THOMAS LOiUNG, Editor aad Proprietor: BENJAMIN I. 110 WZE, ComspMns iSaitor.TVfiJLLAllS-'?er Aaauin, iaFariablj "in Advance.
1 1-
WILMINGTON, . FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1851
NO. 44..
ilN FRAMCI3C0 IN RDIXS.
oUr doubts about the verity of the
t News said to be brought by the Ala
yew Orleans, on Friday week but tjhe
BP'
at
yave generally published it, and it is
tme after making some allowance out
;een millions
-I -t
r terrible conflagration - at San Francisco,
reported to have laid in ashes property
IS
want of fifteen millions of (LiUars!
ait
file commenced iu Clay street, quickly con-
& dozen blocks, and; spreading to other
be city, the greater part of .which was
to a heap of ruiiis. Hunter, George
Gearte. and El Dorado streets are burnt
A
es
portion of the shipping lying"; at the
was also consumed. The Custoni-IloEi.se
it the buildings destroyed, as were most
p;
r's.
nut1
im-ipal Hotels, viz : -the Exchange, the
j National;, the City,- the Now World,
DelruonicQs, &C
n,ri conslernatien pre.aiied"duriug the
I nslithousands were turned out fof ho'w'se and
Mvin? lost their all. It was feared that
livts wen; lost.
ficw o( this .dreadful calamity, business was
. entirely -suspended at Ban Francisco, and
ire.- were about to be dopted for the relief
; sufferers.
'; rn ws from the mines continues to be of" a
iblt character. New discoveries were daily
, a r 1 the "prospects of the miners are repre
1'as highly flattering. The quartz-crushing
iues were reaping a rich reward, and in some
ices the average pel man was from $30 to
,er day. ';
ichi;iw, we are sorry to say, was still in the
diiiit in some. localities, and several now ex
;S had' been made. ,
Pro in the I) ail' Delta, June 11.
j BirORTANT FKOM ST. LOULS.
" 1 " - ;
ie James Hewitt steamer arrived last ni-'ht.
-
Ii)iUS late dates- from St. Louis. From the
of the Glh, we clip the following' account:
. TRHMENTDOLTj OVERFLOW ! !
i of 1-?2S Surpassed impimss Destruction.
iu-cjtcrl-if D ts; Uhi'iS Disclep Disastrous Ef
iofjthe Fh'od uboy-e and bchrwTXe Channel
he Mississippi -probably CkevHgsd.
e 'tcatsrs arc upon us ! We write amid a
$ of confusion and erciteriit'nt seldom wi t
d. All the business portion of our town, es
oiie or two houses, id covered with water
, enough t'i aiferd passage f;r steanooats.
coa lition of affairs is beyond description, ntid
aly be realized by being: seen. "The flood of
as lothing in conparison with the present,
is rtearly as. it can now be Ascertained, the
orahle rise of 1828 failed of reaching the
nt murk. '
. Thursday last the water commenced flood
he lowest portions of the fiat and the re
. Was brought us by Captain Harris, of the
'ratkiin, of a very heavy rise corning down,
'riday morning the water had risen several
i s;: and every exertion was ikade to secure
;tain and other property from .any injury that
it i esult; from, the continuation of the rise.
water, however, rose so.' rapidly as to cause
Wstruetoi uf large quantities of produce.-
: y-tf those Miiferi.:g fiom the ellwots of the
are fanners, who had frrain stored here in
. .y .-. - ...
!, n:l who, iu spite of every exertion, have
liijtu'ljeavy losses. '. ' ' '
ipjitghout the whole of Saturday, 'the work
bage was carried oh with renewed "activity.
