and practicability of providing aispcctcd. Mr. Wheeler, & bril to
i.i ,i, nraf. ncomorate the Zion Relict oci-,
General Stesemlrfy.
SENATE.
Wednesday, Dec. 19. Mr. De
vane presented a bill to exempt
aged men from serving on juries.
Rejected on its third reading.
Mr. Jones presented a bill pre
scribing upon what evidence the
Public Treasurer shall receive the
purchase money for vacant and
unappropriated lands.
The bill to amend the act of fund
1777, establishing Courts of Law,
and regulating the proceedings
therein, passed its third reading
and was ordered to be engrossed.
On motion of Mr. Shober, the
committee on Finance were in
structed to inquire, whether any,
and, if any, what alterations are
necessary to insure a better ac
countability to the State, as far as
regards allowances made to the
Sheriffs for insolvents, and whe
ther it be expedient to make any
alteration in the manner and time
in which blank licenses are issu
ed to Sheriffs.
Thursday, Dec. 20. The reso
lution, submitted yesterday by Mr.
Pickett, directing the committee
of Finance to take charge of the!
money in the Treasury, and to i
burn such of the Ireasury notes
as are unfit for circulation.
The bill to repeal an act pass
ed in 1823, concerning the Uoa-
remndv against the usurious prac
tices which arise in buying arid
selling bonds, notes and other ne
gotiable paper, so that the abuse
commonly known under the ap
pellation of shaving, may be "pre
vented or punished.
Mr. Owen, from the committee
on Internal Improvements, to
whom was referred the resolution
instructing them to inquire whe
ther any money, not authorised
by law, had been drawn from the
set apart lor Internal lm-
nrnvnrnnnts. fiurino me veins
1825, 1826 and 1827, made a de
tailed report; which was read and
laid on the table.
The Speaker presented a letter
from James INoursc, Agent ot tne
American Colonization Society,
together with a memorial of the
same society.
Tuesday, Dec. 25. Mr. Ward
presented a bill concerning the
appointments of Clerks of the Su
perior Courts and Clerks and
Masters in Equity.
incorporate
ety of North-Carolina.
Mr. Gaston, a bill to proviuc
for the gradual diminution of the
capital stock of the State bank,
by the purchase and extinguish
ment of shares.
On motion of Mr. Simmons, the
Judiciary committee werd instruc
ted to inquire as to the expedien
cy of so amending the law as to
prevent debtors from conveying
their property, by mortgages or
deeds of trust, to one or more of
their creditors in preference, and
to the exclusion of their other
creditors; and the monies arising
from such sales, to be equally di
vided between the creditors, in
proportion to their several claims.
On motion of Mr. Newland, the
Judiciary committee were instruc
ted to inquire into the expediency
of revising the fees of clerks,
Sheriffs and other officers.
lur. Alexander submitted a re
solution, which for the present:
tojto his private. use but we are now re
luuiuiJLiy compuacu iu dumu, limi u Was
not only done intentionally, buttle
op.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Wednesday, Dec. 19. Francis
Ward, the member elected for the
rately and gradually. Nothing has
was laid on the table, the object
of which was, that a request be
made to the Secretary of War,
for the services of the U. States
Engineers to survey a route for a
tors.
The bill appropriating 86,232
county of Washington, in place ofjRjnl Rud passing from Newborn
Abner N. Vail, whose seat was through Raleigh, as early as may
vacated, appeared and took his he consistent with the convenience
scat, ot the Department.
Mr. Gaston, from the select Mr. Spruill from the committee
committee, to whom the memori- t0 w,lom subject was referred,
al relative to Occacock Inlet, was!rePortc'l 11 rr revising, diges-
noke Navigation Comnanv. wns;rnfirrni1 rnnnrtod n Mil tn inrnr-iting and amending the law rela-
read the second time and laid (m nonN! tlm OcnrncL- iV.ivir.-itmn ; ting to executors atid administra
te table. iCompany.
Friday, Dec. 21. Mr. Ward, Received from the Governor the
from the joint select committee
to whom was referred the enquiry
relative to the mot advisable
modo of having the State repre-1 from the Committee on Internal oocn made for its indefinite post
sented at the meetiugof the Stock- Improvements, reported a bill to ponement by Mr. Boon,
holders of the Bank of Cape Fearprovide for the draining of Malta-! n motion of Mr. Blackledge,
to be held on the first Monday in muskcet Lake. jthe House adjourned to Wed-
January of 1828, made a report,! Friday, Dec. 21. Mr. Bynum nosday.
leuuiuiiieiiuiij me ciecuon oi presented a bill empowering tlie szmm
three persons by ballot for that Commissioners of the town of;
purpose. ! Halifax to sell to Lemuel Long a j
Mr. Ilinton, from the commit- certain strip of land of the com-1
tee appointed to conduct the bal- inons of said town. j
loting for Brigadier General of Mr. Sharpe, a bill to repeal the
the 5th Brigade, reported that third section of an act passed in!
JjOUis u. Wilson is elected. LUar-,18Uu, to revise the militia laws!
public confidence no great and unex
pected losses, no sudden emergency tha.
required this amount of moneys; but a
his death, he is found apparently fler
from pecuniary embarrassment, and ir
the possession of a large real and per.
soual estate. Well may the Commute,
say, "that the delinquency has been kept
from public detection by some moans
which they arc unable satisfactorily i0
account (or.99
The following are the leading features
of the Report of the Committee:
"Your committee lament that
this investigation has resnlted iu
tlie painful discovery that there is
a balance due from the late Trea
surer of sixty-eight thousand six
hundred and thirty-one dollars,
eighty and three-eighths cents.
