The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-01
GaMAEMI4eM
y. = - ---.----- Y .-.--r---- II MI
Total Cost Of the Convention
Lilo 40 Of 1861. II. 70 5sA,
An Accurate Estimate o.
70 ,,.,,, Expense. s
Radical Falsehoods Exposed
CABELL C. h, July IA, 1871

CABELL C. H., July IA, 1871.
Editor OF the Courier:
In my remarks in Charleston on the
Goth of June last / estimated the cos'
of a Constitutional Convention, suppos
ing it to sit sixty days, at So, O0o, bu,
in the items Of expenditure | omitted
that of mileage for the members, and
this omission has been seized upon as
an evidence that my estimate was unre
liable. 1t will be remembered, however
that | included in my estimate S9VOC
for printing and stationery, and sjloC
for contingencies, which last mentioned
item will more than pay the mileage Of
the members, and the further investiga
ton of the subject has satisfied me more
than ever that $4,000 is vastly more
than the printing and stationery Will
cost. The publication Of the report OF
Governor Stevenson, made to the Con
vention of 1862, which framed the
present Constitution, in which he estl'
mated the cost OF session Of sixty-ti'e
days Of that Convention at Sl6,5O0, has
led me to examine what the entire cost
Of that Convention was.
The report Of the Governor was made
and adopted by the Convention on the
18th day OF December, 1861, and on the
10Th day Of January, 1862, the Legisla'
ture passed an act, in pursuance thereof.
as follows:
"Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, that the sum OF $4,000, be, and is
hereby appropriated to pay the members
and officers, and defray all the o;her
expenses Of the Convention which as
sembled at Wheeling on the Doth day
OF November, 1861. "-(See acts OF lSbl'2'
page ~
When the Constitution framed by
this Convention was presented to Con-
gress that body refused to admit the
State Of West Virginia into the Union
until provision was made therein for
the abolition Of slavery, and a second
session of the Convention had to be held
which commenced on the 18th day of
February, 1868. TO meet the expenses
of this session, the Legislature included
in an appropriation bill passed Febru-
airy 4th, 1863, the following;
ITO expenses of the Convention
which is to assemble in the city of
Wheeling on the 18th da! OF FEB,
ruary, 1868, including the pay and
mileage Of it's members, the compensa
ton Of its officers, its printing, station
cry, fuel and other necessary expendl'
lures, and also including the expenses
of holding any election which may be
ordered by said Convention, $1,000. -
(See acts of 1868, page 56.)
On the 9th day of August, 1868 an
act was passed by the Legislature Of
West Virginia, making certain appro'
priations, and among them the follow
ing:
ITO the payment of outstanding
claims for expenses in Carrying INTO
effect the ordinances of the late COnsti-
tutional Convention, and the schedule
annexed to the original Constitution.
including expenses OF all elections held
under and by virtue Of said ordinances
and schedule, S2,02S. As '-(See acts Of
1868, page 32.)
Under the ordinances and schedule
mentioned in the said act, three cleo
tons were held-one upon the adoption
Of the original Constitution, one upon
the adoption OF the amended Consttu-
ton, and one for the election OF officers
under that Constitution. The members
also, having to attend two sessions Of
the Convention, received double mile
age. And now let US see what the whole
cost Of the Convention which framed
our present Constitution, including the
pay and mileage Of its members, and
the compensation Of its officers for two
sessions, its printing, stationery, fuel
and other necessary expenditures, and
including also the expenses OF holding
the said three elections, was:
First appropriation, as stated
above. SIG 500 90
Second appropriation......".... ',OOl o.
Third appropriation. ................... 2,Ols As
Total SIS, 2S IS
And let it be particularly borne in
mind that the President of that Conven-
ton received for his service $500 per
day, and the other members each 81 90
per day, see ordinances Of Conven-
ton Of June the llth, 1861, pages -
and l9, while the pay of the President
of the proposed Convention will be s. 90
per dav, and Of the other members each
$500 per day. 1t is true that there
were not as many members in the Con-
ventiou OF 1872, as there will be in
the one now proposed, but the pay of
the members and officers Of that Con-
vention made the cost OF it-per day just
about that OF the latter it it should be
called. Let it also be borne in mind
that the former Convention at its two
sessions sat much longer than the latter
is likely to do, and that while there
were three special elections growing out
OF the former, not more than two can
result from the latter.
now confidently submit these add.
tional facts and figures to the voters OF
this State, and leave it to their good
sense to decide whether or not my esti-
mate OF the cost Of the proposed Conven-
ton is not fully az much, to say the
least, as it will be.
JAMES II. FERGUSON.
Railroad Connection.
Connection with the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad in Kentucky will probably
/