I'!: the evening and night the river common-:
"i r.)g more rapidly than ever, while a heavy
Jer storm, roaring and crashing around ad-!
h'-the already gloomy prospects. ' ' ' J
MJIlday, the town nrfsnfcf n srrm rvnns '
jit
activity. Families, driven from their ten
by the encroaching waters, were desertinff
" homes, and seeking refuge in the upper
of the townfor; in this case, the Homestead
njition Law failed to secure them in the un
trbed possession of their property.-
-lionday the water was still coming up, and I
is Bound necessary to remove all the house-1
pods and considerable quantities of mer-
d
"ere occupied all-day in conveying men
in meiise from point to point.
juu. iitive ueeu noMicu uuu Mream. , . , r. . - ,,
distillery premises are under water, and op
4 aris suspended.' Messrs, loir, will sustain
: a 5oss by damaged corn. ' ;
st we are ' putting up" this hurrygraph, a
Duel Generals Freesiaii and Smith,
Vicksbitrg, Thursday,Tune 12.
A duel came off this morning 'opposite t he city
between General John D. Freeman and G-nera)
W. L. Smith. The weapons chosen - were yistols
with which five shots were exchanged, the last
fire only taking effect. General Smith received
ium of nsxvs U'tbe occurrence of!. "!s adversary's ball in his shoulder, but the vound
is slight. -General Smith was accompanied bj Cob
J. W. Bunch, s.3 second, and General Freeman by
J. S. Yerger. .
" " " t
Meeting of the Sous of Temperance. J
. Toronto. "June lb.
The ,80ns of i Temperance of North America
had their Anual Festival here to-dayi i Fifteen
thousand sons were present from Boston and oth
er parts of; the Union. '
ACCIDENT AT A LAUNCH;
Newburyp'ort, (JIass.,) June 13. j
The clipper Race was launched to-day at this
place, when thej staging gave way, and five, or six
persons were injured, but none fatally.
i - - "
KIOT NEAR PHIDADELPIIIAJ
PifLAnELPHiA; June 17,
A riot occurred at one o'clock last night at Red
Bank, several miles below PhiladelpLia, on the
Jersey bank ot the De aware. A German I ball
was given at the house of J A. Diver, which was
attended by a number of disreputable characters
from the city, vho commenced an assault upon a"
number of Germans present. From the ball-room
they made a descent upon the 1 ar-rolm; assault
jag Mr. Diver and his assistants. Th fight con
tinued till n-ar four o'clock, when-tha neighbors
collected in force, rushed m and seized seventeen
J of the riyters, who were taken to Woodburv iail.
Mr. uiver was pauly -stabbed, and seTeral otlierci
mueh injured. I During the tight the i!l was bro
ken open audi robbed of seventy dollars. "The
females were shamefullv treated. . -
SOLDIEUS' WIVES..
a .r,
,auge of Probate iu Minnesota territory, to
whom a United Stat.es soldier at Fort Snelling re
cently "made 'apid.icati.on for a discharge, on the
I ground that' he could not find suitable1 'ouarters
at the Fort for his wife, granted the discharge, and
held that if the Government enlist a husband it
must provide suitable accommodations fbr-the
wife ; also, that every e pasted! soldier niy have a
wife, proyided for. r I
. . i AN ADDRESS
To the lcop!e of North Carolina, on the sub
ject of Constitutional Keform.
- -Ualeigh. JanV. 1st, 1S51.
A moetinff; composed principally of; AVest-eru-
Mernh-vrsj of" the Li'o-islriiuro v;s held i;i
the Capitol: on the evening of 1st Jau'y. in
c!ant. to tiikt into consideration the (various
propositions to amend the Constiiution. ; '
On motion of Mi. Bynum. of Rutherford,
George . Diivid.son, Esq.. of IreUflJ. -'was
called to the chair; and A. H. Caldwell,. of
Rowan, and A. G. Foster, of Davidson, ap
f)ointed Secretaries!.
On motion, it was Resolved. Thatjthe only
proper Republican mode of amridi:i or
altci iiiir tho Constitution is by the Ptcple.
themselves iu Convention assembled.
On motion of Mr. Srwin, of Buncomb it
was Jiesoltad,- That a committee of ten be
appointed to prepare an Aildresa to ihe peo
pie of North: Carolina ; and that said rom
mittoe submit ii to a a adjourned meeting to
be called by the Chairman. f. f
TE ClIAMKU. Ji
!1'V.
.27th. 1331.
