USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 76
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
and manner of holding elections in the several eoun- ties for the appointment of the clector- of the State. The time was not ripe for the change, and the resolu- tion of Mr. Black having been laid on the table, the two Houses proceeded to appoint electors. The ballots upon being counted, showed that J. G. Rowland had received twenty-one votes, John Caldwell fifteen votes, and Isaac Tunnell fifteen votes. The two Houses having separated and returned to their respective chambers, Mr. Clement offered in the House of Repre- sentatives a resolution "solemnly protesting against commissions being issued to J. G. Rowland, John Caldwell and Isaac Tunnell, because, although Joseph G. Rowland had twenty-one votes, bring a majority of all members of the two Houses present, yet as no other candidate voted for had such majority, and it is deemed contrary to the Constitution of the United States and the law of the State that one elector only should be appointed when the State is entitled to three : that John Caldwell and Isaae Tunnell cannot be considered as entitled to certification, as neither of them had a majority of all the votes given, there having been thirty votes taken and neither of them having more than fifteen out of such votes." The pro- test was signed by John Crow, C. Vandegrift, Jos. England, John Exton, S. H. Black, David Penny and Josiah Clement. Notwithstanding the protest, the certificate of appointment of electors was signed by the Speaker and attested by the elerk.
Up to 1825 Delaware was the only State in the Union in which the old Federalist and Democratic parties were strictly kept up. In that year the Dem- ocrats carried the Legislature, having carried New Castle and Kent Counties, while Sussex remained Federal. Charles Polk was elected Speaker of the Senate, and Arnold Naudain, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The contest for the State in the next year was rendered of more than ordinary inter- est, not only by the fact that the Presidential contest might be thrown into the House of Representatives and the State hold one-twenty-fourth part of the elective power, but Senator Van Dyke having died, and the term of Senator Clayton expiring, the Legis- ture to be elected would have two Senators to elect. In addition, Mr. Naudain, the Democratic Speaker of the House, proposed to contest with the Federalist, Mr. MeLane, for Representative in Congress. At the election, Charles Polk, Federalist, was elected Gov- ernor and Mr. McLane, also Federalist, to Congress, -the vote standing, for Polk, 4334; for Hazard, 4238, -majority ninety-six ; for McLane, 4261; for Nau- dain, 3931,-majority, six hundred and ninety. Both Houses of the Legislature were Federal,-there being seventeen Federalists and thirteen Republicans. During the recess Daniel Rodney was appointed Senator by the Governor, but upon the assembling of the Legislature, Henry M. Ridgely was elected to the unexpired term of Mr. Van Dyke, and Louis MeLane to succeed Mr. Clayton. The election was said by the Watchman to have been decided "on the old con-
test between the Democrats and the Federalists," and that it "was entirely owing to the latter that Mes-r -. Ridgely and MeLane were elected." These old parties were at that late day very nearly as closely drawn as they were in 1798. The promotion of Mr. MeLane to the Senate necessitated an election for member of Congress, which took place in September, 1827. Kenzey Johns, the candidate supported by the friends of the administration, was opposed by Mr. Bayard. The vote was, for Bayard a majority of three hundred and sixty-nine in New Castle County ; and in Kent a majority of four hundred and nine, and in Su-sex a majority of three hundred and fifty-five for Johns ; making seven hundred and sixty-four for Johns and three hundred and sixty-nine for Bayard.
In 1828 the House of Representatives in the Legis- lature of Delaware was equally divided on the Presi- dential question, and could not elect a Speaker, -- having balloted from Tuesday to Saturday, and standing ten to ten ; it broke up informally, sine die. Ilaving in a manner dispersed, the House could meet again only on the call of the Governor. These un- usual proceedings created a very great excitement throughout the State, and accusations of "intrigue, bargain and corruption " were rife and freely used against some of the members, who, it was alleged, had been offered office it they would vote as desired.
At the election in October, 1828, Mr. Johns was re-elected to Congress by a majority of four hundred and nineteen over Mr. Bayard. The political desig- nations are those of Adams and Jackson. The Legis- lature elected stood : Senate, five Adams and four Jackson; and House of Representatives, fourteen Adams and seven Jackson ; thus securing the appointment of Adams electors. The Legislature, upon assembling, elected John M. Clayton, Senator for six years from the 4th of March, 1829, in place of Mr. Ridgely. The mode of choosing eleetors was altered by the Legislature, and the general ticket system adopted.
