Missouri to form a constitution and state government, and for the admnsion of sur h sta'e into the Cnion on an equal footing with the ori ginal stales," afi?" i a member f'om Vu gi> ta had giv< n not c of his un mion inovc a reconsideration of the quc&uvfi ilecidcd last evening, ? ? which the said member, viz. Mr. Randolph, voted in the majority on one of the amendments of the senate thereto, the clerk is guilty of a breach of the privileges of a mem ber of this house under the rules thereof. And the question being put whether the house would now consider the said resolution; it was decided in the nega tive?ayes 61, noes 71. . Mr. Randolph then submitted the following proposition^ which lies on the table. " That so much of the 37th rule as allows a reconsideration of any question by motion of any member of the majo rity on such question on the day suc ceeding that on which such question be taken, be expu' ged " A message was received from the se nate, announcing thai they had receded from their amendments to the Maine bill; but asking a further conference on the subject of that"T>in [^for the purpose of making a necessary verbal amend ment? to insert -March " 1820," instead of March " next,** as the original bill was drafted ] Mr. Randolph moved that the bill be indefinitely postponed, and proceeded at considerable length to offer lus reasons for wishing to prevent its passage; when Mr. R. was called to order, by Mr. Livermorc, for deviating from the ques tion under debate. ? The speaker dccided that Mr. Ran dolph was not out of order. Air. Liverniort appealed from the decision of the chair; but betorc ll.e question was put, Mr. Randolph withdrew his motion for the indefinite postponement of the bill. The confcrence was then agreed to; and soon after 3Hr Holmes reported tlie amendment as abovt staled, which was agreed to by the house, and the bill was thus finally acted on. ,1/bnday, .Maach G Mr. Smith from the committee of ways and means, reported, by way of amendment to a bill which had been re ferred to them, a bill in addition to the several acts for the establishment and regulation of the u'tksury, war and navy departments; which was referred to a committee of the wlfol house. Mr. Slocumb submitted a resolution authorising the president of the senate and speaker of the house of represen tatives to close thi^sessi. n by adjourn ment of their resjRctive houses on the ? ? day of ? ? r^xt. And, at the in stance of the move* the said resolution was ordered to lie ^ vhe table. Mr. Cocke subiuuijd for considera tion thefoll?jiittflfc4[^Butions^^^^ -?aran. ;r^ oe ins'-rv^ri to wqwire^rnw the expediency of reducing the naval establishment of tnt U. Sutes. Mr. Cocke made a few remarks, in the course of which' he stated his ob ject to be to '-fleet a reduction in the number of officers of the navy, so as to proportion them more equally to the number of vessels in commission. It was to this point only, that he wish ed to call the attention of the naval com mittee. The house having agreed to consider the motion by a votq of 67 to 63, it was then, on motion of* Mr. Lowndes, with the consent of the mover, ordered to lie on the table. On motion of Mr. Cocke, it was then Resolved, That the secretary of war be directed to report to this house, ro pies of all contracts which have been made for the building or repairing for tifications, arsenals or magazines, since the year 1815; and, also, that he report the amount of monies actually paid, to whom, and when, and whether public noticc was actually given of said con tracts, and what surety was given, in what amount, and whether the surety is still solvent; and whether the con tracts have been f jthfully performed. The engrossed hill in addition to the act regulating the post office establish ment, was read a third time, passed, and returned to the sennt< : The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill making appropriations lor the support of the navy of the United States for the current year. Towards the close of the debate, Mr. Clay moved that "it be recommended to the house to recommit to the com mute of ways and means the bill enti tled, Sec. (the ?ppropriation bill) wi'h instruction to prepare the same in refer rence to an oc easional instead of a per manent employment of the squadron in the Mediterranean." After debate, tUi motion was nega tived, 72 to 51; and the committer rose and reported the bill, u ijji the following appropriations therein, viz: For pay and subsistence of the offi cers, and pay of thr seamen, ft98y,320. For provisions, ?415,187. For medicines, hospital stores, and all expenses on account of the sick, in cluding the marine corps, R3fi.0'>0. For repairs of vessels, $4K4,0OO. For contingent expenses, ft 1 40,000. For improvement of navy yards, dor ks and wharves, pay of snperintendants, store keepers, clerks, and labourers, 