The adjourned meeting -assembled in.the
Senate Chamber; when Mr Bynum. j from
the Committee appointed to prepare the Ai
drss, reported the same, whicli was reatl.
adopted, and ordered t be printed, '
"On mofi n ol Mr.-Haughlon. of t Uiathani
Resolved, That the members" of this 'meeting
feel themselves bound to use all honorable
nieiins to promote the object of this j&d tre?.
On motiof) of Mr. Caldwell, of Guilford..
Resolved Tiiat all newspapers friendly o
the call of an open Convention are requested
to publish tin's Address, and use all honora
ble means to eff-t the object '"n view. . ,
GEORGE F. DAVIDSON, Ch'mJ
A. II. Caldwell.
A. G. Fostek, - (
retarics.
; ADDRESS'. . . j j .
A Meeting composed principally of Wes
tern -''Members of the Legislature, without
e to higher ground. Wagons, skiffs aYid - distinction of' Party, was held in .Hie Capitol
j: on the Evening of the 1st of anury instant,
511 ant to consider vvliaf measures were necessary to
! ih secure to the. Prnnle of 'North
ns moment (Monday evening) the entire; hrfo-ht to amend their State Con-
m l,rents a spectacle of devastation. From ; stituti in so as lully to answer the great efids
i)k of where; the river ' used to was," to the for which it was originally established ; and
of the same ridge, the water is from four to ! to maintain that equality of rights which
rtdeep; and is standing from ten to fifty in- ' lie? at the foundation of alb free and popular
'j'Wpin the houses west of the east side of Governments. ' . 1 . ." .
M 'treet, south of including Spectator itow. ! a femar.Kable f eature in htsry of
iv.i-a Kol a vnii-rt in the lonnalion ol
Pressroom, the. witter is over twenty five uKit iIHt.Tument by which! alone jtheir lives,
llre completely inundated, and many of!, protected. The first Constitution was form
faces have disappeared. Several" hundred etl sU Halifax; 18th December. 1776. immedi-
of w t. .; uxJa jL i alelv after vve had thrown off the British
yoke; wnen our ancestors were noiiuuy ajive
to the interests of the people but still ! re
tailed a reverence for British usages. 1 where
property was always more respected, and'
had more political weight than the rfgnts oi
; : at is passing up First street laden with sev-j he people, i The Delegates to that Conven
; red sacks of grain, and others are loading lion' consequence of that natural defer-
t,t warehouses. ?;; Lumber yards are Vbe-1 c"r ul. I' u?,s' , c,, C:.a
Pa inland, or staked down to keep them k . .-.,tio..'-TO.i Pi..Mit.,tSrtn' c
ll-af j i ,"'""'" , vuinviii-iuu mane Uillieniu""" "
: pits and boats are p'ying everywhereand formed, the.Organic law of the Stale. The
""e wading shoulder deep from house to people who formed neither of these classes,
'. , " : -;' a nd-who constituted a much larger mass of
the population ot'ihc State", had no voice in
the clecliun of Delegates ; and the Coustnu
f.on was not ubnihted to them lor .their ap
proval ur rejection. : - j ,-;
At the time this Constitution was 'formed,
all the Counties in the State, except eight,
lay East of Raleigh, which has been regard
ed as the dividing line between tlie Eastern
and Western portion of the Sfate. ? By it
provisions, each County, without regard to
its Wealth or population was entitled to send
one Senator and two members to the Hou,se
ol Commons; and the Town of Wilmington.
'Now ben i and HuJHax, to which was added,
m ITSS; Kayeiteville: iii the East j aud'f lltfsi
boro' and Salisbury. i the West;; each one
member in the' House ol Commons- Under
this Constitution we Jived,'' suffering griev
ances the memory of which has not yetlelt
us. 'constantly struggling' to amend,it, until
1835. when the Legislature, in the plenii
tudeof its mercy, granted to the people ol
the State" the privilege to say whether tbey
should, amend the Constitution in some few
points. The Delegates to that Convention
were required to be svvorj not to transcend
the limits prescribed to them by the Legis
lature; itself but the servant of the people.
