The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-02-05
lIOUsE OF DELEGATES.


Prayer by the Rev. Jonathan Row
ley, OF the Baptist Church.
Mr.. Heermans offered resolution
inStructing the Committee on Arts,
Sciences and General improvements to
enquire into the eXpediency of pro-
tectinE birds, which was agreed TO.
Mr.. Gibson, of Preston, presented
petition signed by VIM. Ii. Glover and
forty.one other citizens of Preston
county, asking for the incorporation of
the town of Portland. Referred to the
Committee on Counties, Townships and
Municipal Corporations.
MIR, HOwes, under leave. introduced
House Bill No. AZ, "EXtending the time
for the treasurer elect of Cove town
ship, i'll Barbour county, TO qualify and
file his official bond"
Mr.. Allison, under leave, introduced
House Bill No. 43, Incorporating the
| Holidays Cove Presbyterian Church" :"
MIR. Duffy, under leave, introduced
| House Bill No. Al, "1Ixtending the time
| Tor the county and township officers in
the counties OF Hardy and Grant to file
| their official bonds"
The House proceeded 10 consider the
"Bill permanently locating the seat Of
government of this State" and on mo-
| ton of Mr.. IIervey resolved itself into
| Committee OF the Whole on that SUD
| ect:
MIR. Martin addressed the Committee
as follows:
MIR. CHAIRMAN: The question as to
where the Seat of Government should
| be located, is one which has for long
| time been agitatinS the minds of the
| peOple of this State, and is question
| which should be determined by this
BODY as soon as possible. 1t Is the cause
| of much expense, from the fact that
| much time is taken up at every session
| in legisIating on the question. 1t fought
to be decided, and to be declueu at once
| Governor BOreman in his message re-
commends that the capital ought TO be
| located, and the public buildings erect
p6. That point being settled, then, that
| the work ought to be done, the next
| question that naturally arises Is, Where
would it best serve the interests OF the
| whole State? The natural conclusion
wOnld seem TO be that it should be in a
central position, that is, in place
where ali the people, as far as possible,
would have the same advantages IN
travelling to and from the capital OF
their State. When l say central, 90
not mean the center of population, or
commercial center, because tnat may
change-and what might be the center
Of population to-day, might De very
| far from it five or ten years hence
| Rut. sir, mean the geographical CEN
ire OF the State, where 1t Will oe OF
equal importance to the dlherent Sec
| tlons of our young commonwealth:
| do mi mean that the Capital should be
| ot,,cIr down in the centre OF the State,
| however, without regard to anything
| else. We should have an eye to the Ia
cilities of the location. It shoulu nave
some means OF accessibility to ana
| from 1t, either by water navigation or
by railroad. 1t ought, II posslole' 10
| be located on some navigable stream
for that will have much 10 90 WIN
making it place of wealth, OF note'
and OF interest, at home and abroad.
Now. sir, believe l can prove TO you
that Charleston, in the county OF Ma,
nawha, possesses advantages over al
other places throughout the state OF
West Virginia.
Charleston ia located In the most de.
sirable part of the KanaWha valley, De-
ing Immediately on the Great hanawha
river, one Ofthe largest and most beau-
tltul rivers in this or any other state In
the Union, on whose bosom the VAST
wealth OF the kanawha valley Is ioated
out into the great Ohio and even down
to the broad Mississippi. It is one OF
our fine navigable rivers. Steamers
are plying the year round, On the
waters of this stream the wealth OF
other States may be floated into our
own on its bosom. This is not all we
have the Chesapeake II Ohio railroad,
which will soon be completed, which
runs right by the side of Charleston,
connecting with other roads east and
all narts of this wide extended land.
There is no point which is as near the
geographical center that can begin &c
compare with it. There is B9ckhan
non, Clarksburg, Flat Woods, Parkers
burg, and various other places that arr
asking for it, but none of them nave t
: the argument or advantages tnas ny ny
section has, Parkersburg is on thu
very margin OF the State, while thu
other places mentioned have no meani
of accessibility whatever, that can a