North Carolina Newspapers

A,For the Register. To Freemtn of JN'orA- Carolina. , FFtLOW-CiTizjNS A free citizen Vrur state. taV ps th'is method of submitting a few, cut of the many weighty reason, vhich demonstrate the istnesancl abso lute necessity of the amendments contem r!iotMl in the Constitution of fJorth-Caxo- j:ra First, then, as respects Represen tation : the 2d & Sd section of the a re a?d Constitution declares, that each "rronty shall be entitled to two Represen tors and one Senator, to be chosen annu ptlyb? hailot" without regard to there j?tive population of the different counties ; vb'le it was evidenteven at that earlv period, thnt a preat. inequality did ' exist between some of the. counties,1 in point of prpulation. This inequality from length rf time and many other operative causes, have grown ino art alarming magnitude, , ivt now presents tne anomaly m repun- jxan governmenr, ot p mmnruv ot cinzens rtect'mg'a majority of the members of the Oereral Assembly of this state. Our Ge xifral Assembly composed at th's time ef J96members. If we take one county, sav PrcV Ingham, as affording a sufficient reputation for three delegates, and ap pfrtion the representation in. the other counties arreeable thereto, we should rnlv have 1? members in the legislature, 34ie.sthan there are at present. There would be a saving to the state by the re duction of this num ber of members of 5.600 annually. The federal population of North-Carolina, agreeable to the Cen fiis of 120, is 556.695. One hundred and jiinety-to thousand twohundred and ten sculs compose the population of 32 coun ties, which send 96 menibers a majority cf three in both houses, viz. (wn in the Commons and one in the Senate ; the con sequence is, that they engross to them selves all the momentary power, of legis jatinn such for instance as those of pass ing laws to -affect your jives"; liberty and property. Also the power of conferring appointments, both executive, judicial ann" tniltary. Ad as renects the latter, rf promoting ';th rough all the gradations from a Captain wpj0 a Major-General. . iher shrwM the primary. nwer of de puting our Senators to the Uhited States Congress be omitted in enumerating the formidable prerogative exercised! b)f a mere handful of the people of N. Carolina hirmoh thplr acpnt in th Gpnral As-I ?e mhiy,- Besides the. counties above spo ken of, there are 31 1 others in the state that contain-a population of 364.485, but represented under the present Constitu tion by only 93 members in the legisla ture. These 93 members are the repre sentatives of 172,275 federal numbers more than the 96 to whom :they stand opposed. In other words, it is obvious that a minority of something like one third of the population of the state, go verns a corresponding majory of two thirds. As regards the. revenue paid in . to the public treasury by the 32 counties that are represented by 96 members, it anounts to only g20,825, 65-; wl)ile on the other hand the rennaining 31 counties that have a minority'' of 93 members " pay S45.763 63, which 15-S4.112 33 more thnn double the amount of the contribu tion of the former. -To continue the con trast v;hich we are, drawing-retween the political immunities,-we'r discover one county navinc a revenue'of Rl.936 12 on lands and poles, at the same time thati five others together pay the inconsidera ble sum of 8137 10 oh the like property. Kotwithstanding which vast dispropoY tion, between the five separately, and the one large county, in regard to the reve nue contributed by them, the former are agregately represented by 15 members, and the latter onlyby 3. The citizens of the five small counties must consequently possess five times as much power in go vemmental affairs as the citizens of the large $ounty. .And when the- freemen of. K.Carolina are 'called out to fight the battles of their country, the one county that pays an excess of revenue, over and above five ofhers, ' must in addition to o ther intolerable--grievances, furnish a tnuch larger quota of militia than the five together. Neither can the present mode of representation, be defended on the principals of territory ; for we there find s great a difference in the different coun ties, as there rare in the; revenue and po pulation." But