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No. 38.
HALIFAX, N. C. FRIDAY, DECEMBER io, 1824.
VOL I.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
Tty George Howard,
Is published cverv Fridav, at
THREE DOLLARS per year,
consisting of 52 numbers, and in the
same proportion for a shorter pe
riod. Subscribers at liberty to dis
continue at any time, on paying ar
rearages. Advertisements inserted at fifty
cents per square, or less, for the
first insertion, and twenty-five cents
each continuance.
Letters addressed to the Editor
must be post Jig id.
Sfray Puppies.
STRAYED or stolen from the
Subscriber, two HOUND
PUPPIES, about six months
0d one a yellow and white
spotted, the other a black and
white spotted. Any informa
tion respecting them will be
thankfully received, and if de
livered to the subscriber a rea
sonable reward will be given.
J. H. SIMMONS.
Enfield, Nov. 29. 37-3t
One Hundred Dollars
REWARD.
R
UN AWAY, or was stolen from
the Subscriber, on the night of
the 8th instant, a bright mulatto
woman (slave) and her child, a girl
of about four years old. This wo
man ran away from the Subscriber,
executor of John Hunt, deceased,
in the summer -of 1808. and passed
as a free woman, by the name of
PATSEY YOUNG, until about
the first of June last, when she was
apprehended as a runaway. On
the sixth of the same month I ob
tained possession of her in the town
of Halifax, since which time she
and her child ELIZA have, in
compliance with an order of the
county court of Franklin, been sold,
when the Subscriber became the
purchaser. She spent the greater
part of the time she was runaway
(say about sixteen years) in the
neighborhood cf, and in the town of
Halifax, one or two summers at
Rocklanding, where I am informed
she cooked tor the hands employed
to work on the canal; she also
spent some of her time in Ply
mouth, her occupation while there
not known. At the above named
places she has many acquaintances
and friends. She is a tall, spare
woman, thin face and lips, long
sharp nose, her fore teeth in a state
of decay. She is an excellent scam
stress, can make gentlemen's and
Udics' dresses, is a good cock and
weaver, and I am informed is a
good cake baker and brewer, cc.
by which occupations she princi
pally gained her living. Some time
during last summer she married a
free man of color, named Achrael
Johnson, who had been' living in
and about Plymouth, and followed
boating on the Roanoke. Since his
marriage he leased a farm of Mr.
James Cotton, of Scotland Neck,
(Halifax county) where he was liv
ing, together with this woman,
when she was taken up as a runa
way slave in June last. I have but
little doubt that Johnson has con
trived to seduce or steal her anc!
child out of my possession, ant1 -will
attempt to get them out of the state
:,nd pass as free persons. Should
this be the case, 1 will give Sixty
Five Dollars for his detection and
conviction before ths proper tribu
nal in any part of this state. I will
give for the apprehension of the
woman and child, on their delivery
to me, or so secured in jail or other
wise that I got them, Thiriu Five
JhUars. 6 I will give Twenty
Five D-jIIcltA for the woman alone,
and Ten Iff Jars for the child alone.
The prolff,name of the woman is
Piety, bjjf $ie will no doubt change
it as shlrtiici before. I forewarn
all ownf-rs of boats, captains and
owner ! 0f vessels from taking on
board Jor earn ing away this wo
man fnd her child Eilza, under the
jiemtfty of the law.
KIT. HUNT.
7"IW16, ' 23-tf
N. Carolina Legislature
TREASURER'S REPORT.
To the Hon. the General j?.
scmbly of the State of
iorii-uarolina.
. Gentlemen: In obedience to
the laws of the State, and in
discharge of that part of my offi
cial duties, as Public Treaaurer,
I do myself the honour respect
fully to submit to the Legisla
ture the folIowingReport,to wit:
The receiots at the TYmsnrv
of North-Carolina for the year
commencing with the first day
of November, 1823, and ending
with the last day of October,
including sundry pay
ments of arrearages and the rmh-
lic Taxes of every other descrip
tio n, which became due and
were paid at the Treasury of this
State, within that period, tdsreth-
er with the dividends declared
by our State Bank, on the stock
or shares held in it bv North-
Carolina; the purchase-money or!
proceeds of the vacant and un-i
appropriated lands lately enter-
1 1 1 .
cci, ana paid ionn the course of
the time abovementioned; and
the collection made from the
bonds given by purchasers of
me puouc lands, near Kaleigh,
which were sold in 1820,
amount to one hundred and
fourteen thousand, six hundred
and thirtj-ninc dollars and thirty-nine
cents, and five-sixths of
a cent, (11-1,G39 39 .5-6.)
