The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-03
HOUSE.


this session of the Legislature be cx
tended with view OF taking a recess
to convene again sometime in May ol
June and asking that a joint committee
of three from the House and two from
the Senate be appointed to agree upon
the time for the convening of the ad
MIR. FERGUSON, of Cabell, GOFF
and PARKER were appointed on this
committee.
The Capital question came up and OF
motion of Mr.. FERGUSON, from Cabell
was tabled. -
Senate bill 81, amending aud re-
enacting section three and five of chap
ter l22 of the code of 1860. Passed.
A bill to allow the Merchants Bank
of Charleston to become Bank of de-
posit for public money. Passed.
/ On motion Of Mr.. POPE, House bill
l37 was taken from the table. This
bill authorized Robert White to prac-
tice law without taking the attorneys
test oath. 1t was engrossed.
Mr.. NEWLIN asked the House to
take mp the bill for the relief of j. w.
Davis. of Greenbrier county, and allow
him to practice law without taking the
test oath.
Mr.. HAGAR offered an amendment to
repeal the law requiring at o:neys to
take the test oath.
Mr.. MANN moved to table the amend
ment-lost.
The vote was then taken on the
amendment-yeas 10; nays 81.
20 ii "a u
pone the bill-esrried.
House bill No. l22 was taken up-a
bill concerning insurance companies.
Mr.. PARKER moved to table the bill
Lost.
The bill was read the third time.
Mr.. FERGUSON, ,ofCabell, argued as we
had no law at this time to make lnsur-
ance companies pay taxes he hoped this
bill would pass.
Mr.. BLAIR favored its passage with a
few remarks.
Mr.. SMITH thought the bill should be
amended so a. 10 favor our home COM
panies. Bill passed.
Mr.. BENDER moved 20 take up House
bill No. 125, bill amending the eX-
emption law so as not to apply To men
who fail to work on the roads.
Mr.. FLEMING, of Harrison, opposed
the bill, and thought this law would in
many Instances take the last dollar
from the pockets of the poor men.
Mr.. FERGUSON, of Cabell, favored
the bill, and said many men would re-
fuse to work and then laugh at the
road surveyors.
Mr.. NEWLIN thought we should COM
pell the poor as well as the rich men
to work the reads. He thought about
all many meu in this State wanted, was
to have law ordering the distribution
of peck of corn meal to them occasion
ally.
Mr.. JACOBS thought we should IA
vor the the poor in this as well as all
other laws.
Mr.. NEWLIN read from the law and
further advocated the passage OF this
bill.
Mr.. BENDER favOred the passage OF
the bill.
Mr.. STEERE took the same position
that Mr.. FLEMING, of Harrison did,
aud opposed the bill.
Mr.. HAGAR favored the passage OF
the bill
Mr.. BOGGESS moved the previous
question.
The vote was then taken. Yeas 33,
nays 20.
The committee on Enrolled Bills made
their report, which was adopted.
Mr.. STEERE, chairman OF the Penl-
tentiary committe made his report,
which was read
Mr.. CHASE made q minority report
upon the same. Both reports are gwen
elsewhere.
Mr.. STEERE'S remarks in opposition
to Mr.. CHASE'S minority report were
about as follows: hope the House will
pay particular attention to this minor
ity report, coming as it does from one
who has done all he cOald against an
investigation. This report declares the
books and papers of the penitentiary
have not been investigated, but as
sure this House that spent two hours
looking at them and found no frauds
therein. | also examined the peniten-
tiary walls and loose stone theresboats,
and found that the work done did cor
respond with the amount of money ex-
pended. The committee could not get
the zen ntleman from Putnam to 90 with
them into q thorough Investigation oi
the work. .. $1,000
Mr.. CHASE'S reply was about as fol.
lows: The gentleman from Peasants
has stated several facts which are not
true. No gentleman on thescommittee
did more than myself towards a
thorough investigation of these peni'
tentiary frauds. was always ready
and anxious 10 ferret them out. went
with portion of the COMMITTEES and
did examine the stone, books, workman
ship, kitchen, shoe shop, and every
other nook and corner in and about the
building. / did not get my dinner
among the directors, but went to the
hotel and paid for it. a. % -. - e. --
l am the only one in a committee OF
ten who has brought q single witness
before them, with "a view OF mvestiga-
ting this matter.
i claim to have had fifteen or twenty
witnesses brought before them, and not
without some effect, for l have proven
enough to show that all is not right and
if each member of that committee had
used the same industry that did, we
would be able to report much more
fully than we are now able to do.
say here before this House, knowing
full well what say, that the testimony
already ELECTED shows incompetency
and fraud and a further Investigation
will develope more startling facts in re-
gard to the losses of the public money
in this penitentiary affair.
Mr.. NEWLINmoved to table both re-
ports and print the testimony which
was brought before them. Carried.
House bill 46, in regard to Mononga-
hela Valley Railroad Company was read
q second time and amended so as to
pass Morgantown, and the bill was
otherwise amended and engrossed.
House bill las, in regard to Furnishing