The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-28

Z WIN COnVeulGuCtS bS
Bnckhannon. He thought the Capital
should be near the centre of the State,
aho that II the iron horse could be in
tIouuced up there, il would increase
Ine VsIne OF lands fully as much as
SIateu py the gentleman from Upshur.
IeOPeu tue Ihemoers would remem Der
his county in voting. ~
GEN. GoFF's SPEECH IN REHALF OF
OLARKsBURG.
Gen. Con said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: I move that the
first blank in House bill No. 8, be NIL.
ed by inserting the name of Clarks-
burg, in the county of Harrison
imagine Mr.. Chairman, 1t will not
be necessary for me or any one else to
deScant for any length of time upon the
natural resources and facilities of the
town of Clarksburg. Unlike other
places that have been placed in nomin-
alton here to-day, we had no brilliant
"orator" during the last eight months
to advocate our claims, nor anyI''poet, /"
in strains OF fancy to picture the many,
the exceedingly many, reasons, why
the Capital should be located in our
midst. We need, sir, to-day no such
introduction to the assembled wisdom
of the State of West Virginia. Clarks-
burg has for years been known, and is
now, as one of the most important,
wealthy and accessible of our inland
towns. 1t has been known for the past
year that the town of Clarksburg would
be placed in nomination before this
body as a candidate for this much cher
ished boon. In coming then before
you to-day, 1 advocate no new propo-
sition. have no lengthy speech to
| make. have simply to say that the
people of the county of Harrison and of
the town of Clarksburg say now as
they told this body one year since, that
hnliaCR tho fNaFNfNO1 f,F
should be located with us-not to bene-
! tit the people of the town OF Clarks-
burg or advantage the citizens of the
county OF Harrison; but because the
entire people of the State would be ben
ehtted, and because it is the point at
which the great majority of the people
OF the State can most conveniently as
semble. We come Offering the State no
one hundred thousand dollars. We saw,
locate the capital in our midst, and we
Will save you in a half dozen years.
i've hundred thousand. And, sir,
make the statement not without data
by which to prove il.
We have heard here to-day that there
are various points eminently worthy of
the location of the State capital. We
have nothing to say to the contrary.
They are eIninently worthy of the
honor. We offer no detraction from
the claims set up; but we think we have
should be the permanent seat of gov
ernment.
1 maintain, Mr.. Chairman, contrary
to the representations you have heard
here this morning, that the town of
Clarksburg, in the county of Harrison,
is more accessible to four-fifths of the
people of this State than any other
point which can be mentioned. We
were told here this morning that "A large
majority of the people of this State
lived South of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, and that if the capital were
located at point south of that road,
four-htths of the people of this State
could more conveniently reach that
capital. ! propose for one moment to
consider this matter. In the first place
l propose to glance at the vote cast at
the election on the fourth Thursday of
October last, and TO show that four
fifths of the persons casting votes on
that day, If the capital be located at the
point indicated south of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, would have 10
pass through Clarksburg TO reach
that capital. II this proposition
can be established-and will take the
very vote counted by this honorable
point. 1 want to know why the people
of the State should pass through
Clarksburg to an inaccessible region
beyond TO find point for the State
Capital? II this vast majority of voters
will be compelled TO pass through this
point, ! do maintain that there is
where they should stop.
We find, then, 10 begin, Mr.. Chair
man, the counties of Berkely, Brooke,
Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer,
Grant, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy,
Harrison, jackson, Jefferson Knnawha,
Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason Min
eral Monongalia, Marshall, Ohio, PEN
HalfDn Preston PntnaTn Pitrb;a
Roaue, Taylor, Wayne, Wetzel, and
Writ would have to pass through the
town of Clarksburg to reach the chosen
spot, if this capital be located at the
pointInentioned lying south of the b.
& o. r. r. and IL the policy advocated
by this gentleman should finally sue
ceed. The total vote for Governor was
40, 4SS. The counties have mentioned
cost a total vote of 95,Sl6 this "large
majority" to the south of tie railroad
Notwithstanding. If any gentleman
doubts this, ask that he refer TO the
report and orders of this House-de-
clared but day before yesterday. In
those counties we have 80, ,Sl6 votes /;
and that taken from the total number
leaves 4, ,622. If this Capital should be
located at the point mentioned this
morning, i say these thirty five thous-
and voters would have to pass through
Clarksburg to get 10 the Capital.
We have also been told that these
points are rich in mineral resources,
coal, iron and salt. i maintain and
refer to the Auditors report of 1860, to
prove, that if there Is any cOuutyiin the
State entitled 10 be distinguished in this
particular, 1t is Harrison, the county
seat of which is ClRrksburg. We have
the finest coal in the United States, de-
clared SO by analysis at the Manhattan
gas works of New York, and inex-
haustible beds of it. We have iron and
salt works. But, sir, what do all these
avail They are eminently entitled to
be taken into consideration in making
a permanent location of the capital,
but, at the same time, what do these
long harangues about opening up
markets amount to? Suppose these
railroads are built, from Pennsylvania
down to the southwestern line. Sup
pose this remarkable railroad, the bill
for which was introduced yesterday,
should be located, how many bushels
of the coal through which these rail-
roads will pass will ever see marketf
We have now on the line of the
northwestern branch of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad the finest coal mines
in the United States. How much of
that coal is carried 70 market. IfLnines
on this main road cannot TODAY afford
to send coal 10 the eastern or river mar
kets. want to know by what logic or
rgIment this House can be led to be-
lieve that mines situated one hundred
miles back in the interior would, il a
route be opened, be BILE to compete
with other mines nearer the markets.
Why the mines at Clarksburg and Fair
mont and other mines scattered along
the line OF that road, have not demand
suthclent TO employ more than twenty,
thirty, or forty men, because other
lines, with which these very roads II