100,000 dollars. For pjy and subsistence of the ma rine corps, 177,228 dollars. For xlualhing the same, 27, 3o.s dol lars. Er.rssa-ar~?, same, 20,000. ^ And before considering the atme, the ! house adjourned. Tuesday, Jlftrch f. Mr. Silsbee, from the committee on naval affair*, who were instructed to in quire into the expediency of suspending for a limited time, so much of the stand ing appropriation of 1,000, GOO dollars for the increase of the navy as may be consistent with the public service, Sic. made a report, the purport of which, is, that, after due inquiry, they believe that tme economy and the best interests .?f the nation are opposed to a suspen sion for a limitted time, of any portion of the sum annually appropriated for the gradual increase of the navy; and that they have not been able to ascertain where any essential reduction can be made in the expenses of the navy, with out reducing the establishment. The report was ordered to lie on the table. The house then proceeded to the consideration of the report of the com mittee of the whole on the bill making the annual appropriations for the sup port of the navy. Mr. Cobb moyed to recommit the bill to the committee of ways and means, with instructions so to :<mcnd it as to re duce i he appropriations for every branch of the service, one-fourth. This motion produced a debate, in the course of which it was supported by the mover, and Mr. Warfield and Mr. Culpepper, anil opposed by Messrs. Smith, of Md. Smith, of NT. C. T riinble, Johnson, Foot, Holmes, Wood and Low odes. Mr. Johnson, desirous to postpone this and the other appropriation bills until the amount of the deficit in the treasury was ascertained, and the defi cit supplied, moved to strike out the proposed instruction to the committee, so as to leave the question one of recom mitment only. This motion was nega tived.. Wednesday, .March 8. On motion of Mr. Cocke, the bill re specting the military establishment of the U. States, (for reducing certain branches oi it) was committed to the same committee to whom had been pre* viously referred the bill making appro priations for the military service for the year 1820. The aincndmens of the senate to the bill " to provide for taking the fourth census or the enumeration ol the inha bitants of the United States," were read and concurred in by the house. The engrossed bill making appropri tiifi vtf.pori ft* navy fean tile ulUJ nllrtTpalset! Cto ? the senate. The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the bill making appropriations for the support of the military establishment of the U. States. [To the same committee was to day referred the hill 4 respecting the mili tary establishment.1] The last mentioned bill was taken up, and having been read ? Mr. Cannon moved to strike cut all the first section of the hill, excepting the enacting clause, and in lieu thereof to insert the following: 44 That the military peace establish ment of the United States shall consist of such proportions of artillery engi neers, infantry and riflemen, as the pre sident of the United States shall judge proper to retain in service, not exceed ing in the whole, including otTicc rs, non commissioned officers and privates, five thousand." Mr. Cannon supported this motion by a speech of some length on the ne cessity of retrenchment, occasioned by the state of the finances; the inutility of an army in pcacc ? the militia being willing and competent to perform any occasional service in which an army may be employed. Mr. Clay avowed himself to be in fa vour of reducing the army, in prefer ance to resoring to taxes, loans, or to an invasion of the sinking fund, to meet the expenses of the government ? if, on the report of the committee of forrign relations, the attitude of the country should not be cban^-jd to that of war, or to that which should menace war. ? ' Meanwhile, he was disposed not to act on the bill now before the committee, but to defer it for the present for the purpose of acting on the military appro priation bill. If, after the report of the committcc of foreign relatione should be made, it should be thought expedi ent to reduce the army, the appropria tions wouhl shape themselves to what should be the actual force and condition of the militaryjestablishinent. He there fore moved to lay this bill on the table, with a view to take up the approba tion bill. The question was taken on this mo tion without debate, and decided in the affirmative. The bill making appropriations for the support of the military establish ment, for the current year, was taken up. On coming to the appropriation for the support of the military academy for the present year ? Mr. Cannon spoke at ?ome length againstHhis appropriation, on the gi ound of hostility to the institution itself; con ceiving that the money levied by taxes on tit* people, and on the poor as well ?? the rich, could be better employed tJr^n.?n **?