Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-21
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
Twenty-Firat Day.

THURSDAY, Dec. 90. 1861.
The Convention was opened with prayer
by Rev Mr. IVES, member of the House OF
D lrgntcs from Welzrl.
Mr.. STEVENSON, OF Wood, offered the fol-
lowing:
ResolUed, That during this session of the
Convention. the compensation allowed door
keepers tor their services shall be TWO dol
lars each per day.
Mr.. STEVENSON explained that the Proris-
ion made II few days ago for the pay of the
"tficers, contemplated paying the allowance
made hy the June Convention, which al
lowed door keepers two dollars per dry,
but he had been informed that during the
sitting in August, the p ~ of door keepers
had been increased to three dollars. 1t was
to avoid any msconstruction that he offer
ed the resolution.
The resolution was adopted.
Mr.. BROWN, of Kanawhn, submitted the
| report of the Judiciary Committee which,us
usual, was ordered TO be printed.
The consideration of the report of the
Commute on the Legislative Department
was resumed.
The question occurred on striking out
from the second paragraph of the 18th sec
ton which is as follows:
Nor shall any person holding an Office
OF prOlG uDuSE luiS ESLllf@ VI hhS Oh'tSN
St ties any minister or priest of rrlig-
ious denomination any snlnried officer of
a banking corporation or company; or any
attorney tor the state, be member of Ell
ther branch of the Legislature"
The words amy saIaried officer of bank
ing corporation or company
I This mutiuu, which hId been male the
previous evening by Mr.. Van Wrinkle. led
to Il warm debate that occupied the whole
| forenoon.
! Mr. BArTELLE first addressed the Con-
vention i'll favor of striking out the Prohi-
btion. He duubted the power of the Con-
vention, or of the people themselves, for
whom it acted, to say summarily that any
citizen entitled to the right of suffrage
should not be elected to any position that
the people mightr..if they saw proper, elect
him TO.
MIR. BRowN of Kanawha, replied. He
! said that banking institutions were granted
especial privileges under legislative enhct-
ment. They held the controlling power of
every country in their vaults. They were
always seeking legislation to secure them
further privileges, and it their paid officers
| were allowed to participate in the State
I legislation, they were almost sure to league
! together to legslnte for their own exclu-
| sive interests, aud thus becume great and
! oppressive monopoly.
| Mr.. VAN WINKLE succeeded. He char
acterized the policy of Mr., Brown as old
fogyish. The class alluded TO in the sec.
! ton were conceded to be among the most
worthy in the State, and it would require
some very stringent aud extraordinary rea-
, sons to induce him to vote for excluding
them from the common privileges of other
citizens. Should they in any case leRiSlate
corruptly, they would have to answer for il
as all other officials elected by the people
did, aud this was really the only guarantee
! in any case for correct legislation. This
proposition to exclude bank officers from
any participation, was relict of the policy
| that had always prevailed at Richmond, Of
breaking down The banks in this part of the
State, and which was really dictated by
tue banking interests of the east. 1t had
served in time past only to cover up their
own designs of conc. ntrhIinR all the bank
ing power in Richmond, Aud as for til"
danger of corruption. it was more i'm 'Kin-
arg thnn real Suppose every bank IN the
new State should be able to serure the
election of one OF its ealaried officers, Ia
lhIng that could hardly happen by any
poeUbility,) the number would moi he OV"t
dUEtn. Tbey could effect nothing By
mere Dunbsrs aud If their MONEY was TO
DO Il, II would be bribery, and be didn't
believe that Ia any casa they might choose