should'any one be of opini on that the 32"cbunties with a population of 192,210 federal numbers are entitled to 96 representatives their present num oer; I would askif the remaining 31 tcunties, with a like population of 364,484, are not on the same principles of equity jod justice, equally entitled to 182 mem hers, in place of 93 their present number? Or in other words, if -Washington couh XY ithf a, population of 3,319 federal Dombers, is entitled to three representa tivts, Rockinehamwith her federal bo- s Pulation of 10,284, is on the same princi- j Pies entitled to 9 in place of 3; her Jire-! sent number- There are moreover '5 Vbri 0 counties , whose revenue does noc pay Qcir immediate representatives. . The ceficit consequently comes; out s of y the Packets u the citizens of the larger qoun tiea. So that, ;fellowcitizens, a majority; you are compelled to compensate, by ay of taiatipn, a portipn of legislators t . ' wbf) are not your immedTate' servants ; who know but little of your interest sinn sen'iment, and cafe still less about them. Tp fact you are made, in a moral point of vif w. to acknowledce your own impotence -and legislate against your own sovereign- v t'pon the whole, after maturely, con tempiattng the defec's m ,our eXistmp Constitution, have, with high ' reverence for the consecrated merit of the authors of that Instrument, and . with, a due sense of the dangers Consequent upon innova, rmn in inng esinonsnen insiiTuimns, aaopt ed the solemn and unequivocal belief, that as respects one feature in the Constituti on of N. C viz. annual sessions of the Le gislature, tney are of no adequate be nefit to the State, and should be abolish ed. The various reasons for this delibe raf conclusion, I will not attempt to give within the limited compass of an ad dress like 4he presents-Suffice it to say, that the mind of man is too active to re main unemployed." That to afford it a ueful and d;gn'fied developement, you must both .in private and public life, re strain it within a sphere where.the objects of the attention are neithertoo numerous, nor too familiar. As regards legislation, amultiplicity of subjects are too well cal culated to beget embarrassment in adopt ing measure, and a proportionate unfit ness in their operations. A perpetual or familiar recurrence of the same matters. leads to supererogation, or disposes an assembly ofcteerislators to tamper exces sively with every thing that has already been accomplished. Such are the effects of multiplying and rendering too familiar the objects of a. legislators attention. Ii my estimation annual sessions of the - heral Assembly infallibly lead tQ the evil? just intimated ; and therefore it is that I s . ."'' . ft' Deprecate mem, ana greatly preier oien nial sessions. I prefer the latter because I think that legislation under such a sys tem would keep pace with and not outrun the necessities of the state. I prefer them because I am convinced that with bienni al sessions the legislature would be bene ficially employed in making 'laws for the ! actual necessities, of : the community, as they really and successively presented themselves ; instead of wasting their time and the public treasure, in an endless round of enacting, repealing, and- rein stating the same as is the case under the present Constitution. As one argu ment in favor 6f biennial sessions of the legislature, look at the expence of that body in it ser.sion during the year 1821. That, sesston cost the state S83.419 98J, which expence may be safely assumed as the average expence of the legislature every year hereafter as long as annual sessions shall continue to be held. Let the legislature be convened once in two years, insteaa ot every year ; ana tne t making of our laws will cost but half what they have heretofore done'; for example. the session of 1821 produced, by way of j j compensation to tne memoers, ana prmi j ing the laws enacted by them, an expen ' difure of 33 491 ; taking this expendi ture as the annual cost of the legislature for ten years only, the session of that bo dy, for that length of time, wpuld-under the present constitution. siik to the state the sum of S419.98J. : -if tfiere' be cer tainty in arithmetical calculations, and no additional extravagance of