The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-06
The Capital Que.tion.

The Capital Quc-iion.
The Capital question will DO eoasid-
cred by the Legislature to-day. Among
the arguments urged for a speedy loca-
,;on of the seat of Government will be
the general wish for settlement OF
this ve1ed question, the impropriety
Of carrying on State Government
without a permanent location therefor,
the development Of important resources
and the consequent prosperity that
wonld folIow.aud the legislative bar-
mopy that will snsue from the with
drawal of this subject from legislative
discussion.
Giving these and kindred arguments
their full force, we cannot believe that
,r. memorial from the citizens of Wheel
;rg presented 10 the Legislature on
yesterday aud printed in this paper to-
6av sbould be passed over without tue
oaImsst consideration. That memorial
pronoses to relieve the State OF the i'm
n,anss exp.nse necessary to erect Capt.
tol buildings and to furnish, free of
charge. for ten years, all the offices and
hall, required 10y the State Govern
ment.
As a mea~ure of economy, the adop-
riru of thi, proposition would be sue
rrssfnl. Would il not also he popular !
TIL. people of this State are already
burdened with taxation almost beyond
endurance. The public buildings, such
as the Penitentiary and Asylum, now
in process of erection, viii entail at
least as much additional expense as the
people will cheerfnlly bear. The as
sumption 10y West Virginia of heT por-
tion of the debt of Virginia cannot be
avoided, and such provision as must be
made 10 pay the interest oil that portion
will tax our resources severely. In
view of these facts, and of the memo
rial proposition, will the people not be
satisfied with the adoption OF that prop
osition A. financial dtsideTatHm, If
not as financial necessity, We believe
that such adaptiOs would receive pOpu-
lar sanction.
1t is more than possible that the de-
maud for u permanent location of the
State Government comes more from
parties directly interested than from
the State at large. 1t is not the fact of
location, so much az the location at this
or that poi 1t, which is demanded. We
submit that the point which may seem
most desirable to-day, may not, when
tho State is opened up aud thickly pOpu-
lated, be iound 81 suitable. Further
more, it is impossible tn say to-day that
any point now named will answer the
wants of the future better even than
some locality now unnamed and
scarcely dreamed of. \ permanent To-
cation at this time must be, at least,
hazardous, with the chances against
its being funud suitable in all respects
ten years heHcr.
To a'oid this leap in the dark, to
leave the State free to make judicious
selection when such selection shall be
possible, and TO relieve the people for
the present from additional and unnec-
essary taxation, it strikes us that an ac-
ceptance of the proposal of our citizens
would be emineutly proper.
So far as We eau learn, this city has not
been regarded az very inaccessible, by
those who are called to the State Cap
ital from year to year. 1t is the busi-
ness centre of the State. It's lines of
travel by river and rail, make it far
more convenient to many counties than
would be a location at or near the
Sta .e's centre, and its facilities for ac-
commodatiOn and for communication
with other parts of the cOuHtry, give it,
for the present at least, decided ad
vantage over any competing point.
We presume there will he no question
as to the purpose of our citizens to car
ry out their proposition promptly and
in good faith. The city would, Doubt
less, join in the enterprise. With her CO.
operation, the project would be speedily
carried forward to completion. The site
OF the present City Buildings would af-
ford an admirable location for the pro-
posed structure. Upon it could be erect
ed building that would contain apart
ments for the various State
offices, Halls for the Senate and House
Of Delegates, as we'll as Council Cham
bers, and offices for the City Govern
mcnt. The interests of both city and
State would be advanced by the pro-
posed enterprise, and if Onr Legislators
will give the subject an impartial con-
sIderation We have reason to hope that
they will also yiy. /, their sanction