| From the Raleigh State Journal |
| |
| February 5, 1862 |
| |
| North Carolina State Convention -- Second
Session |
| Fourteenth Day, Feb. 14 {actually
Feb. 4} |
| ***** |
| The Piedmont Road |
| The consideration of the
subject was resumed. |
| Mr. Strange addressed the
Convention at considerable length, and ably, in opposition to the
charter. In reply to Judge Osborne, as to what Wilmington has received
at the hands of the State, and what was expected from her
representatives, he said that the town of Wilmington had subscribed to
the Wilmington road more than the assessed value of her real estate,
that the State had subscribed $600,000 to the work, and had received
nearly the whole of it back in dividends. And that the town had also
contributed one-tenth of the individual stock to the North Carolina
Railroad. And then he examined what the State had done for Charlotte
-- going over the N. C. Road, the Statesville Road, the Columbia Road,
and the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Road. In the course of
his remarks, Mr. Strange denounced the indiscriminate legislation
embarked in by the Convention, and said it was a violation of the
spirit, if not the letter, of the Constitution. Legislation was the
province of a body composed of a Senate and House of Commons,
representing population and taxation; whereas the Convention might be
said to represent the House of Commons only. We cannot find space for
the argument of Mr. Strange, though we have full notes of it. |
| Messrs. Kittrell and Dick, and
Judge Ruffin, followed in support of the charter. |
| The vote was taken on
inserting the Company Shops as the terminus, and resulted in the
negative -- yeas 24, nays 58 ***** |
| Mr. Starbuck opposed an
amendment running the road from Danville, thence via Leakesville,
Madison, Germanton, Winston and Salem, to Lexington. |
| Pending which the Convention
adjourned. |
|