The result of their labors was the Consti-,
tutior, under which' we now live. By it. the
number td' members in the Senate is fixed a:
fit S y ; and' in the House of Commons at one
hundred and twenty. E;ch County is en
liilfd to elect one AiembeV at least ; and the
remainder are. elected by the Counties it.
proportion to tfieir Federal population:
that is to all whites are added three outof
every five slaves ; and the ium total consti
tutes the Federal Popiilajion. In the Sen
ate, the (bounties elect Senators in propor
tion. to the taxes paid into the Public Treasu
ry without' regard to the sources whence
these taxes originated, whether from the per
manent wealth of the county, or from those
taxes imposed to restrain the vices of the
community.
The clause prohil
any one from vo-
tin- for Senator unless tie was the owner in
tee o! htty acres of la n aj
Constitution of 1776, wasj
contained in
still retained.
the
I o
this clause in our CoristiljUtiou public itten
lion has been directed for the last two years;
and its anti-Republican dud aristocratic char
acter severely ceimuaced as a remnant of
tlie Feudal times, when Hie people were
mere serfs or servants of
Iu consequence oT this
the Landholders.
denunciation of one
Constitution, public
particular feature of our
attention has been directed to its other pro
visions. Our People in J835, when called
upon to decide jpon the ' amendments sub
mitted to them only had to decide between
the old and. new;-. and. they naturally pre
ferred the latter, as it g
ave
iu one branch,
more political weight to the mass of the peo
pie ol the brute. It was the hrt instance
when they were regard e
State Constitution. Rein
1 at a'i by their own
g naturally lovers of
peace and order, 'md alvyays obedient to tlie
laws of the land, they raised no clamor
against them, until they were railed upon to
look into their charter of Lib.erty, and see
that it. contained one fea Lure wholly repugnant-to
Republican eqtuJify. In this opiti
ion we ail concur. It ijs right and proper
that the peojde "who are : governed, should
elect those tnat govern tjhem; and direct!)' at
war with that sacred principle contained in
the Declaration of Independence, '-that all
jyien are Tree and equal,' to exo-lude from this
valued privilege any freeman because of his
not beng a landholder, j
Equally oppossed to ibis principle is tht
role L y whiU "political power is-measured by
the basis of representation in the Senate.
To place it in its most favorab.e light, the
Senate represents property'; and not per
sons money and not mjui matter not mind.
But its odiousness .does not stop here. You
are all familiar with the' subject of taxation;
aiid these taxes' are represented not you ;
the people. All white males betw?;n the
ages of 21 and 43 are subject to a poll tar;
and all slaves male and female, between the
;iiies of 12 aiub5U are subject to the like tax:
So that three-fifths of the negroes are repre
sented in the House olj Commons, and all
the negroes between the ages above desig
nated, are represented iu the Senate; but
your wives and children have no political
Iriirhts, Pedlars, milliard tables. Bowling
Alleys, Circus Riders, j Playing Cards, Re
tailers of Spirituous Liquors, Brokers, Mer
chants, "Watches, and Carriages are all tax
ed. They have their Senators in the State
Legislature.' But your -wives and your
daughters; yeur old men who have served
their country; your young men who are ris
ing up to be its hope and' its' stay; and your
poor men upon whom mislorlunc has laid its
heavy-hand; have no orie there to plead their
cause and protect their rig'its Is this Lib
erty 1 Is this Freedom t Is this Republi
can equality 1 ;! ; ' '
Your Bill of Rightsjsays -Thar political
power is vested- hr and derived from the
people owy." Is power in the Senate ol
North 'Carolina-, derived from the people
onlyV Let it not be said that taxation ana
representation goJiand! in hand. That prin
ciple has no application! here. It u true that
our ancestors fought the battles of the Rev
olution Upon thepririciple that they were not
to be taxed by a body fin which ifcey were
not represented; -'But ttvho reprosented ? cer
tainly' the people" thosi who paid the taxes
-not the taxes themselves. Our ancestors
never claimed that their property snould be
represented. - They claimed, and justly too,
that they should be represented. In the Sen
ate propeHy is represented and not Ike peW
ple ; and the same principle whitfh prompted
our ancestors to that 1 odorious contest, and
sustaiued them in it. which terminated in the SeIdom represeniai-.vcs.ui iC . ,-
achievement of our Liberlies. should prompt community where, they are collected. ' Tne
us to'war against this most odious anti-repub-' amount oi: public revenue collected in the
lican reransut of feudel aristocracy -by which City of New -York is no sure lest ol the
the people are taxed by a body fa which
lleV are not represented. r -
i Apply the "principle,- and see its injustice.
