The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-31

by the Circuit Court Of any county in Al
adjoining circuit
House bill No. 80, 10 allow suits here
tofore cognizable in POcahsntas and
Webster counties, to be brought in UI-
shnr county.
House bill No. 36, authorizing the Gov
ernor to appoint one commissioner for
each of the counties of Morgan, Berkeley
and jefferson, before whom any officer
heretofore or hereafter elected, may quail.
ify.
4 House bill No. 81, respecting the ac-
acknowledgement of deeds and other writ.
iugs, before justices
House bill No. 3s, providing for the
sale of the property of minors in certain
cases
House bill No. SO, to repeal the act pro.
viding for the sppraisement of certain
property.
Engrossed House bill No. Is, providing
for division in the boundary line be,
tween Randolph and Upshur counties,
was taken up, and after considerable
sparring between Mr.. Phares, of Ran.
dolph, aud Mr.. Pinnell, of Upshur, laid
upon the table.
Senate bill No 3. making an appropria-
tion for the payment of money drawn by
the Executive, from the Northwestern
bank OF Virginia and the Merchants and
Mechanics Bank of Wheeling. was pass
ed
House bill No. 25, for the abolishmsnt
of slavery in this State, was taken up.
when Mr.. Lamb offered the following as
substitute
Resolred, by the Legislature, A majority
OF the members elected 10 each branch
agreeing thereto, that the following
amendment be proposed TO the Constitu.
tion of this State:
Strike out the seventh section of Alti-
cle NJ, and insert i'll place thereof
All persons held TO service OF labor as
slaves il this State are hereby declared
free; and there shall be neither slavery
nor involuntary seryitudo in this State,
except in punishment for crime whereof
! the party shall have been duly convicted
Mr.. Lamb said he had taken an oath
to support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution of West Viz
ginia, and under that oath he did not
think he could conscientiously vote for
the original bill The only way we could
constitutionally dOaway with the institn.
tion of slavery would be TO amend the
Constitution If Congress had given us
our original Constitution, we would have
been left free TO amend the slavery clause
to sTit ourselves. We need not fear the
issue; the institution of slavery never
could and never would exist in West Vir
ginia; in the last Presidential contest Ina
the State, Mr.. Lincoln had majority
does any one suppose that this majority
would vote for slavery Congress would
soon pass an amendment to the Federal
Constitution which would regulate tho
matter, if we took no action at all.
Mr.. Ferguson, said he too bad taken
the oaths spoken of, but he could and
would vste for the original resolution
The Constitution did not prevent our
passing this resolution. Ii we adopt the
substitute of Mr.. Lamb, il would have Ia
come up before the next Legislature,
and then The peopie would have 10 vote
upon it. This would delay the question
for at least year BY some extra eKer-
tion on the part of those opposed 10 tho
measure, a majority of the next Lcgisla
ture might be elected to vote against
the bill aud in favor of slavery WedO not
the people. Since the organizati on of the
State Of West Virginia, we have not had
full vote in any of our counties; there
are rebels and sympathizers enough la
almost every county in the State To car
~ the elections against the Union ticket
II the war was over In year, aud the
rebels in the rebel army were permitted
| 10 return and vote. nine-teDtbs of them
would oppose the amendment, aud u
would be defeated, Even In Ohio cOun.
| ty il would take but few Of the returned
| rebels 10 throw the majority against thu
Union men and the amendmom Wa
| had the constitutional right aud the
power and he hoped the resolution would
be passed Immediately There wns no
use of waiting for the amsndme ent 10 bs
| made TO the Constitution of the United
States In all probability il would not
be passed for several years
Messrs Riddle, galloway aud Adams
spoke in favor Of the position of Nj
Ferguson, when Mr. MGrew moved 10
| lay the resolution and substitute upon
the table and print
Mr Lamb moved to make IL the spec.
ial order for Wednesday morning at ~
o'clock
Mr. Cbapline, Of Jefferson County, Va,
opposed 10 the motion, and thought II
was strange that here, in tho loyal House
of Delegates of West Virginia, no mo
ton looking to the abolishmsnt Of slave.
ry or the disfranehisemen Of rebels
could come mp without "A disposition be.
ing manifested to delay action and pro
badly defer it until the end of the seS-
sion. In his county, by the Presidents
proclamation OF 1863, the negroes were
all free, and he was opposed to the loyal
men of Jefferson blacking their own
boots, while the cOppsrhsads Of Ohio
| county had their negroes 10 do it. He
hoped the motion would be rejected, the
substitute defeated, and the original re5O
luton adopted.
Mr.. McGrew was opposed TO the idea
of Juggling into the House questions of
loyalty. He hoped every member was a
loyal man As for himself, he was a.
loyal as the gentleman from Jefferson
dare be, and had gone through school
in which that gentleman never could
have graduated His only idea Of laying
the resolution on the table and print was
to afford members an opportunity 10 read
aud understand the substitute.
Mr.. Chapline made an explanation, sta
ting that &c did not wish 10 impugn tho
loyalty Of any man III the House.
The House, by vote Of - noes To u
ayes, refused TO lay the resolution upon