To this sum, the balance re
mained in the Treasurv. on the
first day of November, lS23,j
and thereafter to be accounted!
for, as reported to the last Gen
eral Assembly, being added viz:
one hundered and nine thou
sand, seven hundred and twenty-three
dollars, twenty-one
cents and five-sixths of a cent,
an aggregate amount of two hun-J
drcd and twenty-four thousand,
three hundred and sixty-two
dollars, sixty-one cents and two
thirds of a cent, is formed, (224,
362 61 2-3.)
From this sum total, disburse
ments have been made, within
the time fust abovementioned.
including the worn Treasury
notes, and other monies burnt,
to amount of eighty-seven thou-'
sand, three-hundred and twenty-!
one dollars, Iitty-iivc cents and
one-sixth of a cent, (17,321 55
1-6,) the vouchers for which
have been handed over to the
Comptroller, and passed upon
by that officer.
This expenditure being de
ducted from the asrirrcsrate a
mount, abovementioned, will be
found toIeavc a balance of one
hundred and thirty-seven thou
sand and forty-one dollars, and
six cents and an half, remaining
in the Treasurer of this State,
on the first day of November,
instant, say on the first day of
November, 1S2-1. and hereafter
to be accounted for, (137,011
061.)' The Treasurer takes oc
casion, however, here to remark,
that three thousand, two hun
dred and forty-four dollars and
twelve and an half cents of this
balance, being proceeds of va
cant lands entered and paid for,
are appropriated by law for the
promotion of Agriculture. &c;
which being deducted, will, of
course, lessen the sum applica
ble to ordinary purposes, or the
support of Government to that
amount.
For the several items, form
ing the reception and expendi
ture abovementioned, the Pub
lic Treasurer respectfully refers
to the printed statements, pre
pared and furnished by the
Comptroller for the use of the
Members of the present General
Assembly. .
The State feanfc declared di
vidends in the months of De
cember, and June last, at the
rate of four per cent, which, on
the Shares held in it by North
Carolina, amounted to twenty
one thousand, three hundred
and seventy-six dollars: which
were passed to the credit of the
State, and are, of course, includ
ed in the amount of the recipls,
at the Public Treasury, first
abovementioned. . It is 'known
the December dividend was sub
ject to a d eduction of three thou
sand, three hundred and fifty
six dollars, twenty-four cents;
being the amount of the interest
which had accrued and was pay
able by the State to the Bank,
on account of the unpaid-for
shares of the stock, held therein
by North-Carolina, on the first
day of that month. And it is
likewise known, that the money
emitted by this State, in the
years 1783 and 17S5, and from
time to time redeemed by this
Bank, and handed over to be
burnt and destroyed, as directed
by its charter, is also chargeable
to this fund, or the dividends
declared in favour of the State.
The amount of those emissions,
however, which have been han
ded over by the Bank and burnt
and destroyed, according to law,
from November, 1823, to No
vember, 1S24, is but small; be
ing one hundred and fifty-eight
dollars and seventy-five cents,
only, (15S 75,) which sum, to
gether with the amount of the
interest abovementioned, as paid
to the Bank, was included in the
general account of expenditure
or disbursements for the year,
Of the sum of one hundred
and thirty-seven thousand and
forty-one dollars, six and an half
cents, abovementioned, as being
the balance due and payable
from the Public Treasurer to
the State of North-Carolina, on
the first of the present month,
viz: on the first day of Novem
ber, 1S24, fifty-eisht thousand.
eight hundred and fifty-seven
dollars, sixty-two cents, are de
posited, & at my credit, as Pub
lic Treasurer, in the State Bank
of North-Carolina, at Raleigh.
Forty-nine thousand and five
dollars and forty-six cents, are
deposited and stand at my cred
it, in like manner, in the Bank
ofNcwbern, in. Raleigh.
And twenty-four thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight
dollars and forty-nine cents, are
deposited, in like manner, and
stand at my credit, as Public
Treasvrcr, in the Bank of Cape
Fear, at Fayette vi lie.
The remainder is in the pub
lic chest, and is formed partly
of warrants and other vouchers,
paid off and received since the
first day of the present month,
and partly of cash kept in the
office, to be at hand, and in
readiness to meet the demands
of the day.
In the month of November,
last, John Patton, esquire, the
Commisioner appointed by the
Governor, to sell or sunerintend
the selling, &c. of the lands be-
- x UUUi Ul- I
longing to this State, commonly
called the Cherokee Lands, or
such part of them as might be
in demand, paid into the Public
Treasury the sum of four hun
dred and twenty-seven dollars
and forty-three cents. (427 43,)
being the nett proceeds of the
sales, then lately made by him,
and which had come into his
hands, in eush, as Commission
er aforesaid; and at the same
time, Col. Patton paid, addition
ally, and as Commissioner afore
said, the further sum of fifty
five dollars and twenty cents,
(55 20,) being the amount of an
error or omission in his settle
ment, as Commissioner, in the
year 1S22; which two sums
were forthwith and asrecablv
to law, placed at the credit of
the lioard of Internal Improve
ments; as has been, also, in course
of the late fiscal year, the fur
ther sum of six thousand, five
hundred and fifty-one dollars
and forty cents, (6,551 40,) col
lected by the Treasurer, from
purchasers at the several sales of
the lands abovementioned. J
The Commissioner, Col. Pat
ten, at the same time, made re
turn of the bonds taken to se
cure the payment of the balance
of the purchase money of the
lands last sold by him as afore
said, amounting to four thou
sand, two hundred and forty
four dollars, twenty-three and
a half cents, the whole of which
were placed on file in the Trea
sury Office.