Ten men in any oe counjy. own as much
property iind pay as much pubjic tax as 6ve
hundred men in another ro ntv. Thev all
o A-n the same spneies of property, j Each of
tne live irundrtd is equally interested m the
preservation of his Utile, mite v as either of the
teru Each one has perhaps made jit by the
labor of his hands, by the sweat of his brow,
It is II he has. by means of which to main
tain and provide for bis family. ? His the d-
uauc ui his cnijurcn icr euueawou-r-toT
7iistenance. And yet.TytSt!' presents eys
tern, the ten are equal to five! hundred. - Is
this justice? Is this Liberty ? Let war
break out let civil commotions arise whose
lives are exposed for the protection of this
property ? Who are sent forth to fight the
battles of your country The five hundred
go forth to fight he battles of your country ;
to vindicate its honor"; to maintain its glory ;
leaving' thir wives and little ones to stru-rglu
on m poverty -and. indigence 'while the tee
stay at home ; euj y their wealth ; and-boast
of i he honor and glory . f their country, tiie
bravery the freedom, and equality of citi
zens. Save us from such Ireedorn save u
from such equality ? ft is no freedom it is
no equality.; It is downright tyrah ay iii ts
most odious form. The few grinding into
the dust the many, under the iron heel of
power power under the pretence ol being
derived from " the people only'."
Under the operation of this principle, there
are some startling facts. According to the
census of 1840. and the appointment of Sen
ators made under the provision of the Consti
tution by the Legislature of 1842, "seventeen
Western Senators represent a majority of
the white inhabitants of North Carolina. At
the apportionment which will be made in 1S
52, a still greater discrepancy will be found
to exist. The improvements which' have
heretofore been made, and are still in pro
gress in North Carolina, tend to a great in
crease of the value of property and of the
subjects . of Taxation in Eastern Carolina.
The Wilmington Rail Road, to which the
State has "contributed so much, has added
greatly to the value of property of every dis
cripl'iou near it .and the amount of taxes is
proportional! 'increased. The Raleigh and
Gaston-Road; the Cape Fear improvements,
the appropriations to Neuse river to Tar riv
er, to the Weldon Railroad, all have the
ne tendency, iind tne immense money,
therefore expended heretofore in North Car
olina, will have the effect, directly, under the
present Constitution for the next twenty
years,. to cause us in the West, where we
have the majority of the free .'white people of
the State, to have in the Senate only Thir
TEejj Members : while in the minority of
thewhite people will have Thirty-seven
Members I ..
We do not desire to be: .understood as op
posing iu the least a pioper system of Inter
nalTmprovre:i.ents : nor as making any com
plaints -against what has heretofore been
done by our Legislature. Nor are we to be
regarded as taking ground against the proper
protection-of property. We should be pain
ed to see the day come in North Carolina
when a system cl Agrarianism would be pre
eminent ; when our people would be less ob
servant of law ; less' regardful'of right. The
true theory -of free Government is the proper
protection of itscitizeijs in the' enjoyment of
life, liberty and property. The right of
property is a right attac hed to the person ol
a citizen, and he. is to be protected in its en
joyment. - Taxes a re uniform; and he who
possesses a little is as deeply interested in
its enjoyments as one possessing a greater
share ; and equally. nay, more opposed ; i
the imposition of high taxes. !
Property has no rights independent o'
persons. You can give it no rights, nor privi
leges, nor immunities whicli affect it alone.
Ills matter and cannot feel, nor enjoy rights
but in consequence of -its possession, oy npay
give its owner political power and privileges.
