The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-23


and that there was no legal liability
resting upon US. This view OF the
matter was controverted by Mr.. HAY
MoND who in the whole course of his
remarks uttered no word in favor of a
reputation of what we legally owe,
but thought the language of the report
given above was the only declaration
that was necessary to show West Vir-
ginias intention to pay all the liabilities
of the State.
A telegram of the Goth, addressed to
the Cincinnati Enquirer and copied by
the Intelkgencer and by this paper also
yesterday morning, shows that on that
day the. Convention. by vote Of AZ to
&c, adopted in committee OF the whole
the 9Th section Of the report as given
above, ,0ithom amendment thus refusing
to refer in more specific terms to the
Virginia debt, but, as the language OF
the telegram itself declares, leaving
the Legislature with authority to pro-
vide for the payment Of any liability or
Indebtedness OF the State prior to the
adoption OF the Constitution"
If there be in this any Reputation
OF our share of the Virginia debt" Gas
the Intelligsncer heads the dispatch) or
any lack OF disposition to farm the
Legislature with need,ul authority to
make suitable provision for protecting
the honor and good name of the State,
we fail to see it. The Intelligencer
jumps to the conclusion that 1.-The forty
two have deliberately voted with inten-
ton that the Legislature shall never
take single step towards the fulfil
ment of our obligations to Virginia and
TO the creditors OF the two States" But
the facts show that this stigma in un-
derserved and that the Convention has
not done the wicked and suicidal thing
charged upon it by our neighbor. We
trust that the day may never come
when West Virginia will deserve the
disgrace which the Iatslhgencer too
hastily assumes she has already in
Cured, and the people Of the State can
not too strongly condemn the publica'
ton of statements which, il true, would
Justly subject the State to universal
contempt.
West Virginia is both morally and
legally bound to pay her equitable pro-
portion OF the public debt incurred by
Virginia before the separation. The
absence Of any express recognition OF
that fact in the new Constitution would
not lessen our liability in any respect !;
nor would special declaration OF our
intention to pay render the payment any
more speedy or certain. AS soon as
our portion of the debt is definitely as
certained, provision will be made for
its settlement. The report OF the COM
mittee on Taxation and Finance as APP
proved by the Convention gives the
Legislature all the power that is needed
in this regard; all that the present
Constitution gives; and all that could
be given were a whole article devoted
to this subject alone. We have no
objection whatever to the amendment
that Mr.. WHEAT sought TO make, but
we fail to find in the language adopted,
any, even the slightest, justification for
the charge that forty-two members OF
the Convention have voted to bring
upon West Virginia the shame OF
reputation. We trust that the MteNi-
qencer will reconsider its hasty conclu>
sion in reference to this subject and
di.abuse the minds Of It's readers Of the
impressions conveyed by yesterday
mornings editorial.