The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-25

delegated stupidity, will likely be retstab-
lshcd. The county court is afi institution
that the southern people cling to with mar
vellous tenacity. II is composed of the JUS
tees of the peace Of the county, and If, there
are fifty or hundred Of them they assemble
at the county-seat once month and hold n
court. The County Court of Davidson
county, Tenn, for instance, consists OF some
seventy members, when three or five COM
missioners--mcn Of business tact and edGci-
tion-would do the county business quicker,
better, and cheaper. Imaginea court Ill Gin
cinnati composed Of all the justices Of the
peace of Hamilton county. What sort oil
thing would it be? The county business
would be talked and hungled TO death.
What West Virginia Needs most is Con-
stitution giving ample power to the LeSlstil-
ture to make Just laws, and a Legislature that
will do it. Her greatest need now IN Tie
way of law is a continuation of her present
efficient common-Sch0ol system, with heavy
tax levy to support it, temperance law that
will modify the alarming tippling traffic in
liquid poison. and law for The encourage
mert of the languishing agricultural interests
Of the State through county fairs and ilnmi-
grafton. With these in addition to the laws
already in force, and few slight changes in
the Constitution, and West Virginia will yet
along.
The Convention has now been in session
three days, but has done nothing of conse-
quencc. l fear Il disposition on the part Of
many Of them to talk too much. Simple
propositions, OF no importance in the Consti-
tuition or out Of it, are made the subjects OF
long discussion. However, to-day commit
tees were appointed, and from now on we
may look for real work, mixed with a good
deal of talk. Of course. ,-.'
The session of the Convention is being
held in the Methodist church, that building
having been provided ly the city Of Charles
ton for the purpose. The church is an old.
dingy affair, with square old-flsllioncd
tower OH top, needing paint badly, and, i'll
fact, the whole building, inside and out,
would look Letter for an application of oil
and white lead. In the front end, over the
entrance, q stovc-ppe is thrust through the
window which never ought 10 have been
there, either the window or the stove-pipe.
The members OF the Convention are a re-
spectacle looking body Of men, most Of them
we'll along in life, and if they have gathered
wisdom with years Il Constitution Of their pro-
duction will be worth living under. OF the
seventy-eight members, all are present but
one. In politics the body is about five to one
Democratic. The Republican members had
Us well be out fer all the good they can do in
Il party sense.
An effort has bccn made to remove the
honorable body TO Wheeling, but the propo-
stion was lost by ten majority. The Charles
tonians are consequently happy. The city
rented the church, took out the seats, and
went to the expense of putting it in condi-
ton for the Convention, and now the talk
Of moving to Wheeling makes the city
fathers angry. Ii there is anything that
Charleston is jealous Of it is the capital. She
has worked long and faithfully to get it, has
donated building worth Il hundred thou
sand dollars. and il you want to see ire come
! to the eye of Chariestorian talk to him OF
moving the capital .'..-. ...
There was considerable crowd and con-
fusion here on tlIe opening Of the ConTcn-
ton, owing to the rush CT visitors and others.
and many an honorable gentleman had but
half bed. with only a thin blanket to pro-
tect his intellectual body from the cold blasts
Of winter; but now Ill have found comforta-
ole quarters, and if any yet shiver at night.
or are hungry during the day, they can find
| Ill these comforts Of hotel life at the Hale
tf1IISp Ii. V, X