official com pensation was to follow a change, the constitution (an event by no ineans to be anticipated) 1 biennial sessions would iost just ' half of the above named sum in ten years, and leave the, other tnq ety as a handsome surplus to be. vested by the go vernment in any one of the laudable pro jects now- pn foot for advancing internal improvement. ' . Again, if we make population the cri terion for apportioning representation, and allow two commoners and one Sena tor to every 10.284 federal numbers, which comprise the present population of Rock ingham, we should so curtail the present number of representatives as to dispense with 34, and thus, realize an additional saving to the state of about S 5,600 each session, 4, which in five sessions Vwould a mount'to S28.000 ; the latter sum added to 8167.099 92$, the gain in ten . years by exchanging annual for biennial sessi ons of the legislature, presents a most flattering picture to the mind of the eco nomical and salutary results, which Would certainly attend an alteration of the Con stitution in; the particular features above, exposed, according to the mode suggest ed. I am of opinion that. I may assume, without the least temerity, that the jfra-s mers of our constitution never intended it Xo, operate as it does. I would ask, if it be possible for a rational mind to suppose that such a constellation fc of republican sages', could have wished or designed to revise in practice those great fundamen tal maxims, of government, which they helped to seal with their blood, and have proclaimed4 with such solemnity" in th Bill of Rights, as well as the Constitution Itself?, - W ere it 'not impious to suspect them of ever having in the least inclined to the .damning heresy" which would aggrandize, a few a the expence of the many ? Or of having intentionally lald the toundation for the crying evils which have actually resulted from their sublime, though human! and necessarily imperfect labours f Were it not the grossest sacri lege, in a worlfc to impute to those great tfnd good men: any prospective assent to that odious result, ot our Constitution (al together unforeseen to them) Avhlch has finally raised a minority far iabove the maioritv of the neoDle; and invested them with: unlimited control over life, liberty and property If one American can here cither think or feel d;fferehtly from me, I would blush for, his hardihood,- and la ment his degeneracy: and nroclaim of the shameful enormity Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ask -alon !' : I repeat that no man of ordinary com prehension, whether he has ever seen the Bill of Rights or not. can be deluded into" an idea that the illustrious gamers of our constitution, at all intended that a minoritv. however organized, should govern a majority. Such an idea is at .war with the .genius and character of that instrument, is wholly irreconcilable to the dictates of common sense, and imports a monstrous libel upon the sages of '76.--The proceedings of the Legislature' im mediately and for some time. after the a doption of the Constitution, when that body was composed principally by the identical men who framed the constitu tion, satisfactorily she , a solicitude on their part to establish the principle; of eqnal representation at the earliest peri od, upon a conspicuoysahd firm founda tion. For at its first session, held under the constitution in 1777, we find that body dividing & subdividing many of the original counties, so as to make them more equal in population & representative weight. This equitable policy was pursued, session af ter session, up to the vear 1789, when a resolution passed the General Assembly, recom trending the calling a Convenrion, with limited powers, to ado"t the Federal Constitution, Jocate the Seat if "Gover nment, and allow the town of Fayetteville a representative, 6nthe same principles with other representative Boroughs in t'e State. But when we reflect upon the inauspicious times in which our Constitu tion was framed when we call to mind that if originated in 1776, at the com mencement of the American Indepen dence, t is matter of great wonder and ad miration that such an jnsrrument, grafted amidst similar perjls, amidst the agonies of revolution, and the turmoils of