*uitous instruction of a Pnvilt^l class of youth. Smilh? of Maryland, remarked would we!l*UniTnl8 ?f ,hC ?*"tlcn.an u f u L "PP.1* to a proposition to abolish this insthutWmj but did not arT ply with any force to the question in hand, which was not the establishment of the academy, but the appropriation of money to defray expences already authorized by law. Mr. Cannon was so little disposed to continue this ?stablishment, that he wa* willing to arrest, or at least to reduce^ the appropriation. But, in order to get a proposition to reduce the expcnce oi that establishment, or to abolish it, Mr. C. moved to lay this on the table. After some observations from Mr. Strother in opposition to this motion, the question was taken thcrcou, and de cided in the negative. Mr. Cannon had proposed a sum less than that moved by the chairman of the committee of ways and means for the support of the military academy. So that two questions were presented: the one on a certain sura necessary to the support of the academy a* it now stands, and the other on a less sum. The ques tion being taken, according to usage, on the largest amount, it was decided in the affirmative, by a large majority. The committee proceeded to the con sideration of the other items ol appro priation. The item of 21,000 dollars, for boun ties and premiums 011 enlistments of rV - emits to fill up the army, coming up ? Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, op posed this item, on the ground that there was no necessity for encreasing the number of the army beyond their pre sent amount. Mr. Smith, of Matyland, supported the appropriation ss being almost a mat ter of course and, generally, on the ground that the army ought not to be reduced at all; but, if reduced, that it ought to be by a direct vote. Mr. Trimble declared himself to bo in favour of a reduction of the army, but in a practical way; and he thought that, to attempt it in this way, would but serve to weaken the eflorts which should hereafter be made directly to eH'ect the same object. Mr. Slocumb was opposed to this ap propriation; and, by way of showing how cautious the house ought to be in mak ing its appropriations, said, that it ap peared from documents laid before the house, that powder and lead belonging to the government had been loaned to bankru^MRfekMii^*^/'! Is coolly ...JtarxWtTa)*'} tbe officer having charge of that branch of service, was Y* precarious, and, in order to mend the matter, that 10,0 '0 dollars more had been advanced in money to the same persons. Mr. Cohbmadea few rcmaiks against the appropriation. Mr. Livermore delivered his senti ments in fnvour of a reduction of thi ar my Bui. he said, though many were in favour of that reduction, there were also many who were opposed to it ? and the only way in which the former could secure their object, wa^ to reduce the appropriation. If the appropriations are made, the ground was given up. He was of opinion, therefore, that the friends of the reduction should make use of the weapons which lay in their way. He thought the army too large, and useless ly employed. It would take longer to collect this army, which v% as scattered about like the sheep of the shepherd, among many hills ? to bring them from the Yellow Stone river, and the remote corners of the earth, than to raise up a new army. He also complained of the magnitude of the staff of the at my, as being disproportionate to its num bers, fctc. Mr. Baldwin mad<- some remarks ex planatory of the occasion for this appro priation. Mr. Foot, with a view to present di rectly to the house the question of au thorizing the enlistment of men to sup ply vacancies occurring in the ranks, moved to strike out from the bill all that relates to impropriations for recruit ing expences. Mr. Smith, of Maryland, opposed the motion. [ Here the debate began to be essen tially a debate on the reduction of the army.*] Mr. Simkins delivered his opinion at length against the reduction of the ar my, and against a course which would subject measures of great national po licy to fluctuations depending on the state of the finances. The sum of his argument may be expressed in the max im of Washington, which he quoted, that to secure peace we ought to be pre pared for war. He declared, that he, lor one, would sooner resort to loans and taxes than, in the present condition of the country, vote for the reduction ol the army or the navy. Mr. Clay said a few words expressive of hm h'?p( that this bill would be per mi'tid to take its course. The broken efforts, he said, of the friends of a re duction of it i at my, would have the ei fcct to w eaken their strength. l'or himscll
The Durham Recorder (Durham, N.C.)
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March 22, 1820, edition 1
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