"How this defalcation has aris
en, or at what time it occurred,
your committee are unable to as
certain. If the report of the
Treasurer made to the Genera!
Assembly in I82G was correct, it
would seem necessarily to have
occurred during the last fiscal
year; but your committee are con
strained to believe that it must
have taken place before, and that
the delinquency has been kept
from public detection by some
means which they are unable Sa
tisfactorily to account for. The
sum is too large to have been used
by the Treasurer in any one year,
and no evidence has appeared to
your committee that the Treasury
has been robbed or any monies
stolen therefrom. Notwithstand
ing VOUi committed hn'nn t hf
rr - m-
ttee, Annual Report of the Roanoke; for improving the Cape Fear be- opinion that this delinquency must
iiiry. Navigation Company. j lowWilmington, passed its second haVc occurred before the corn-
able Thursday, Dec. 20. Mr. Hill,; reading G7 to 57, a motion having mencemcnt of the last fiscal year;
tor Jones and Benj. Sharpe were!
ajso candidates. J
Saturday, Dec. 22. Mr. Love,
of Haywood, presented a bill to
continue in force the act of last
session, to revive and continue in
force an act passed in 1824, to al
ter and amend the act for the re
lief of purchasers of Cherokee
lands.
The resignation of Thomas Ni
cholson, Col, Commandant of the
1st regiment of the militia of Ha
lifax, was read and accepted.
Monday , Dec. 24. Mr. Wilson
of Edgecombe, presented a bill to
appoint additional Commissioners
for the town of Stantonsburg.
Mr. Whitfield, a bill more ef
fectually to punish the crime of
poisoning.
Mr. Pickett presented sundry
resolutions, instructing the Public
Treasurer relative to the debt due
to the State by John Haywood,
late Treasurer; and to the collec
tion and security of all debts due
to the State for the sale of lands,
near Ralcign.
On motion of Mr. Riddick, the
Judiciary committee were instruc
ted to innuirn intr tlio
relative to the infantry, and to re
peal the 9th and 10th sections of;
an act passed in 1814, to amend'-
XatliorottgJ),
FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1S28.
the militia Iravs.
Saturday, Dec. 22. The reso
lution from the Senate, for the ap
pointment of a committee to re
present the interest which the
State has in the Stock of the Bank
of Cape Fear at the meeting of,
the Stockholders of said Bank to
be held on the first Monday of
January next, was adopted.
Mr. Sharpe presented a bill
gjThe office of the "Free Press" is
removed to the building opposite the
liank, recently occupied by Mr. King.
(QWe understand that Mr. Jos. L.
Simmons, of Halifax, has rccciveil the
appointment ot IVtmaster at that town,
in the place of Jas. Simmons, resigned.
State Treasury. The last Raleigh
papers contain the Report of the Com
mittee annointnii hvr t!-. nnl a
making it the duty of Major Gene-sembly to investigate the situation of
rals to review the 1st regiment of
Edgecombe militia.
The resignation of Benjamin
Sharpe, Col. Com. of the 1st re
giment of Edgecombe militia was
read and accepted.
The bill to establish a new
county out ot the counties of
Lurke and Buncombe, passed its
third reading by the casting vote
of the Speaker, the yeas and nays
being equally divided, (G2 to 62,)
and was ordered to be engrossed.
Monday, 7cc.24. Mr. Bvn
presented a bill prescribing the
manner in which staves, heacUno
and shingles- shall hereafter be ii
i v-iiom , ami uiu i iiiiiurcu aencii is
fully confirmed. Is' it possible af
ter, nearly half a century of usefulness, in
the uninterrupted possession of the most
important trust in his native State, that
our late "good old Treasurer," whose
urbanity, benevolence and philanthropy
were proverbial; whose integrity' was
beyond the reach of suspicion, and un
tainted by die breath of slander; whose
heart was thought to be fas far from
fraud as heaven from earth" before the
grave is closed that embraces his moul
dering remains, is the opprobrious epi
thet of a public defaulter to be affixed
to his memory? When the rumor first
reached us, we did not, could not be
lieve that John Haywood, under any
circumstances, would have appropriated
so large a portion of the public moneys:
yet they can only conjecture that
it has arisen cither from a want of
system in the management of the
transactions of the department, or
the gradual use of the public mo
nies to meet private demands, oc
casioned by the want of energy
and economy in the management
of his estate; for your committee
are sensible that he has not at any
lime used the public monies for
purposes of speculation; but, ou
the contrary, that he hns sold pro
perty within the last fifteen years
to an amount greatly exceeding
his purchases.
"Vour committee entertain k
opinion that there are deficiencies
in the laws respecting the bonds
required to be given by the Trea
surer the acts of the General As
sembly of 1784 and 1801 provid
ing that the Treasurer shall give
boud within thirty days afteHii
appointment, to be made payal)!'
to, and approved by the Governor,
and filed in the Comptroller's Of
lice. To permit a fiscal officer to
enter into the administration of
his office, before giving bond for
the faithful discharged the du
ties thereof, is an evident relaxa
tion of that system of accountabili
ty which ought to be always ri
gidly required by the Legislature,
the evil of which is manifest in
the present case; for your com
mittee find that there has been no
official bond given by the !atc
Treasurer for the last fiscal year
This neglect is not attributable to
the Governor; for it appears to
your committee, that shortly aftcf
the expiration of thirty days frotf
the appointment, he did apply