a tHfen horjel'-ss contest should be as perfect in structure as it is, and marred bv so few practical defects. Nevertheless, frm the causes mentioned, and the ansence or ap- j propriate lights, in both ancient and mo dern history, to guide our ancestors in' modelling the plan of the Constitution, it has failed to answer some of its important ends, and does, unquestionably to a great extent, openite ev1' and bnpression. But the framers thereof widely engrafted the 21st section of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, tn-wit : that a frequent re currence to fundamental principles, is ab solutely necessarv to preserve the bles sings of liberty. This they did from a conviction.- that after the storm of war had subsided, the various changes-in the condition of the people, consequent upon the reien of peace and prosperity in our land, would demand a modification, at times, of their fundamental charter ; and no doubt from a oersuasion. that when a mendments thereto became necessary, the people' would always be blessed with public men well qualified forrecurring to first principles, and trammg tnose amena ments. But, when'peHCe succeeded the toils of revolution, the minority of Nort,h Carolina, in consequence of their superior facilities for acquiring dominion, actually did take all power into their hands, and unifcrmlv retained the same, to the stern, uncompromising, arbitrary pride, created by this power. May -we "attribute, with out hes;tation, the melanchplylfact of our General Assembly's haviugC heretofore passed no resolution for calling a Con vention. By a Convention, this power would be laid prostrate. As long, there fore, as it triumphs in the Legislature, it will ever oppose the convening of a poli tical body,-before whose indignant frown it' would be 'unable to stand an instant, without certain annihilation. The effects of a Convention, if one had seasonably been called, would have been the putting down the minority, with all .their appen dages of aristocracy, many years since, and the restitution of the majority to their inherent rights, and due influence, in the great concerns of government, if, as has been fully demonstrated, that our exist ing Constitution is vitiated by serious de fects which call for efficient and sbeedy correction. .' . It must be the wish of dvery patriotic and generous-; mind to see the necessary remedies applied ; to behold the Consti tution renovated ; its primitive elements once more brought into action, tempered and meliorated by the genius, of reform. If the citizens of North:CaroHna have not lost a proper regard of equality for political rights, from long arid j habitual acquiescence in their suspension, what, but the Strangest folly, timidity or preju dice, will indispose them' to sanction the grand undertaking now on foot for their political regeneration. Our present sys tem of representation is altogether repug nant and subversive of those sacred prin ciples, upon which alone it ;can be legit i matelv et-aduated. It ia exclusive, not rf ... V , 7 . j. . Incluiye in its benefits ; nay, it Ua down- .Mgm uiunuuuiv: 01 privilege, rauicr uian vuuijyuuM. os justice ana xair equality, I am also conscientious ' that Ni?rth- Carolina would be as much justified by precedents as by necessity, in altering her Constitdtion : as a proof of which, I wnnld refer, vou hoth to ancient and mo dern history, rand particular , examples which have been affbrdedr her by host lA.il UCi 9I31CI OHllWi 1U UVHHif, , alitv and tne safety ot mocurying uieir rc spective local Constitutions, by merely designating the states which have actual ly amended,, their. Constitutions. ;I; do hope, without additional reasoning;,, to dksipate all prejudice which piay.eist amnncr mv fellow citizens, against reno- vatmg our own Constitution on account of the: imaeinarv -noveltyifand sacrilege of the undertaking. According, then, to, a j.compilatron of the American .Constitu- tions, exienaing,in point oi iiuic uy w the year 1818, which is: now before me, and to documents touching the. subsequent Convention in New-York and Connecti cut, furnished by the public prints of the day, it appears that Connecticut, New York, , Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, South -Carolina Pennsylvania and New: Hampshire eight jout of thirtee of fthe original States, have respectively chang ed their Constitrtioris; that the change in each of these States has been for the better. ' ; ,;' . :f'.