The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-21

mia, and it had always been n griev.
ance that they were compelled to pay
tax at all where the stream runs
from our State into another and came
into our State again below the Penn
sylvania line. That tax was some
where about two dollars and q
half on the thousand, and was
lnl the aggregate a very large item
Besides the lumbefmen were greatly
retarded by the slackwater. and de.
rived no advantages from il whatever.
The difference in time of running a raft
was about as three weeks to one. II
was true the tax at single dam was
not much. H was sorry to oppose the
Improvement, but his people complain
ed that it was oppressive and wrong to
tax their lumber in passing through
any of these locks.
Mr.. Wheat said if the amendment
carried, it would defeat the object OF
the bill. The present charter was as
advantageous as this would be with the
amendment incorporated.
MIR. LlShtburn said the present lum-
Der market for the West Fork Valley
is at Brownsville, and will be till the
Improvement is completed. Then il
VIII be at FairmOnt. But, until it was
completed, his people would have to
seek a market at Brownsville, and
whatever additional tolls they would
have to pay in reaching that market,
would be an unjust imposition. The
object of the amendment was that until
the market was brought to Fairmont
by the completion of the work, the peo-
pie above that point should have the
advantage ofthe Monongahela markets.
Mr.. Ferguson said the Monongahela
Company had made the
Pennsylvania improvement on the
lower Monongahela and its locks
and dams nlFaaHU ThrnEry ha
slack water within twelve miles OF
Morgantown, and one more lock and
dam would bring it to that town. How
many more would bring it to Marion
county he did not know. In his own
county they had the Guyandotte nayi-
CATION company in operation before the
war, their improvement extending
from the mouth of Guyandotte to Lo-
gan c. 81. The charter OF that COM
pany provided, just as this does, that
whenever lock and dam were COM
pleted the company should charge toll
for everything passing through it. His
people never objected, but paid the tolls
furnished by the improvement, The
Monongahela navigation company
charge reasonable tolls, and this bill
provides that this company shall not
charge any greater. The question is
shall the people of Morgautown
and Monongalia county, if they have
enough TO expend their
money in completing an Improvement
to Fairmont, be denied the same privil-
eges the company below them has
whether they shall invest their money
for nothing, while the other had a
profit? If they expended their money
in an Improvement that enhanced
the value oftheproperty, and increased
the revenues of the State, he thought
fhaU GhnIll1 ha nllnpraH a
alton in the way of toll. He assured
the gentlemen opposed to the improve
ment that when they put all together,
their constituents would not seriously
suffer.
Mr.. Wheat said that Stacking the
river TO Morgantown would bring the
boat building business to that point,
and the gentlemen could sell their
lumber there without going through
the lock. If completed to FairmOnt,
boats would be built there, and the
market would be still nearer.
Mr.. Hoffman remarked that, as the
present lumber market was ut Browns
vile. the completion of a single dam,
stacking the river to MorgantOwn,
would bring the market up to that
point aud save the lumbermen some
sixty miles distance.
Mr.. Fleming moved to strike out of
Mr.. Beeson's amendment the words
until all the locks are completed and
in running order to the town of Fair
mont" the effect OF which was to pro-
hibit the collection of tolls altogether
on lumber going down the river from
any point above slackwater.
Mr.. Beeson said his constituents were
not opposed to Stacking the Monon-
gahela, but were anxious for it, and
they will do all in their power to secure
it. But in the meantime they wanted
their timber interests protected.
Mr.. Fleming said it had long been a
question whether Pennsylvania could
enact law requiring the people of
West Virginia to pay tolls on lumber
that started out of this State, passed
through Pennsylvania and came again
into West Virginia, in stream that
belonged to her. He thought the right
to do so would yet be tested.
Mr.. Fleming's amendment to Mr..
Beeson's amendment was rejected as
was also, in turn, Mr.. Beeson's amend
ment, and the bill was ordered to be
engrossed.
The bill to repeal the usury laws was
taken up for second reading, but Mr..
Lamb, by whom ii was drawn, being
absent, it WAS laid on the table upon
suggestion of Mr.. Ferguson.
The bill Staying collection of debts,
due citizens of Virginia, was taken up
for second reading, and referred to the
The bill to regulate the distribution
of the school fund in Kanawha county,
W as read first time and ordered to sec
ond reading. 1t appears that in cOnse-
quence of defective returns of enroll
meut from that county, the apportion-
ment made in 1865 was but partial. This
bill directs that in making the appor-
tionment next April, this deficiency
shall be made up.
a maSSapn from tho
ted joint resolution, passed by that
body, providing tor the printing of q We
thousand copies of the opinions render
ed by the Supreme Court of Appeals, of
this Slate. on the attorneys test oath.
The following resolutions of inquiry
were offered and adopted:
By Mr. BickeI: Directing the Com
mittee on Education to inquire into the
of enacting a special school
law for the school district of Wheeling
the townships of Washing
ton, Madison, Clay, Union, Centre and
Webster, in the county of Ohio.
By Mr.. Hiser: Instructing the Com
mittee on Roads to inquire into the ex-
pediency OF fapPropriaIing 81 500 for the
purpose of rebuilding a bridge across
the South Branch, in Pendleton county,
on the South Branch Turnpike.
By Mr.. Marshman: Instructing the
Committee on Education to inquire
ihtO the eApeulency OF changing the
school law, that all of it's officers, coun-
ty, township and district, shall enter
on their duties at the beginning of each
scholastic year.
BY Mr. Cracraft: Instructing the Ju-
dietary Commitlee to inquire into the
expediency of so changing the law of
evidence in this State, as To allow par
ties interested, to testify in civil causes.
By Mr.. Neel: Instructing the Com
mittee on Roads. DC, to inquire into
the exPediency of legalizing the ASSESS
ment of taxes in Monroe county, for
the years 80 and '66, and providing for
their cnllacfinn