The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-19

stimulating enterprise and trade, but in
otherwise developing the resources Of par
tlcular localities to ancXtcnt equal Ia the
general benefit TO the State ut large. I'll
may be assumed then that the public
works for which the debt was created are
worth what they cost. Virginia by sell.
ing, donating, and disposing Of these
works az her own property, without con.
suting West Virginia, must be taken to
have accepted them on that basis When
the tables accompanying the report are
consulted they will show M expenditure
OF over thirty millions in Vir.
GINA, and about two and u half
millions in West Virginia" The Com,
missioners then come to the conclusion
that "the benefits conferred, and not the
territory and population, should be the
principal, II not the only basis Of nm nd.
lustment Of the debt" To give at length
the arguments adduCCd To sustain this pO.
sition, would make this paper too long; to
do less than this, would be an net orinjus-
ticc to the Commissioners, md greatly
weaken the force 0l their arguments. The
interest Of the people in this question will
cause the report 10 he widely read, and
there is less necessity therefore for full
discussion on my part II M equitable
proportion" Of the public debt Of Virginia
is the limit of the liability Of West Viz.
ginia, II Is difficult TO see how she can be
under obligations II pay for improvements
That do not confer any benefit upon her.
Taking the foregoing basis for IL guidance,
inc commissioners report that West Nir-
glnias proportion Of the debt is something
less than one million Of dollars. This bal.
ancr is reached by charging West Nir.
gina with the amount Ot expenditure for
all purposes within her limits, and credit.
ing her with her interests in the public
buildings, md other assets named; also
with her share in the Literary Fund and
Surplus Fund These calculations have
reference To the date Of January /, 1861.
1t will demand your serious consideration
whether you will now proceed to assume
what you may conceive To he the "Cuuita-
bic proportion" of the public debt OF Nir-
gIna prior to january | 1861, or whether
you will, in the light OF past events, await
further action on the part Of Virginia.
THE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.
The new Board Of Directors of the
Hospital for the Insane, appointed under
an act passed last winter, entered into
Office in April last, and ut their first meet.
ing elected DR.. T. i. Camden, Suprrin.
tendent, to I'LL the vacancy OCCaSiOnrd by
the resignation OF DR.. Hills. DR.. Camden,
with his assistants, who were elected ut
the same time, took charge OF the Hos.
pltal on the LIST day Of July; ind notwith.
standing there was an entire change in
the officers, with the exception of the rs.
sistnnt physician, there was not the
slightest confusion produced thereby. 1t
VIII not be ungcncrOus to the former
incumbcnts, and il is due 10 the present
officers, To say that the changes thus
elected have produced no dCtrlmcnt to
the State. The friends Of the patients can
feel well assured that the unfortunate
inmates of the Hospital arc kindly and
tcnGcrly cared for
The report Of the Board Of Directors
exhibits the gratifying fact that since the
lust session OF the Legislature, room for
eighty.iivc additional patients has been
provided, This was elected in part hv
the completion Of the centre building, but
Tue result is largely owing to the fact that
the Board have utilized some apartments
which were not intended for the use Of
patients. The Hospital contained on
the first OF July 2lO patients; and on
Septcmbc: 30 two hundred and forty.
nng. Since that time all unaticS confined
III the ja!s throughout the State, except
pc siOly Il few COlUrGd people, have been
ordered TO bc brought to the hospital.
You will, therefore, learn with pleasure,
that these unhappy people no longer Ian.
sulsll IN our common juils; and | trust
the day is not ial distant when suitable
accommodations may be provided for the
insane colorcd people. ThccOmpction Of
the buildings is II most desirable object.
1t is true the expenditures Tor this pur.
pose have already been very argc-largcr
than was anticipated. The original est.
mate OF the architect was that il would
cost, complete, S20j, 900, while more than
500 900 have already been expended on
ii, and il is not much more than half
finished. But it does not avail much To
look behind us. The wants OF the State
will gradually compel its completion.
The foregoing exhibit OF the finances
however, will readily show that it is not
III your power to make the appropriation
asked Tor by the Board. lin your iudg.
mcnt you should deem it prudent 10 do
SO, an appropriation might be made to
procure the necessary material 10 be used
hereafter in building the first section of
the North wing. The lumber used in
such building ought 10 he laid in at
least year in advance and thoroughly
seasoned. The labor Of COnviCts, both
skilled and unskillcd, could he used with
advantage. And recommend that the
Board of Directors be authorized to en-.
ploy, at least in part, convict labor, under
such regulations rs you may think just
and proper.
The present fences Of the Hospital
grounds are not 0nl y dccaying and falling
down, but they are not all in keeping with
the hullding-it is palace surrounded
by adaptations. Without proper en-.
closures the curative means OF the Hos
mtal are incomplete; it becomes n splCn. |
dld prison to the unfortunate inmates who
are thus denied exercise and the healing
influences of open mir and sunlight The
request Of the Board for nm appropriation
for fencing or enclosures is therefore Il
reasonable one
You will see by the report OF the Board
that there is mn Indebtedness contracted
by the former Board before the passage
ols the act appr0priating money for the |
further construction Of the Hospital"
amounting tOSl330l0i. The Attorney
General, nj the request Of the present
Board gave II rs his opinion that this
debt could not be paid out OF the Ms,
appropriation. Although this debt was
created without authority of law, We, il is
due to innocent parties, and ought to he
paid.
There are no doubt many patients now
confined in the Hospital who have been
insane for many years; they are hopeless.
" incurablc. Some Of these arc ouic,,
harmless beings, destitute OF the light of