If. then, you protect -citizens' in the errjSy
ment ol. property, is not the possessor of bun
dreds equally entitled to protection as the
owner of thousand -? Is his enjoyment the
less? Do you measure enjoyment" by the
quantify enjoyed ?"' Suppose you take from
the rich man his thousands it :is only his
all? If you take from the 'poor man his bun
drods it is his all too. Which will cling to
his all with the more pertinacity? Which
will surround it with more guards ; use it
spa ingly ; ar;d more carefully provide tha - it i
shall not be consumed by profuse and lavisn i
expenditures of Government?' -It is notori
ous that the poor complain most of high
taxes, arid it is natural ;it is harder for them
to pay them. It diminishes the aggregate of
each more, although the amount taken away
is less, and every poor man hopes and ex
pects to improve his condition, and one day
to became rich. Het.ce it is in Western
North Carolina we a-e more interested in
the preservation of si ive property ; because,
although we- may have fewer slaves, we
have more slave owners; and, of course, a
oreater number of persons to : watch over
any aggressions upon it. Th same is true
of land? We Imve more land owners; and
owners of every other species of property ;
and fewer of that class of persons who have
nothing to enjoy, and nothing to protect or
defend, but their rights of person.
Equally.opposed to this principle is the
rule by w hie .political J power is measured
To conenct together the people of the
State In one common bciid ofinterest. it is only
necessary that they should possess the same
l kind of property, and that? taxes should
Ko Hirpct and umiorm. indirect: taxes are
wealth of the city. And many of our taxes
are indirert. and lunnsh no- inde of the
wealth-of tlie couuties in which they are
paid. ' v : i -i "... :. ' . " .
It is idlejthen, to say you, must give more
political weight to the rich than the poor
ihe owner of. thousands than the ".owner o!
hundred.-. A thousand owners- of the par
ticular species of properly will afford it much
more etiectual ''-projections thau one owner of
the eameamount and species, under any
form'of government " that would be tolerated
for a moroent in a free country., if
If tlie Wust "has in3 1 capitalfewer slaves,
and latilV4iiunhle f-jhi&yJMriU guard theif
little more carefully than the East ; and iu
guarding their own, they will guard and prr-
ttct that ol their Eastern brethren. We
are one people, and God gtfant that the time
may come when we - may feel that we arc
not commqrt enemies, but that our iuleregt
are the same.. - The struggle that hjs here
tofore existed has not resalttd in the public
good. :' . -
Many ofour citizens are greatly opposed
to the election of Judges by the Legislature,
as is required by the constitution. It cannot
be di sguised that our own Legislature has in"
many instances been the scene of intrigues
entirely at war with our ideas of the purity
ol the bench ; and in which it was shown
that neither charac er. or qualifications,
were made the tests of fitness for office, but
simply par'y services. Legislatures are
small bodies ; usually elected upon political
party grounds ; and that, -Vtoo frequently at
the sacrifice of the best interests of the peo
ple..' - ,
Under these circumstances many believe
that the people would be the safest deposito
ries of this power. The opportunity and fa
cility tor corruption and intrigue,: wouhl not
exist, and the people, in aiding, j would not
be influenced by-the-fear of enunciation or
punishment ol party men. The system has
been tried in many States of the Union ttrll
fund to operate so well that ills much to be
doubled whether iL1 will not, in time, be a
dpjited in all. - i :
Others, too. think that they ought to hold
office, for a limited period. There is no other
officer known to our laws, but who is limited
lo j. short period, after which it is? laid down
ut the foot ol those from whom he received
it ; and in determining whether they will
again place him in power, they , pass upon
the manner in' which his duties3 have been
discharged. 1 Many of .'these officers are of
the highest character and importance and
equally requiring in the incumbent party and
integrity ol character. No evils have n stilled
from giving the election of these officers to
the people ; and certainly no corruption of
the people, nor of the officer, has' been the
consequence. And certainly is it not a ques
tion (d much difficulty whether we should be
cursed with a bad Judge during his life, if,
iu despite of all precautions, one should un
lorunutely be elected. In no-other instance
is such a curse inflicted. Can any other be
greater ? ' ' I " .
