The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-22
CHARLESTON.
Continuation OF Debate on Taxation
Tho Provisions OF the Present
Constitution Approved,w with Slight
ChaDge-The War OF the Core
spOBdents-YOrick Versus v. Y. z.
A Few Personal Remarks
CHARLESTON, February l6.

eighth article on taxation, the whole
question being as to whether any exemp-
tons should be made.
Mr.. Wheat opened the discussion,
following the same line Of argument as
on yesterday. He was followed by Mr..
Pendleton, in behalf Of the report Of the
committee. This was the first attempt
at a speech which this gentleman has
made, and was such an one as was graft.
flying to his friends. Occupying an
hour in its delivery, and being delivered
without notes, yet it was the finest
specimen Of good English that has yet
been presented to the Convention. As
a literary production, and as a clear,
logical argument, it has not yet been
surpassed. He maintained that taxa
ton ad valorem was injustice to the pro-
ducing classes. That no property should
be taxed while in a state of transition.
To do so, was to tax such production
twice.
Mr.. Travers followed upon the same
side, in one Of his short, pointed and
elegant statements.
General Ward opposed ali exemp-
tons. lie maintained that SO far as the
poor men were concerned, they were
hardships in the guise of blessings. So
much must be raised by taxation for the
expenses OF the government, and for
every class ofarticles exempted, so much
additional tax would have to be levied
on the others.
DR.. Thompson rose to reply and
seemed to be in search of something
that had slipped down his pantaloons
pocket lie was opposed to the prin-
ciple of Mr.. Wood. lie wanted as few
domiciliary visits from the tax-hunters
as possible, and he thought the exemp-
tons proposed would prevent such
frequent visitations. Besides that, he
did not want his hogs taxed as hogs and
then taxed as bacon.
Mr.. Jackson, Of Wood, favored the
section OF the original Constitution, with
an additional sentence providing for the
taxation Of the franchises Of corpora.
tons.
Mr.. Fitzhugh affirmed that taxation
was unjust and Ubiquitous if only made
for the sake Of taxation. What made
it just was that governments could not
exist without it, and without govern.
ments there would be no protection to
property. Therefore TIE burden should
rest equally upon all.
Mr.. Travers, in a very earnest argu-
ment, closed the debate He maintained
that the products Of industry could not
be taxed without taxing the income OF
the producer, and that all income taxes
were odious. He was not the special
advocate of the poor man nor Of the
rich. The true inquiry in this, as in
all other cases, was, Is it right? He
thought the exemptions reported by the
committee were intrinscally just and
proper and hoped it would be the pleas
ure Of the Convention to adopt them.
The pending amendments were then
lost and the section of the present Con-
stitution was adopted with the following
amendment: But the Legislature shall
have power to tax, by uniform and
equal laws, all privileges and franchises
OF persons and corporations.
A large amount Of business WAS done
in the House to dav, but all OF local
and uninteresting character, and to-
morrow both houses take high old
tare" aed 90 to Huntington on free tick.
cts, where they expect to dine at free
hotels, sleep in free beds and drink free
liver invigorator" with perfect loose
ness.
see that the Htclhysncsr has an
other correspondent who attempts to
conceal the length of his ears under the
alphabetical cognomen OF *. Y. Il"
In his letter of the 10Th he makes an
insane attempt to be witty, but sue.
ceeds only in writing himself down an
ass. Now, as tx. Y. H." otherwise
Mr. Ed. Moore, late Clerk Of the Sen
ate, and general damphool in particu-
lar, is not so well known in your city
as he is here, it is perhaps my duty to
say q few words in reply to his scrawl.
OF course Mr.. Ed. Moore, alias TX. y.
h." late Clerk of the Senate, &c, is
feeling badly. He has been so long
pulling at the public teat that it is
scarcely less hard for him TO resign his
grip than to speak the truth; and when
his last pet scheme Of fastening him
self like an old barnacle on the Senate
failed, and he was turned loose upon
the cold charities OF the world, he
swore a few. Well, perhaps more
than few; and curses loud and deep
were heaped upon the devoted head of
your innocent and unsuspecting CORE
spondent. But now to his letter, and
mark how plain a tale shall put him
down! | have never denied having
been Committee Clerk Of the House in
1861, but upon the contrary have fire.
ouentlv so stated to members and other
gentlemen, instead OF attempting to
conceal it, as "X. y. L." would have
his readers believe. | was in Wheel
ing, lobbying on the capital question,
and the position was voluntarily ten
dered me, and | served throughout the
session, am proud to believe, with sat-
isfaction to those who employed me.
Again, l was Assistant Clerk OF the
House last winter, and by leave of the
House, went home three days before
the expiration Of the session. Before
leaving saw Colonel Frey, who was
indebted to me S25, and proposed to
him to serve out that time for me, hav-
ing first consulted the Clerk and sew
eral members ofthe House He agreed
10 do so, for the amount owed me, and
| left with that understanding. after
wards learned that Frey, in regular
Radical style, declined to do as he
agreed to, and the Clerk was compelled
to employ an assistant, ,chom he paid