The Public Treasurer has
rendered to the Board of Inter
nal Improvements an account
of his Receipts and Expendi
tures from the first of Novem-
. .
oer, to tne hrstof Novem-1
oer, 1S24, comprehending the; daily going on with that work
sums abovementioned, together .The notes procured are consi
with all other moneys received
by him which are subiect to its
drafts, or disposal, which shews
and leaves in his hands an un
expended balance of twenty-
two thousand, nine hundred and
fifty-six dollars forty eight and
a half cents yet to be accounted
for: a copy of which account
or statement accompanies this,
and is marked with the letter A.
The Treasurer has the honor
likewise to submit to the Gen
eral Assembly a Statement,
showing the condition of the
Agricultural Fund, on the first
day of the present month; inclu
ding as well the amount receiv
ed at the Treasurv in tm fisrnl
jyearof 1823, for vacant lands
entered and then paid for, as
heretofore reported: as the a
mount of the like lands paid for
in 1S24, and now reported; and
including likewise all other mo
nies appertaining to the said
fund which have come to his
hands; leaving a balance of six
thousand, three hundred and
thirty-four dollars, and sixty-;
three cents in favor of and to the!
credit of said fund: ($6,334 63);
which Statement also accompa
nies this, and is. marked with
the letter B.
The Returns, in this regard,
made previously to the close of
the last fiscal year, were few in
number, and the sums mention
ed as due in them or which were
paid on them, were generally
speaking, very small: From!
the .returns, however, which
have been since, handed in, the
prospects of .the current year
would seem to brighten, and the
Treasurer is flattered with the
- im.
hope of being able to make a
further and a much more consi
derable collection, and conse
quent addition to this fund, in
course of the next month.
;: It may, perhaps, be consider
ed the duty of the Public Trea
surer to inform the General As
sembly, that the Board of Inter
nal Improvements made such
arrangements or came to such
agreement with the Stockhold
ers of the Cape Fear Navigation
Company in course of the last
Spring, as led to its subscribing
on the books of the said compa
ny, for additional Stock, or
Shares for the State, to the a
mount authorized by the Gen
eral Assembly through their
Act of the last Session, entitled
"An Act concerning the Cape
Fear Navigation Company"
Chap. 16th.
It is believed, that no addi
tional Subscription for account
of the State was made by the
Board of Internal Improvements
for other or more Shares in the
Capital Stock of the Roanoke
Navigation Company, previous
ly to the first of the present
month, unucr the act of the last
Assembly, entitled "An Act
concerning the Roanoke Navi
gation Company." A meeting
of the Stockholders of that Com
pany has lately been had, in
which North-Carolina was re
presented, but the Treasurer is
not yet fully informed of the
proceedings of that meeting, nor
of its determination as to further
subscriptions for its Stock.
The Public Treasurer has pro
gressed in issuing the Treasuiy
Notes ordered by the last As
sembly, as rapidly as to him ap-
j i j
peared expedient, and is still
dered neat and strong or dura
:
ble, and are such, in all respects,
as he trusts will meet the ap
probation of the Legislature.
He has not yet made any actual
investment in bank stock of the
proceeds of the notes disposed
of, but has provisionally con
tracted for stock or shares in the
Banks, with the current divi
dends on, to the full amount of
his issues; and a transfer is only
delayed for a few days, at his
instance and in the hope and ex
pectation of thereby becoming
better satisfied as to the price
or 6um per share, which it is
right and proper he should give.
This business will be conducted
in such sort as shall best and
most effectually tend to promote
and secure the interest of the
state.
The surplus money in the
Treasury having considerably
accumulated of late, it necessari
ly occurred to the Treasurer
that it might be expedient a part
of it should likewise be invested
in bank stock; but beins: aware
that a very considerable portion
ot that surplus is formed of
old or worn Treasurv Note.1?.
which cannot again be put into
circulation; and taking into view
likewise the daily and well nigh
hourly calls or "drains on the
Treasruy, in consequence of the
prevailing disposition, or rage,
if that term be admissable, for
brinsinrr in and exchanging:
the old
for the new Treasury
Notes; and not being able to
foresee its limit, he could but
hesitate and doubt of the expe
diency of any measure which
should go directly and consi
derably to lessen the ability cf