In the testimony respecting manufactures taken before a committee of Congress in 1828, W. W. Young, of Brandywine, Delaware, testified that the capital of his manufacture of woolen goods was up- wards of one hundred thousand dollars, of which twenty thousand dollars was then in raw material and manufactured articles. Upwards of twenty-one thousand dollars was in machinery, residue in real estate, mill-gear and buildings, twenty-five thousand dollars in dwellings for workmen, had been in opera- tion since 1813, and made principally blue cas-i- meres, and work up coarse wool into satinets. For the last three years had been curtailing business in consequence of low prices. On the close of the part- nership of W. W. Young & Son, in 1825, the part- ners did not receive two per cent. on capital. Since 1825 the business had been a losing one. Employed fifty hands, and paid superintendent eight hundred dollars, clerk one dollar per day ; twelve men at five to seven dollars per week ; males under twenty years
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FROM THE TREATY OF GHENT TO 1860.
sixty-two and a half cents to three dollars per week ; three women at seven dollars per week, one man at thirty dollars and three at eighteen, board include !.
The manufactory of E. I. Du Pont, at Wilming- ton, had capital of upwards of seventy thousand dollars, with buildings valued at forty to fifty thousand dollars, made coarse cloths, and ker-eys for the army from common country wool, satinets from Smyrna and South American wool, and from the coar-est kind of country wool made cloths and a cloth called linsey for negro clothing. From twenty to twenty-five thousand yards of all these kinds annually. The coarse cloths and kerseys were about six-fourths yards wide when finished, the satinets and negro clothing were generally about three-fourths wide, but the linsey was much wider. The business had always been a losing one.
The prices returned by Mr. Young were blue cassimeres, average price in 1825, $1.40 ; in 1826, 81.30 ; in 1827, 81.25; sales more brick in the fall of 1826, in spring of 1827, but prices no better ; coarse elorhs, called satinets, sold in fall of 1827 at a fair price compared with 1825 and 1826, owing to the market not being crowded with them, by reason of the de- pression in these years.
The prices returned by Du Pont were indigo blue army clothing, in 1825, 82.30; in 1826, 82.24; in 1827, 82.12}; gray kerseys in 1825, 81.35; 1826, $1.25; in 1827, 81.10 ; satinets, in 1525, .75}; in 1827, .40 to .50; negro clothing in 1825, .35 to .40 ; in 1827, .25 to .30 cents per yard.
The stock in the Bank of the United States held by citizens of the State in 1828 was twelve hundred and sixty-four shares under thirty-eight names.
Colonel Allen MeLane, the venerable and distin- guished soldier of the Revolution and colleetor of the port, died at the age of eighty-three, at Wilmington May 22, 1829.
At an early period of the session of 1826-27 a bill was introduced in Congress to increase the duty ou wool and woolen manufactures. Immediately after the passage of the tariff act of 1:24 the English prosecuted their business with unusual activity and flooded this country with their fabries, which were sold at great profits. Anticipating sufficient protec- tion from the Tariff Act of 1824, and encouraged by the success which attended the British manufac- turers, the people of this country made large invest- ments in manufactures. The tariff of 1824 raised the duty on imported woolen goods right per cent, and on wool fifteen per cent .; more than one- third of the quantity of wool used in American mannfactures was imported from European countries, at a duty of thirty per cent. while the protection to American woolen manufactures was only thirty-three and one-third per cent. ad valorem. The evasion of the law was the subject of complaint, more than the inadequacy of the duty. To prevent this eva-ion was only practicable by changing the mode of de- termining the ad valorem duty, or by adopting a
minimum anty, which it would be impossible to evade. On the 27th January, is27. Mr. Mallory, of Vermont, trom the Committee on Mannfactures, re- ported a bill " for the sheration of the acts imposing duties on import-," commonly called the "woolen bill." This bill proposed no change in the nominal duty on woolen manufactures, but it provided for estimating the duties on what was called the minimum principie. The division of the House on this measpre was more on geographical than party lines, a large portion of the friends of General Jack- son in the Northern States were decided protec- tionists, amonz whoma was Mr. MeLane, of Delaware, who aaited with other friends of General Jackson in opposing the bill. Mr. MeLane admitted that the woolen manufactures were suffering a severe depres- sion ; that the act of 1924 bad induced large invest- ments of capital in this branch of manufactures and double the usual quantity of domestic woolens had been thrown into the American market. At the same time the op, ning of the trade of the South Amer- jean States had led the British manufacturers largely to increase their capital to supply that market. Having over-estimated the demand, and having been met there by a successful competition on the part of our manufacturers, they soon found themselves in possession of a large surpins, which they sent to this country to be sold at almost any price it would bring. The flourishing state of the woolen manu- factures, soon after the passage of the act of 1824, proved the sufficiency of that act as a measure of protection, if its intentions had been fulfilled. And he was willing to go the full extent of it by substitut- ing a specific for an ad ralorem duty.
