The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-07
CHARLESTON.
Adjournment OF the Legislature
judiciary Report-The Salary OF
Judges--BuncO,nbe Speeches-True
EcOnomy-The Capitaf Question
Again.

ASHlus
Special Correspondence OF the Register.
CHARLESTON, March |.
The Legislature has departed, and
with it clerks, lobbyists and I'D Omne
genus" The Supreme Court will ad-
iourn next month, and there will be
nothing left but the Convention, which,
it is hoped, will adjourn about the first
of next month. The sudden departure
of so many has tended to add to the
natural loneliness of the place, and won.
der how the people will live and what
can they do to relieve themselves Of the
monotony OF the place. The transient
travel must be very small, for no one
would come here to seek pleasure, and
as for business, | can see no inducement
of that kind. The Legislature has not
enacted any laws OF general interest at
the past session. There are, perhaps,
some which may be OF local interest
and which will put the wise men of that
body to their wits ends 10 properly ex
plain to their dear people, their dear con-
stitusnts, the why and the wherefore.
As body they were not as intelligent
as might be and very little experienced
in legislative matters, which may be
accounted for by the fact that much OF
the talent was drawn from it by the
Convention. THERE'S nothing, perhaps,
so much neglected by the people as the
returning OF good delegates to the Leg
islature. On it the prosperity OF the
State depends.
The Convention is still at work and
anxious to finish. There was some
talk of taking a recess for two or three
weeks to give an opportunity to some OF
the members OF the bar to attend the
courts in their respective districts, but
that idea has been abandoned. There
are some fifteen or twenty away on
leave of absence and many more would
like to 90 were it not for the fact that
such a large number being absent at
the same time has caused the Conven-
ton to require a very strong reason
from anv one who desired such priv
ilege.
At present the report of the Judiciary
is under consideration and the debate
at intervals is very interestingas well as
amusing.
The first section. which provides for
the election OF Jour judges Of the
Supreme Court of Appeals, was opposed
by the friends OF retrenchment and
reform; nevertheless the section passed
as reported by the committee. 1t may
be a matter ofinquiry by some at home
az it was here why the even number OF
four. 1t was agitated by some in COM
mitee that there should be FIVE, but
when it was explained that three con-
stituted a quorum Of four as we'll as Of
five, the idea of FIVE was abandoned.
The further reason is that very often in
a decision by court of three judges,
one NAV dissent from the opinion OF the
other two in favor of the court below,
which. in a manner, defeats the object
Of the court and makes the decision a
tie, by taking into consideration the
opinion Of the judge Of the inferior
court, and the legal points so decided
are only applicable to that particular
case, and would not have weight in any
inferior court in case Of like nature.
But the four judges, if differing in
opinion 80 as to lake a tie on either
side, there must necessarily be a
majority, counting the judge of the
inferior court Cd one side or the other.
A greater portion of to-day was con-
sumed in discussing the salaries OF the
judges of the Court OF Appeals. The
committee have reported in favor OF
twenty-five hundred dollars per year
which in my opinion is small enough
if we expect to obtain first class talent.
But there are class Of buncombe