The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-20
must necessarily be incurred by the COM
missioners

must necessarily be incurred by the COM
missioners.
Under these circumstances. I found it
difficult, indeed almost impossible, to Sc
cure the services of such citizens as the i'm
portant interest involved seemed to demand.
No provision was made authorizing me to
appoint financial secretary to keep a cor
rect record Of the proceedings Of the COM
! mission, and attend to other necessary mat
| ters to facilitate It's business, nor did the
gentlemen upon whom / finally prevailed
| to serve. or some Of them at least, feel au-
Ithorized to employ one themselves, or think
| it best to commence the intricate and labo-
rious duties of their appointment without
one.
In this state of facts and the delay occa-
stoned by 1t. deemed it most prudent to
let the whole matter 60 over to the present
meeting of the Legislature, believing that
they would see the Importance OF calling
ND the subject early enough in the session
to give it a thorough investigation and to
mature efficient measures for an equitable
adjustment of the debt at as early day as
The Governor of Virginia, in his mes
sape already alluded to. speaking OF the
debt, states that: "The obvious intent and
melning of all the legislation upon this
subject, hy each State. is, that whatever
amount the State of West Virginia ought
to assume should be paid into the Treasury
of the State of Virginia. to be by her
used in the eXtinguishment OF the orl2inal
| debt" 1t is hardly necessary for me to say
| that strong doubts are entertained in the
minds Of many as to the correctness of this
assumption. The discussions in the General
| Assembly of Virginia since the delivery OF
1.-The message snow divided opinion upon
this subject among even the leading men,
brrs of that body. The Governor shows
the finances of Virginia to be in PROSTATE
tcondition. He says: 8. / do not urge an
attempt for the immediate resumption OF
the payment of interest upon the pubic
debt. We are not yet prepared to DO SO,
Inor can it be reasonably expected OIL us.
|teresL can be made until 1872; nor are
Ianv very promising assurances given that
lanr will be paid even then. L am sure
there is but one feeling among the
people of our State as to the financial en-
barrassment OF the mother Commonwealth,
and that is one Of profound regret. But IN
the face of the official declaration that Fir-
rinia is unable to pay even the interest on
the debt, it becomes grave question Whe-
ther in advance of Il settlement we shall
sanction the proposition "that whatever
amount lle SLatC vi Ncst NuSiuli ouSh'
Ito assume should be paid into the Treasury
of the State of Virginia" Suppose we
agree to do so, do we not incur a double
responsibility? If we bind ourselves to
pay our proportion of the debt to the State
of Virginia, may we not be still held liable
to the holders of Virginia bonds?
i | have directed your attention to this
phase of the subject solely with view OF
impressng upon you the Importance of an
early investigation, in order that some plan
| NAV be agreed upon to determine not only
how much of the debt we owe, but to
' whom we owe iJ, so that when settlement
i made it shall be satisfactory anu an en-
| during one.
As TO the mode Of settlement, defer to
the judgment of the Legislature. l desire,
however. to express the opinion that the
plan suggested by the Governor Of Virginia,
of submitting the whole question to board
of arbitrators selected from other States,
whose action shall be final, does not strike
| me as a safe one for the intel estS of West
Virginia. Cur State has no public debt
of its own, and if its affairs are eco
nomcaly administered in the future it
is safe to say, that the heaviest drafts for
: the construction Of public buildings, school
houses, and other extraordinary outlays.
have already been made. so that when plan
of adjustment shall have been agreed upon,
the prospects are that we shall be in Il fair
condition to pay our portion of the debt,
should we be found liable for any part Of
it. 1t is, therefore, highly probable that
persistent and perhaps successful efforts,
bv interested parties, would he made to in
dilcc arbilrators, not entirely familiar with
the history Of the debt and the peculiar cir
cumStances under which much Of it was
created, to fasten an undue proportion of
it upon West Virginia.
As to the basis upon which 4 settlement
should be made, think there IS but one
that will be Just to our State. 1t IS that set
forth in the ordinance of August Goth, 1861,
already referred to, and is in these words :
l"Thp new State shall take upon itself Il just
wealth Of Virginia prior to the first day of
January, 1861, to be ascertained by charg-
ing to it all State expenditures within the
limits thereof, and a just proportion of
the ordinary expenses of the State
government, since any part OF said
debt was contracted, and deductlng
theretrom the moneys paid into the
Treasury of the Commonwealth from the
counties included within the said new State
during the same period" This is plain
and fair proposition, and it seems to me
the only one upon which an equitable adj
Ejustment can be made.
| All these, however, are matters upon
which the judgment of the Legislature
should be passed, and therefore l hope the
whole subject may receive from you prompt
and careful examination, with view of
bringing about, at an early day, some ar
rangemeut that will be just to creditors,
and mutually satisfactory to the people Of
| the two States.
| Our CANAL AND RAILRoAD.-The i'm
provement Of this [Great Kanawha] river
should receive particular attention. 1t is
the natural outlet to all the region of coun-
| try drained by its waters and those tribu-
| tary to it. But what is OF still greater i'm
| portance, it is destined at no distant day to
| be The principal connecting link in con-
| tinuous water line from the great West to
| the eastern >eaboard.
! / think it OF very great Importance that
the State shall retain direct control over
this river until there is an absolute cer-
talnty that it will pass into the hands Of
responsible capitalists, who will give the
strongest guarantees that the improve
ments upon it shall be made commen-
surate with the vast business that is in
| the future to pass over its waters.
| The work on the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad has been prosecuted without i'll
termission since it was commenced, many
thousands of Workmen having been engaged
upon it during the past year. That portion
Of this road between Charleston and the
Ohio river will be finished and the cars rum
! ming upon it during the coming summer.
| The advantage of this great Improvement
to our State cannot be estimated.-G Coo,
| Stevenson'S annual message.
| REAPPoRTIoNMENT.-G Stevenson, of
West Virginia, seems to have no doubt as