The present. mode of appointing Justices
of the Peace is universally admitted to be
worse than a farce. A certain evening is
set apart for the purpose ; and '.he members
from the different couuties hand in the names
of those they desire appointed ; and they are
read at the Clerk's table. Nobody hears the
names or cares to hear them: -It is under
stood to be the season for sport, and . is one
of those customs of our Legislature long
!n wii and recognised and never -dedaTted
from. They are lrequently selected by the
members of the Legislature of the iufl ieuce
which each can exert at liuir.f in some par
ticular neighborhood. And it is well known
that many of those appointed are wholly un
fit for the proper performance of the duiies
entrusted to them. An l sjome of those du
iies are ol the highest importance to their
several counties. They enjoy and exercise
the power to tax the people; they impose
taxes much more heavy than those imposed
by the Legislature. They regulate road;
build bridges, couit houses ami jail-? ; regu
late the patrol ; and govern, the whojle. police
ot their several counties; besides exercising or
iginal jurisdiction in ail cases of debt under
5100, and actions :n accounts under $10; besi
des pr&giduigin county courts, where business
ot the hightst importance to the interests of all
is transacted. They have exclusive jurisdic
tion of the probate of wills; ot granting let
ters of administration; they appoint guardians
and control the-settlemeut of their, account
and of the settlement 'of aU estates. There
are many ether important duties they per
furm they are in nTct, the great conserva
tors of the peaee cf s eiety. and upon the
proper and efficient performance of theirdu
ties.depeuds in a great measure ! the social or-
der.mofality.peaceand prosperity of eve.y com
ni unity. Surely, men upon whose quaimea
tions for office and proper conduct, so much de
pends, should be elected with great care.
There is no amendment to the constitution
ui oi e iiiperiously demanded by ihe public
good than th!3. If they Tix the -people,
ought not the people to elect them ? This
is a question for them to decide when in cbn
veution asssembled. '' : - . .
It is made a question, top, by many, wheth
er the election -of Secretary of Slate, Compt
roller and Treasurer ought not to be given
to the people; and all other! o3icers: now
elected by the Legislature, .of a , general
character, when other duties connect them
with the' State.. ', "' . t . " '
It has been proposed, too.to provide for the
eleclion of a Lieutenant Governor to preside
in the Senate, and who shall assume the of
fice of Chief Magistrate of the State upon
the death of the incumbent. We all remem
ber the Ioag siruggleto el.ee t a presiding offi
cer in the Senate feixTyears ago. aud apiin
two years ago, When that body was equally
divided. .A . "Lieutenant. Governor ' would
have removed the difjSculty. " . .
The Rules ol the Senate require that the
Presiding officer of that body shall Dot vote
upon questions pending'" before it, except in '
CRj?i ofa lie, ana when his vote may icuke it'.'
a lie. And he is not'permittcd lo'speak. x- t .
cept when he House is in Committee of the -Whole.
One 8enatoi)al District U. there- , .
fore necetsartly almost wholly disfrftnchiicd. ;-"
The impropriety of lint state orthingf will 4
readily occur to all. .. . .' . '. ! '
'" Many other complaints exUt against the
present constitution..:. Many.. other. Improve-
ments enuld be pointed' out. more conlitent ;
with thcprprcfS of tlie oge. Tbo' "science
of goverrunent is progreBiye ns every' other
science. The people improve thejr circum
stances change ; their relations towards one
another, and towards citizens of thei sister
States alter. Our sister States everywhere
around us arts taking advantage of all this
age of improvement to improve their forms
ot government, adopted when the rights of
the people were comparatively little known.
Is our constitution alone to receive no im
provement from the spirit that is abroad
Is North Carbliua alone to stand sitU ?
Is she olone to continue bound in those
sharrics whicli have kept her limbs' so loug '
fettered in bahdj of 6teel ? Or thall she
arise, like a strong man iu his raiht, and de
mand that she shall be free ? i ; '
To you the appeal is madel What will ,
you- do 1 ' ' v 1 i ' .