-;. m -'v t I cannot, fur a mbment, question thai their enlightened example wiil hae its proper weighfwith the free men of North Carolina, in deliberating upon the con templated changes in theirown Constitu tion. I will not despair of success until my hopes are sadly frustrated by the event. ; ;..' ;4 . ' May we noti moreover, most sanguine ly hope from the lights of the age, and the resistless march of -j liberal-sentiment over the horizon of the J civilized . world, that the proud era is at hand when the people of North-Carolina yielding to ihe celestial influence of reason, will stand up in all the erectness and decision which they should assume, and proclaim their determination to be really free, arid uni versally honored. Give us a few amend ments to the Constitution, such as have been particularized Give to the body of the people the same immunities indiscri minately, t and North-Carolina,j among theother facilities of her new destiny, will no lohger drain herself of wealth and in habitants to augment the prosperity of other States, j On the contrary, her re sources, of every kind will infinitely mag nify' her wealth and population will soon arrive at an enviable pitch in fine, the arts and science carrying with them every spur to -physic.il and intellectual improvement. ' will speedily exalt ihls Stae from comparative obscurity,' to the oinoacle of national grandeur. Undr the influence of the above employed rea soning, and deeply impressed by various other considerations, which the compass of the present communication has exclu ded from notice, I am! bound to be of opi nion that all the enligJtened citizens of the East will unite in sending Delegatt s; equally representing the freemen of this State, to meet those of the like kind from the West,' at Raleigh, on the second Mon day in November net, for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitu tion, to be submitted to the people for their, ratification, &cv r; ' ,. . -' V ; A Calm 05l2rver. Rockingham Co. June 21. - .X . -i ' .. 'V , : STATE OF NORTH-CARbLINA,. . Rowan County..' i Superior Coufl of L4w, April Term, Jane Weaver, s "1 William We'af er. J IT appearing to the satisfaction of the Court, that the defendant is not an in-, habitant of this State ; it is therefore or dered, that publication bfenrfade for three .months in the Register printed in Raleigh, that the defendant appear at the next Su perior Court of La w to be held for the county of Rowan, at thel Courthouse in Salisbury, on the second Monday after the 4th Monday in September next then and there to rlead, .answeror demur, or the Detition will' be heard ex parte on HY. GlL.fci5y vi. &. KZ. STATE OF NORTH-CAROLINA. j -. . Siirry . County. . ; I .May Sessions, A. D.' 1823. r i The Executors of Lfcroy"Y 5 ; Original at Holcomb ' ; " I rachmenr. E- . ' '; . v&. j yphraim Hough Allen Case.' summoned as :C "''"."- f f- Gamshee;.". Fr. appeanng to the satisfaction of 'the Court, that the defendant has abscond ed, or so conceals himself, that the ordi nary process of law cannot be. served on him, it is therefore ordered by theCourt, that publication be made hV the Raleigh Register for three (months, that the, de fendant appear at the next Court ;6f Pleas and Quarter Session slto. be held for the County of Surry, at! the Codrthise in Rbckford, on the second Moridky' m Au gust nekt, replevy and plead, otHerwise, judgment -will be rendered against him, for the amount of plaintiff 's claim, with cewts Test. JO,iILUAMS, C. June 1. ' pr adv. S4,50 BLANK WARItANTS, ..'iFofsalc' here.' ,. V A FltW thousand pouudsf prime BAV ACON. Apply at this; Office v j , - COACH MAKING MATERIALS. FOR SALE ON ACCREDIT 5- . . uoacn anavtjjg apnn.s, wuiwi. if ell at a mndAra't advanP.P on:the. whole ': sale price. He has also on hand! and in- tenas Keeping,a consiani uppy v Morocco; for; Coach Lining, which will be disposed of as above. He has, s usu f all a fcorfstarit sriinolv of Carriaees. Gigs" jrilHE. Subscriber hiaiftiriile is Ma 5 T 'i nufactor, a few setts of fashionable -tf:- n'- . ' r. ' t.iU ;-L-' .ilt .k arid Harness, all of 'which will be sold, fLtr vy , prices according with the times, ;ttj' : t THUS. liUtiK?. -V P- S. On nnsigtimetit; a supply oC Hati ters' Mhroccn. and a. few dozen Boot Lir riing Skins, direfct fronl Ute Manufactory.. d'U n v i Mr no ' i - TTi& subscriber Ma viriar been app'oiritfcd JL the County Court, to take the list of tax able' property ;in this city and district, for thb..;r . present year; notice-is fiifefore given to aRv j.