The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-20
The Governor Of West vtrgtnaa on
,hc virginia Debt Question.

tHe FIT&RUtH DCDt sLuN1&AOAAe
The West Virginia Legislature assembled
Tuesday at Charleston. Lewis Baker, Esq,
of Wheeling. was elected President Of the
Senate, and f. G. Cracraft, Of Ohio county,
Speaker of the House-both Democrats.
Gov. Stevenson's message was read. We
copy what he says about the public debt Of
the State Of Virginia:
The Governor Of Virginia, in his annual
message to the General Assembly Of that
Commonwealth, December /, 1870, takes
occasion to say that thus far there have
been no satisfactory Indications that the
State Of West Virginia intended to acknow-
ledge herself liable to us for any portion of
the public debt - and adds :" Information
derived from prominent and influential
citizens Of West Virginia has led me reluct-
antly TO tnc conclusion that the prospect OF
a voluntary and satisfactory settlement OF
this matter is not Of the most encouraging
ctlaracteY."
| must be permitted to say in vindication
Of our State that when the Governor of Fir-
ginia asserts that ''thus far there have been
IL o satisfactory indications that the State of
West Virginia intended to acknowledge
herself liable :. for any
portion of the public debt" he makes a
very grave mistake as to the facts. 1t is
true we have never agreed that the portion
of the debt which might be due by u
should be paid to the Commonwealth OF
Virginia, but the people and author
| itieS of West Virginia have on every
fitting occasion expressed willing
ness to adjust the debt, and have
given assurances that if upon such ADJUST
mcnt the State was found liable for any
portion thereof. prompt provision would
he made for its payment. But whether the
payment should be made to the Common
wealth Of Virginia or directly to the credit
ors OF Virginia must depend upon the con.
| ditions OF the settlement which may be
agreed upon.
As early rs August 20. 1861, the Conven-
| tion for the reorganization Of the govern.
mcnt Of Virginia, then assembled at the
city of Wheeling, passed "an ordinance to
provide for the formation of new State,
| &C., the 9th section Of which provides that
"the new state shall take upon itself a just
proportion of the public debt OF the Com
| monweath Of Virginia prior to the 1st day
| OF January, 1861 From this it will be
seen that in the very first movement toward
the creation of the new State-a movement
commenced and controlled by the counties
now comprising West Eirginia-it was
|
take upon itself just proportion OF the
public debt"
| When the State was organized 1t pro.
vided in its Constitution, Article WILL,
| Section S, that An equitable proportion
OF the public debt of the Commonwealth
| Of Virginia, prior to the first day Of Janu.
airy, in the year one thousand eight hundred
and siNty-one. shall be assumed by this
| State ; and the Legislature shall ascertain
| the same rs soon as may be practicable. and
provide for the liquidation thereof by 4
sinking fund sufficient to pay the accrulng
interest and redeem the principal within
| thirty y-.our years" II attempts ut settlement
| have been delayed from the time this pro.
vision was inserted in our Constitution
until Il very recent date, the cause Is Il very
Obvious one, and is stated here "more in
sorrow than in anger" Virginia cast her
lot with the Southern Confederacy, and
during the unhappy strife which followed,
and for several years after it closed, the re-
lations of that Commonwealth with the
United States, and each Of them, were sew
cred, and her functions It's a State, includ-
ing ability to contract, suspended. No adj
juStment, therefore, could be made until
her full and complete restoration to the
Union. If for this reason the settlement
between the two States was postponed and
the credit of Virginia suffered thereby, it is
her misfortune, not our fault.
The Governor expresses the hope that
measures may be promptly inaugurated by
lie new administration Of West Virginia
| "tor the speedy and final adjustment Of the
differences existing between the State it
controls and the old mother Common
wealth, from whose side she was torn
| without even the semblance of law or pre-
cedent." l sincerely hope you may, in
your wisdom, devise some plan for the
speedy and final adjustment" mentioned
should not regard his affirmation in refer
cnce TO the origin of West Virginia as con-
elusive, or the language which he selects to
| enforce it the most persuasive. AS to the
mode of settlement, the Governor says:
"Let each State select one disiu-
tclested arbitrator, and the two thus
selected chose third, to whom the
whole subject shall be submitted and
their finding to be final and binding upon
the two States. This is il fair and equitable
mode of adjustment, and if rendered by
you cannot but believe that West Virgil
MIA will promptly accept it. If she refuse,
you will have the satisfaction of knowing
that YOU have exhausted all honorable
means to obtain settlement, and then you
will be amply justified in seeking your rem
cdy through the only instrumentality re-
manning to yOu--the Supreme Court of the
United States" This is to say, if our State
refuse to accept the mode of settlement
named by the Commonwealth Of Virginia,
then that Stute will be amply justified in
seeking her remedy in the highest judicial
tribunal in the country. l do not think
the Legislature should be influenced either
to adopt or TO reject the plan Of settlement
by arbitration, because of the somewhat
L. ,<.l, =. ID,1
you should decide in favor Of some other
mode, there is no goodreason to apprehend
that in consequence a resort will be had to
legal proceedings. Nothing has transpired
yet in relation to this question, nor is any
thing likely to occur soon if wise counsels
prevail, that will justify Virginia and West
Virginia in sacrificing friendship and money
in u costly lawsuit. II our State is found
to owe any portion of the public debt after
Il fair adjustment, it will be paid to the ut
tcrmost farthing. But the authorities of
Virginia may as well understand that we
will not be driven by menace into any ar
hitrary plan of settlement.
In my last annual message to the Legisla-
ture ! said: Heretofore the unsettled con-
dition Of affairs in Virginia, growing out of
the war, has prevented any settlement Of
this question by the authorities Of the two
States; but as the relations of Virginia with
the Federal Government are likely soon to
be fully restored, am Of opinion that steps
should be taken looking to an early adjust
ment of this debt upon fair and equitable
terms. Soon after, us anticipated, the
State was restored TO her place in the Union,
and within few days preceding the close
of the last session Of the Legislature three
distinguished citizens of Virginia, ap-
pointed by the Governor of that. State,
came to the seat of government to con-
fer with the authorities in regard to the
settlement of the public debt. at