We disclaim all ciesiro to dictate to you. or,
even to suggest the wlteraiior.s which should
be made in ihe constitution. It is Qola part
nf.iur Legislative' dutv ' We have merely
directed our attention to thoee'defects, which i
exist in it.' it is your province, wnen in con
vention assembled to correct these defects. ?T
and in the manner which yod may conceive sr.
will best suLserve the great purposes for V
vhieir governments were instituted. The ,
nosition ivhh li ive. assume, and which has
4 ' . ...
governed out course - in our action upon inn
various propositions to uiucmu ic vuupiuu-
tion,. which have, been belore the! Legisla
ture, is .
That the only proper Repoblican
mode of amending or altering the con
STITUTION is bv the People themselves
IN CONVENTION ASSEMBLED.'- ' ;
Upon that Platform we will stand ; and,
if we fall, it will be advocating' THE
RIGHTS OF THF PEOPLE. J
If you sanction the . principle that the Leg
islature is to amend the conslituiion that (t
is to bo thy foot-ball of every demagogue
who desires to w in popular favor if it U to,
be iniugleu With t the . corrupting influences of
party if it is to be mixed up with the', busi
ness of legishiiion, and to be influenced by
the bartering process so freely .'resorted to
now-a-days, determining the fate ofa meas
ure here or a measure there its fato is seal
ed. It is prostrate in the dust to be tram
pled upon by those who uiiderfitand not lis
nrovisions a nd care not for its Drotcction. lt
becomes the toy, the sport the prey of ihoeo
wholly 'incapable of the task assumed to
been fudv nrOvcd bv
the progress of - Free Suffrage" through the
present General Assembly. .
Early in session, a bill was introduced in
to the House of Commons to amend the Con- )
fttitution bo as to allow non Ireehoniers to
vote lor members of the Senate. Jl wasdis-,'
cussed at great length in that body, and a
vote was taken, and lL was rejeciet nreo
fiths of ihe members of the House not voting ;
lor it. w T
Its Iristids set to work to revive it. It
was reovm-ddered, according to a rule of the
House; and by the use of lhoe means ff
readily presented in a Legislative body hhv-
in" uowcr to bestow olhce anu ewaras.
. " . 4i .J ...
When the House w.as again cuiieu upon iu
voie. everything was arrangeu, auu i. puoa-
ed and was sent to the Senate. And when
tiiMt. h.idv rame. to examine into this deltuer-
ale, welt considered act of the House of Com-1
lion's, to change the fundnuiental law oi tlie
SiatH. it turned out that 1L was rice our
lrae Indeed ; for it gave to all free men
over 21 Sears of age the right to; vote lor
Senators, whether they were black or w.uue.-
and whether they paid tax or now
I.iu'kiI in the ooinion of many, insolent fret
ne-'roesto vote for members of the Senate!
rin R!im seene was unacted over atruin r
in that body. The bill was rejected. Again
it friends taxed their wits to revive it; and ;
the intrigue was cunningly coninveu oy -j
which it was finally forced through that
body. Its friends iu the House ot Commons j
affected to regard it as al an end and to be
come indignant; and a bill tvas introduced, ;
uid pressed througn with not nasie, piu--ilhio-
that the people should hold anclcciion'
,u d declare through Hie ballot box whether
they desire a Convention. !' was ooue
to intimidate Eastern Senators who were
opposed to letting the people say whether
thev desired a ConVeniicn or not. ii nnu it 4
t fleet. Home Senators were irjgnieiieu 1
iiu nmni that the neonle might meet HI
Convention and obtain their rights,- They
changed their votcs ami rte ouuiuo
passed. ' Upon the floor of the Senate.- i?omti
Senators avowed that they were opposed to,
:. .u... .u. ... t.niSht it fui infraction of the
compromises o! the Consiitution but that,
. . i- . :, ii kiin down a
thev would-voie ioruw"y -r
Coiiventioii. Other Senators avowed their .
determination to vote for a Convention un- ;
less Free Suffrage did pass find all i.t lneniU
united to vot figahist a bill which only -awed
the poor boon for the Pfope that they -mirht
tell the Legislature, through the baM
Iotboxf that they desired a' Convention call
ed to take into consideration all th gnev
ances under which they labor, and redress
thara "in the raaiiner which they; fibre have
the fight to determine. f , i!
(concluded on 2ndpacc.) j