The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-20

Would any sane man lay down q rule
! for the division of q State which would
| ignore the great cities, public improve.
| ments, public works, institutions OF all
kinds, great commercial advantages,
such as rivera, and harbors and the
great advantage of fertility Of soil; al!
Of which, and many other elements OF
wealth, property and power, might be
found in one division and be wholly
absent in the other. Hence we say
that such rule is repugnant to com
mon sense.
"A public debt is mainly charge
upon the wealth and resources OF q
people. 1t is represented by taxes, and
taxes are imposed not on numbers or
square miles but on resources and
values. How much stronger is the
case when the very debt under consld,
Grafton was created in developing and
enriching one portion OF the State
almost exclusively. Nay, more, when
that division of the State is in possession
Of and enjoying, giving away and selling
at auction and otherwise dlsposlng OF
the very subjects for which the debt
was created" \
1--WE think we take a more practical
view of the subject, and one which will
attain all the ends Of justice. The
tables accompanying this report show
that the bonded debt of Virginia on the
first day Of January, l76l, represented
money borrowed and expended in i'm
proving the State by canals, railroads,
turnpikes, plank roads and bridges;
All these expenditures conferred local
and special benefit where expended, not
only by the outlay Of the money IN
creating market and stimulating enter
prise and trade, but in otherwise
developing the resources OF particular
localities to an extent quite equal to
the general benefit to the State at large.
And this local and general development
is the sum of the value OF the improve
ments to the section where located, and
gives them an inestimable and abiding
value to that section. This value 10
progressive and not susceptible OF being
fixed. So certainly is this the case that
it is probable if it were practicable to
utterly extinguish these improvements,
and thereby extinguish the debt, that
the State where they are located would
not listen to such proposition.
1T may be assumed then that the
public works for which the debt was
created are worth what they cost.
Virginia by selling, donating and dis
posing Of these works as her own prop,
erty, without regard to the rule laid
down by Chancellor Kent, and without
consulting West Virginia, must be
taken to have accepted them on that
basis, and is therefore chargeable with
them on that basis.
when the tables are consulted they
will show an expenditure OF over thirty
millions in Virginia and about two and
half millions in West Virginia.
Much of this latter was expend'
ed at comparatively recent dates,
whereas the expenditures in Nir-
glnia range through period Of
fifty years, with benefits accruing more
or less throughout that period. In the
light of such facts, we submit that no
intelligent mind, wishing only to do
justice, can doubt for moment that
the benefits conferred, and not the terri
tory and population, should be the
principal if not the only basis of an
adjustment OF the debt"
The summing up and conclusion OF
the report OF the Commissioners is as
follows:
1--WE now come to the conclusion Of
our report. Having given our reasons
why We dissent entirely from the posi-
ton of Virginia in reference to the
debt, we proceed to state our own con
illusions in regard to it as follows:
Statement A., as annexed to our
report, shows that the bonded debt OF
Virginia on the first Of January 1861,
after all deductions, was $3l, 49,
067.32.
"The same statement also shows that
all of said debt was expended within
the present State OF Virginia, with the
exception of $2.7Ss, 1929.
Statement E shows that 1929, 706. %
was collected from counties in West
Virginia after January LIST, 1861.
Statement F shows that the amount
OF expenditure for all purposes in West
Virginia was So, 343, 929.29.
1--WE are not able to say certainly
what part of this expenditure was from
the proceeds of State bonds, land, there
fore, a part Of the State debt) and what
part was appropriated from the regular
receipts Of the treasury. We have had
acces. to no data that could determine
the question. Our letter 10 the Second
Auditor at Richmond sought informa-
ton on this point in vain. But we have
given Virginia the benefit Of it all as a
credit on her side Of the account, al
though the resolutions under which we
are acting contemplate nothing on the
part of West Virginia, but an assump-
ton of her proportion of the bonded
debt, inasmuch as both sections, and
particularly Virginia, received appro.
priations out Of the ordinary receipts
Of the treasury.
I'VE have charged West Virginia
with all that we have found expended
within her limits, viz The amount of
the funded debt created for improve
meuts within her territory, the amount
invested in her banks, the amount
expended on the Lunatic Asylum at
Weston, aud the estimated value OF the
property known asthe Lewisburg Law
Library.
"On the the other hand, we have cred
tied her with her share OF the estimated
value Of the public property and assets