The influence of manufactures on property was shown in 1828, in the assessed value of lands in New Castle County. The highest rate was $44.04 per acre in Christiana Hundred, where there was the largest manufacturing, and $7.04 in Appoquinimink, where there was the least manufacturing. All other hun- dreds approached or retired from the highest value in proportion to their manufacturing interest. Brandy- wine was $31.473 per acre, while the generally more fertile lands of New Castle rated at only 821.92. The total value of lands and lots in the whole county was $8,086,932; and of this sum $2,710,000 was in Christi- ana Hundred. The Delaware JJournal adds that " the wealthy company which has purchased the extensive establishments that lately belonged to the Messrs. Gilpin on the Brandywine, are prepared to expend half a million of dollars in additional works, provided the American System' shall not be abandoned."
President Jackson1 appointed Hon. Louis MeLane mini-ter to England in 1-29, and gave him special instructions in relation to the negotiations in the
I Andrew Jackson was announced to pay a visit to Wilmington in 199?, soon after his second inauguration as President of the United States. He, however, calle no te irer than New Castle, on the I nion Transporta- tion Line, and after spending a short time there, left on a steambest for Philadelphia. Agrest many of his personal friends in Wilmington weut to New ( Hatle to see him.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
vexed question of British colonial trade. He was di- reeted to represent that the American people, in effecting a change of administration, had testified their disapproval of the art of the late administra- tion, and that the claims set up by them, which had caused the interruption of the trade in question, would not be urged. In 1831 Mr. MeLane was recalled from London to become Secretary of the Treasury. from which he was transferred in 1833 to be Secretary of State, which office he resigned in June, 1834. In June, 1845, Mr. MeLane was appointed by President Polk minister to England.
On the eve of Mr. MFeLine's departure for England, in 1829, his fellow-citizens of Wilmington extended to him the compliment of a public dinner, at which Gen, John Caldwell presided, and Richard H. Bayard was vice-president. In response to the toast: "Our Guest, the Hon. Louis MeLane, whose talents and moral foree have sustained him amidst collisions of party, and seeured him ultimately the conndence of his government and country," Mr. McLane felicitous- ly replied. The sentiments of the toast. all gave ex- pression to the political and domestic questions of the times. "Domestic Industry and Internal In prove- ments ; " "The memories of Jay and Hamilton., the able coadjutors of the venerable Madison ; " " The Commercial Treaty with Great Britain ;" all indi- cated the drift of the political sentiment of the State. In October, 1829, David Hazzard, "American Repub- liean," was elected Governor by 167 majority, and the Legislature stood more than two-thirds "American Republican." The Legislature elected Dr. Arnold Naudain, "Anti-Administration," to the Senate of the United States, to fill the vacancy caused by the ap- pointment of Mr. MeLane to be minister to England. Dr. Naudain was a very decided supporter of the "American System." John J. Milligan was appoint- ed chancellor of the State in place of Nicholas Ridge- ly, deceased. Mr. Milligan deelined the office, and Kensey Johns, chief justice and father of the then member of Congress, was appointed in his stead. Mr. Johns having declined the election as Representative in Congress in 1830, Mr. Milligan, " Anti-Jackson," was elected over Henry M. Ridgely, recently a United States Senator, by 434 majority. The convention whieb nominated Mr. Milligan unanimously adopted resolutions favoring the nomination of Henry Clay for President, because of " his devotion to, and uni- form support of, the cardinal interests of our country -of civil, political and religious liberty, and of the Union." Benjamin Potter was president ; Isaac Gibbs and Robert Burton, vice-president -; and S. H. Hodg- son, James Siddal and Derriek Burnard were seere- taries of this convention.