- ; persons concerned, that; heJ will j attend for ;- -c'-!: that purpose at the Court House on Monday k f the 14th,' and Tuesday the lth instant ; alsd -4 V at the same place bn'the S8th and ?9thi for, ' , the - ame purpose.' .jfotice to; Tdelinquenti ; '', f will be served by '.th coriltaMei hid subject ;: . v themselves to a double.tai3Ji,;- ir; 'v'; 42-4U' for Sale ' . . i f' 8ixtiiMred and Thirty-elgni A pjdlNTNG the backs' of Tar .ftlve'iflWn lV the north "side, and the two Roa'd8yin i ' Jeadi n&t Providence i ' This land is adapted to" the cultuf e 6f t?ot Wheat, Tobacco, Flax; Cotton and tftih Any person inclining to purchase jroch-.1-,1 tract will please contfe and view- the , pretru ; , ges, as they would not 'purchase' ; without., . i ne. payments will De maae easv-a gnjay - . part in' hand arii approved security forhe' balance. Pnssessfori will .be eiren by tlie;' last of No vember n ext; ; 'Apply . to the irub- ienber living On the land. r a -v. - . '-MJom; MINORS?' ifle county; N:C.' June ir; ; 422, (JrahVme N. B. There are 320 acmofe of hud i6ining the above, which may be had f- the" same time., v" ws ianu mere are rour set, -tlements with buildings and plantationa for . the reception of Such'as it'may suit.; FOREST HILL ACADEMY; THE Bietbsc t this Jnstitutioti com' ; ' ufenced on the t6th instant, under the ; sUperintehdance "of Mr. John Brancfbn, who V comes well recommended by Dr. John Rice . of Richmond, and also tfy Dri M'Phetqrs; of Raleigh. The prices of ixiticfhfx will be for ' , Rfeaihng, WritingV r Arn Grammar $6' per Session; Geography 8;, ;. Latin, GreeJc and Sciences &c; $ 12 50 per j ; session. Board can be had with the subscri '"zf. b'er and in pther respectable families- for $3Qf- N per session".; The strictest attention .will be paid to' the morals as well 'as the literary Jm- : -proyemenf of the pupils at this institutM. 'r It is hoped that the qualifications of the tea cher, the cheapness of board,ihe healthiness and agreeable society in theXneighborhood' ot tne Academy , will ensure' to this mstitu-.; tion a liberal share of public patronage : ' Forest Hill Academy is" siuuted 15 miles north of Raleighi on the f oad leading, to Ox--' ford. JOHN MARTIN; stills.-; vvv ' : tl i H L K K.Kll K.Tf tnfnr.W lit. .,VA-.i-J - waned the public,' that he bas'riow on ' ' - ftp haiidtan assortment of STILLS of. varibui' tJJ size. tie continues to make them, and ; will be enabled to furnish' the m of any di mensions'at the shortest notice. - He requeststhose halving StilUlwhiclil . , ma need repairs; to favor him with their . work fas soonVvas possible," as he. may be. unable to attend ta there ' so -well when4 the season for using them is at 'hand, and ne is crowneu whq worK, t , May 20.-. V-r i' : (S3 Tt A Rf if I i-wn tfnu c V m In the vicinity of Rt&clgti A". Tract of Land cbntainingTS acrea, , XjL about nine miles from the City4ying' oh Swift and Wiinanis's Creeks ori' the Hba heading" to Haywoodi formerly oc- cupied; byvJoseptT Lane, juh.' and' at pre- ' .i. ToL-ci : iir t r" :i v. . . . r r t i I- r - . ' fertile and Verv well timberetL A hetnt ueiieveu uit iur sou, oeauty and nealthi-;. ness of situation if is: Scarcely. cqhalled' f i ' by any, Plantation inthis part of tfie cbuni , try. c A' considerable jJortibn'of ihts Land' v' ; is fine low, GrbahiL: arid the hitrhT; land i f' , ' ' . Rarge for Cattle and llocrs is hb where to - i- V be found. There are considerable Jm- 4 .y j provements, good Orchards, a Grisi-Mul c ficci'and-' fine Springs t A i C-V jl :: t ' ' - ' : ' : ' Apply to KGalpsip Raleigh or to ,T. ' ' .. L;;V.e&t, on the premises. . v-jf r." :l ' ' v With the above Tract pfv Land 'may be r ;4 had 2Q$ Acres of Pine. Land, in the vici - , :i pity.' 1 , A- y-- v. ' f ! !) ff '. it r4 V! .r :