The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-16

West Virginia in regard to this PROPOSE
tion cannot be misunderstood and, in
| my judgment, the members of the legis.
lature in rehecting that will, as well as in
pursuing their own convictions and incli.
nations, willpromptly reject it in the mosr
unequivocal and decided terms, and, in
order to put an end to this matter, declare
that it is the settled purpose of our peo.
pie that West Virginia shall maintain a
separate State existence.
The progress of the work on the Hos.
pltal for the Insane, at Weston, will ap-
pear from the report of the board of di-
rectors and other officers. This board is
composed of gentlemen of integrity and
ethclency, who take great interest in the
institution, and under whose control the
work is proceeding with reasonable econ.
omy and with as little delay as practica-
BILE. The directors confidently expect
that against June next they will have room
for one hundred additional patients; and
this will be accomplished with the appro-
priation already made. But it also ap-
pears from the report that there are now
pending more than eighty applications
for the admission of patients, who are
still waiting for want of room for their
accommodation. 1t is not probable that
this number will decrease so that, when
6SSOAnlOuAllOlS are PROVIDED fOr these,
there will still be no provision for the
one hundred of this unfortunate class of
our people who are yet in the asylums of
Virginia l therefore, feel it my duty to
recommend a liberal appropriation for
the purpose of proceeding as rapidly us
possible with the construction of the ILL
stitution. l may add, that, in estimating
for the support of the insane, it will be
necessary TO make provision for those re-
naming in the asylums in Virginia.
The report of the Board of Military
Claims is herewith communicated. It
will be seen that the Board reports in fa-
vor of claims amounting to S55,076 10,
IN addition to the amounts reported in
former years. The report is before you
for your consideration; and if you are of
the opinion that the claims should be paid
and it seems to me they are of equal
merit with a large majority heretofore
paid-it will be necessary to provide the
means for that purpose.
The reports of the Adjutant General
and Quarter Master General exhibit the
business appertaining to their respective
offices that has been transacted during
the year. commend them to your CON
sideratiOn. From the former it may be
seen that in May last the 9th Regiment of
West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry was
mustered out of the United States SER
vice. This was the only regiment from
our State that remained in the service af-
ter August, 1865: and this one would, no
doubt, have been mustered out with the
others had it not been brigaded with
troops from other States that were order
ed West of the Mississippi for duty. 1
made every effort of which 1 was capable
to prevent it from being taken West, and
to secure its discharge with the others
but my efforts were unsuccessful, and the
regiment was held in the service, doing
duty on the plains and in the mountains
of the West, until the time mentioned
above.
In September last, Brigadier General
Francis p. Peirpoint, who had occupied
the office of Adjutant General of this
State from its organization, and perform
ed its important and arduous duties with
an ability aud efficiency unsurpassed by
any officer in like position anywhere in
the country, resigned that office, and it
became my duty to fill the vacancy thus
created. Under the law of Virginia the
Adjutant General was, er o1iciO, Quarter
Master General, also, and performed the
duties of both Offices; but in the progress
of the late war it became apparent that
the duties of the two offices were so di-
verse and, during active hostilities, so
onerous, that they could not be, convent
emily and satisfactorily, performed by the
same person; and, in order that there
might be more efficiency in both depart
ments, a law was passed separating them,
and making the office of Quarter Master
General independent On the passage of
this law, Col. George W. Brown was ap-
pointed Quarter Master General, and
from that time to the present he has per
formed the duties of that office most ably
and efficiently. The labor and RESPONSE
bility of both offices-and especially of
the Office of Quarter Master General
having become much lighter since the
close of the war, l determined, on the
resignation of Adjutant General Peir-
point, to devolve the duties of both of.
fees on one person, with the salary of
Adjutant General only, until the Legisla-
ture should have an opportunity of con-
sidering the propriety of again making
the Adjutaut General er oDiciO Quarter
Master General, and thereby, not only
reduce the number of incumbents of of
fee, but also save to the Treasury the
amount of one of the salaries. In the
meantime, Col. George w. Brown has
been appointed to fill the vacancy in the
office of Adjutant General, and has per
formed the duties of that office as well as
those appertaining to the office of Quar-
ter-&aster General. And I now submit
the recommendation that the law
be so amended as to make the Adjutant
General er 06fcio Quarter Master General
of the State.
call your attention to that portion of
the Adjutant Generals report in which he
speaks of the disorganized condition of
the militia in a considerable portion of
the State, and of the inefficiency of the
present militia system of the State. This
system has been regarded for years, by
many, as wholly without benefit, and the
truth of this impression has been con-
frmed and rendered the more palpable
by the experience of the late war i, and
when thai portion of the law providing
for musters is enforced, it not only in
wolves a waste of time, but imposes a
great burden. 1t seems to me that all
that is needed in time of peace is to know
the strength of the militia, and this can
be sufficiently approximated by requiring
the county assessors to return the names
of all persons in each township liable to
military duty. But if it is not deemed
proper TO go so far, l think the Legisla-
ture should at least relieve the people
from the necessity of spending their time
and money IN attending Improbable mus
tiers.
a resolution was adopted by the last
Legislature directing THAT the Governor
procure, or cause to be procured, suitable
medals, as tokens of respect for the Off
GERS and. soldiers of West Virginia who
served during the rebellion in the service
of the United States, &C. Bymy direc-
-. !