The Legislature of Alabama having forwarded res- olutions to the Legislature of Delaware, approving the course of General Jackson and nominating him again for President, the subject came up in the Legislature on the report of a committee composed of Mes-rs. Huffington, Rodney and Kennedy, denouncing "the
conduct of Andrew Jackson, as President of the United States, in refu-in his signature to the Mo; . ville road bill and other bills for the promotion of In0. ternal improvements, in some of which the stit . was greatly interested, meet with the unqualified dr. approbation of this Legislature, and that we can hu: view the sam, As i wanton exercise of power, regard- less of the interests of the people;" and this way followed by another resolution emphatically declaring that the election of Henry Clay would meet the desires and wishes of the people of the State.
Martin Van Buren was nominated as minister to England in 1831, and the debate in the Senate on his confirmavisa ran through several days. Mr. Clayton Was among the opponents of confirmation, declaring that the minister had been sent with instructions to fun and beg as a boon, at the foot-stool of a foreign power, what we were entitled to as a right ; to aban- don as untenable "pretensions" what bad alway. Leen insisted on as a matter of justice, and to consider our government in error for having "too long re-isted the rights of Great Britain." He ( Mr. C.) would this day, by his vote, say to England, we would never crouch for favors; and to all our ministers, now and forever, that we would condemn every attempt to earry our family divisions beyond our own household. Soon after the Southampton tragedy, in which several familie- in Virginia were massacred by a boly of runaway slaves, many of the citizens of Delaware became suspicious of the blacks. Rumor made him- self exceedingly busy in spreading false alarms, throughout the State, of plots and conspiracies, form- ing and in progress, and soon to break out against the white population. Some appeared in con-tant fear of danger, while most others viewed all such accounts as fabrications of the wicked and designing, or mere chimeras of the brain and wholly without foundation. While the public mind was in the feverish state of excitement, some mischievous per- sons, in ernel sport, laid a plan to bring it to its ut- most height. On the day of the general election in October, 1831, the day on which it had been previously reported the black, were to rise, a number of men assembled together on the banks of the Nanticoke Kiver, just in sight of the town of Seaford. They di- vided into two parties, and one portion of them appeared to be firing on the others, some of whom feil, pretending to be shot; and some ran into the town and reported that the negroes had landed ju-t below, had killed several white men, and were preparing to march through the country for purposes of destruction. Consternation for the moment seized upon all. The fearful ran and hid themselves in the woods, while the stout-hearted flew to arms. 1 messenger was immediately sent to Bridgeville ( where most of the male population had assembled for the purpose of votingi to give the alarm and call home the citizens to the protection of their families. When they received the news, which cost nothing by carrying, party strife, which was raging at the tiure,
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FROM THE TREATY OF GHENT TO 1860.
settled into a calm at once, and there was no more voting or disputing of votes there that day. An express was instantly started for Kent County, who arrived at the nearest election ground just as they had begun to tally out the votes. He informed the people there assembled that fifteen hundred negroes had landed on the Nanticoke from Maryland, and were in full march up the country. Here confusion and dismay took possession of every mind. The business of the election stood still, and one of the derks in his fright ran off with the ballot-box, and could not be found until the alarm had partially sub- sided the next day. It was soon, however, discovered that all the reports were wholly without foundation, and yet the people throughout the two lower counties acted exactly as if they had been strictly true.
