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

as in any, wise wanting in official
courtesy TO you or your associates
None, certainly, is intended.
|fg Ihave the honor to be
b. Most respectfully yours,
.- Asa ROGERS"
With the reception of this note the
Commissioners closed their labors in
Richmond, finding that further stay
was not likely to add to the scant in-
formation already CLEANED by them from
the public documents. :,
After this termination OF their visit
to Richmond, the Commissioners agreed
to meet again on the 18th Of December
following, at Parkersburg, there to pre-.
pare such information as they had been
able to obtain, and snch as they might
still further obtain, and along with 1t
such an expression Of opinion a 10
called for in the joint resolution OF
February Oath.
Accordingly we met in Petersburg
at the date named, and after nearly two
weeks of examination and comparison
of all the sources Of information acces-
sible to us, agreed upon and drew up
the facts and statements hereinafter
presented
The Commissioners then quote from
Governor Walkers message to the
Virginia legislature on the 9th OF De
cenber last the language employed
there in arraigning the good faitL ofthe
authorities of this State in relation to
the public debt 1t is contended that
these aspersions are entirely unjust and
gratuitous, and it is shown that Virginia
herself initiated the method which has
been adopted by West Virginia in at
tempting to adjust the debt. The
report says: ~.
1.-The authorities of West Virginia
have never assumed to themselves any
right OF precedence in the matter OF a
policy for adjusting the difficulties sur
rounding the debt question. But In the
Joint resolution passed on the oath OIL
February last they did assume the
modest right of adhering to the policy
already inaugurated BY the State o!
Virginia, and by her so freely rendered
heretofore for their acceptance, and
therefore they respectfully declined to
adopt a new and different proposition
from her until they could test the merits
of one already adopted.
Apparently the present Executive OF
Virginia, from an enforced familiarity
with the workings of personal govern
ment," which he so much deplores, has
acquired ideas as to the right Of the
initiative between equal contracting
parties that are scarcely consistent with
the delicacy ofthe issue pending between
this State and his own. For instance,
in his letter OF September 7th, he tells
us that the Legislature of Virginia,
upon his suggestion, has rendered an
arbitration to this State, and he trusts
that West Virginia will reconsider her
action and accept the more speedy and
satisfactory mode of settlement proposed
by Virginia" And again, in his late
message, he says that "the better course
to be pursued is for the two States to
submit the whole question to arbitra-
tion," and West Virginia is arraigned,
as heretofore shown, for not concurrlng
in his opinions. Apparently it did not
occur to the Governor that since Virginia
had proposed both modes Of settlement
to this State, the latter might make her
choice between them without subjecting
her motives to imputation. And yet
all that she has assumed TODD is simply
to choose between two policies initiated
by Virginia. Unless, therefore, it can
be shown that it is the prerogatlve OF
that State to prescribe the terms upon
which the debt shall be adjusted, the
question should hereafter be discussed
in a spirit better calculated to sllay all
sectional irritation"
The report then shows that "the
Funding Act passed by the Virginia
Legislature on the Both of last March,
assumes to apportion the debt arbi-
trarily, Notwithstanding West Virginia
had taken steps for the appointment o I
Commissioners and had given notice to
that effect six weeks before the passage
of the act in question. The act also
assumes to apportion the debt not as it
stood on the first of January 1861, but
as it would stand on the lst of July,
1871, after the interest had been twice
compounded; and to apportion it too
upon the basis of territory and populs-
ton and without any reference to the
equities of the case. I'm other words,
it assumes to apportion 10 West Vir-
GINA one-third Of the debt as it now
stands, simply on the ground that she
has one-third Of the territory and popu-
lation which formerly belonged to
Virginia, and without reference at all
to the question OF resources and values.
This is apparently the practical result
which Governor Walker hoped to
reach when he urged upon US the
more satisfactory mode OF settle
ment proposed by Virginia, inasmuch
as he tells us in his late message that
this is the "plan for a reorganization OF
the State debt" which he "had recon-
mended twelve months before"
The tables or statements annexed to
the report show, among other things,
the following facts:
"That the funded debt Of Virginia on
the 1st of January, 1861, was $3l, 49,
1872, after all deductions.
That all, or nearly all, Of this debt
was incurred for and actually expended
in works OF public improvement, such
as canals, railroads, turnPikes, plank
roads and bridges.
That OF this vast sum upwards Of
100000 was expended for improve
ments in the present State Of Virginia,
and only about two and half millions
in the present State Of West Virginia.