Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-03

! you twice he is not willing te trust you p
[Cries of "no! no! neverw
Mr.. Porter followed, and when he had
concluded, calls were made for Governor
Peirpoint, who in response to them took
the stand
GOV. rEIRPorNT's srEEcu.
He began by saying that from his carly
youth he had been led to observe the op-
pressions inflicted by eastern legislation
upon Western Virginia, and sge aud expe-
rience had only added to bis Knowledge
and strengthened his convictions, He spoke
of the early history of the West, and traced
its gradual increase from colonial depend
ence on the East up TO the Conventions Of
1880, aud thence to that of 1850, .Whsn it
was discovered that the West had an actual
numerical majority Of. ll5, 900 white inbab-
itants. The great intellects of WeSterp Vir-
ginin, such rs Phillip Doddridgc, were in
the Convention of 1880; but with all their
efforts and threats of dividing, they were
able to get nothing but a slight enlarge
ment of western representation; but to eff
feet this the Convention divided the
State into four districts, the Tide Water,
Piedmont, Valley, and Allegany, aud
apportioned the delegates so that the
| ).
ton of 1850 the West began to feel bold,
but they did not knew their strength and
adjourned to await the returns of the cen
sus. The census showed that West of the
| Blue Ridge there were 5000 majority of
white population of the State. The West
ern delegates in the Convention then de-
elGred they would have equal representa-.
tion on the white basis. Going on the
principle that one white man at least was
as good as another. The struggle was loug
but all they would give us at last was to
divide the State again into these four dis
tricts, and give the popular branch of the
Legislative representation on the white
basis (Which gave US ten majority,) but
they reserved their power in the Senate
There they gave the Tide-water and Pied
mont district 80 representatives and assign
ed 20 to the whole West, which had Is, 900
majority of the white population. We are
living under that law and inequality to-
day, or practically up to the time of this
rebellion, aud when the rebellion is put
down, and we remain attached to the East
we go back again under that Constitution
and that inequality. Not only that injus-
tice but others. They required exemption
from taxation for all negroes under II
years of age, and all other property taxed
dd Uqiorem. Our State debt was then about
Sl2 ,OOO, 900, but Immediately upon theil
getting that advantage to want into sys-
TEN of legislation which in ten years rails
ed that debt from $I2 100000 to S45 900,
900, for building railroads in the other part
of the State, but never appropristing dol.
lar for such purposes west of the mountains
!, Before the war the State was wealthy anG
able to pay such debt, but now
all its wealth in the East and valley had
/ Il l.
. nothing left to tax. Then if peace was re
stored tomorrow and found US still con
nected with the East, this portion of tn
( State north of the Little KnnGwhA embra
cling nearly two congressional districts, uu
! touched by the war, the wealthiest portion
: of the new State, worth some hundreds o
millions of dollars, and capable of psyiul
/ a large amount of taxes, would have al
, enormous burthen of taxation to bear
J He would like to see man in the North
/ west wh0 under such circumstances wanted
to go back to Eastern Virginia In East
ern Virginia they have issued about $50,
100000 of scrip for war debt, receiyabl
i at Richmond in payment of taxes.
peace were declared tomorrow and the re
organized Government spread all over tn
E State, how would it be? Suppose the Leg
/ islature should refuse to meet that debt,
is the only kind of money the people of TIL
r Valley and East have got. They offer itf
3 payment of taxes, and have no other kin
t to offer What are you going to do?
yon refuse to receive it and assume the det
: creating it, the very next Legislature wi
be elected on that issue, and will be elect
ed expressly to. do what you have refuse
!. to do; for they will have the preponderauc
e and can do ii in spite ofsyou. To that det
!. ian additional debt of 100000, 900, vi
g be put right on you at once, if the rebel
S lion were to conclude tomorrow aud "
: go back to Richmond. There is a debt {
$65, ,o0O, ,o00, which the East in her impoy
t erished condition cannot pay, and Whic
e must be taken from the comparatively pro!
vi ago Jim Stevenson of Taylor county, reI
! resentative in Richmond, had ANNOUNCE