Meetings were suddenly called and held in every town aud village. Law was disregarded, and resolu- tion- passed and carried into immediate effect to disarm the free negroes, and prevent their assembling together. All the males capable of carrying arms were classed and numbered, and divided into squads of six or seven, with orders to patrol the streets every night by turns, which was done for several weeks. Without order or authority they rushed into the arsenal, and each man took out a musket and bayonet. Preparations for war were made on a more extensive stale than would have been done had it been reduced to a certainty that a foreign enemy had landed an army at Lewes. During the whole of these pro- ceedings the poor negroes looked on with wonder and amazement. This state of affairs coutinned for a month, when all were satisfied that their alarm had been without cause. However, at the next session of the Legislature a law was pas-ed to disarm the free negroes and mulattoes ; to prevent their holding religious or other meetings unless under the direction of respectable white persons; and forbidding non- resident free negroes to preach or attempt to preach, or hold meetings for such purpose; with several penalties annexed to the breach of the several provis- ions of the law, part of which were, that the offenders should be sold as slaves if unable to pay the fines and costs imposed. The law was never carried strictly iu- to effect, although constantly broken by the blacks.'
In 1831 a bill to abolish imprisonment for debt containing, as it was believed, ample provisions for securing the rights of all parties, was introduced into the House of Representatives of Delaware. It pas-ed that body, but was lost in the Senate by a close vote. At the next annual session the same bill was again passed through the House, and would have passed the Senate, had it not been for the interference of some gentlemen who were not members.
The snow-storm of 1831 is well remembered by some of the oldest citizens. It occurred on a market day. and hundreds of country people were obliged to remain in town for a considerable time. The turn- pikes and public roads were tilled with deep piles of
1 William Huffington's Delcare Requer, pp. 315, 320.
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snow formed by a heavy gale of wind which accom- panied the snow fall. The Keunett Road (now Del- aware Avenue ), Wilmington, was filled with these dritts to the depths of five or six feet, and the snow-shovel brigade was busy for two days removing them. Several farmers, carly in the morning, endeavored to go home on horse-back, and while passing up Pasture Street (now Washington), above Eighth, the horse of one of them fell into a well, and lodged part way down it. The animal was miraculously saved from death by being drawn up with ropes by a number of men and boys, of whom Caleb Miller, now residing on Tatnall Street, Wilmington, was one.
On February 8, 1831, all of the buildings and woodwork in Fort Delaware, excepting the quarters of Major Pierce, were totally destroyed by fire, et- tailing a loss of one hundred thousand dollars. There were several explosions of gunpowder, but no casualties, notwithstanding one hundred and fifty persons were in the fort. The river was full of floating ice, and communication was effectually cut off from the shore at the time. The officers and sol- diers lost nearly all their clothing and effects. The people of Wilmington thought New Castle was again in flames, and sent their fire apparatus to that town before the mistake was discovered. The ladies were taken from the fort the following day to Delaware City in a sloop.
As early as 1820 the subject of changing the judiciary system of the State led to an agitation of the question of a new Constitutional convention. Article X. of the then-existing Constitution (1792) gave authority to the Legislature to propose, by a two-thirds vote of each House, and with the approba- tion of the Governor, amendments to the Constitu- tion, which should be ratified by the succeeding General Assembly before they became laws. It also provided that "no convention shall be called but by the authority of the people; and an unexceptionable mode of making their seuse known will be for them, at a general election of Representatives, to vote also by ballot for or against a convention, as they shall severally choose to do; and if thereupon it shall ap- pear that a majority of all the citizens in the State having right to vote for Representatives have voted for a convention, the General Assembly shall, ac- cordingly, at their next session, call a convention, to consist of at least as many members as there are in both houses of the Legislature, to be chosen in the same manner, at the same places and at the same time that Representatives are, by the citizens enti- tled to vote for Representatives, on due notice given for one month, and to meet within three months after they shall be elected."
In pursuance of this, the General Assembly, on January 16, 1880, passed an act making it the duty of inspectors at the next general election to count the vote "for" and "against" the convention. This was done at the election held on the first Tuesday in October, 1830, and a majority of the votes were found
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
to be for the proposed convention. The General Assembly, thereupon, passed an act providing for the convention to be held at the State-House in Dover, November 8, 1831, and to be composed of ten delegates from each county. The delegates were chosen at the general election in October, 1831, as follows:
New Casile Conuty .- John Elliot, James Rogers, Charles H. Haughey, Willard Hall, Joha Harlan, Thomas Deakyne, William Seal, Thomas W. Handy, George Read. Jr., Jolin Caulk.
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