The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-11-20
CHARLESTON.
Letter from an Occasional Cores.
pondent.
CHARLESTON, Nov. IA, 1878.

Letter from an Occasional Cores.
pondent.
CHARLESTON, Nov. IA, 1878.
To the Editors OF the Intelligencer:
There is nothing transpiring here de-
serving OF special notice. The Legislature
Is trying to make amends for It's past con
duct, and by q show of industry retrieve
It's reputation for protligacy both In waste
ol time and money. How much better II
would have been, both for the reputation
4 Of the party In power and the people ol
the State generally, that no convention
had ever been called. The most casual
unpreludiced observer cannot fail to see
this The Constitution of Sixty-Eight
could have been amended so as 10 free II
from all those Objectionable provisions
consequent upon the war, and all those
odious enactments originating from the
same source could have been readily and
easily repealed. But that course Of policy
would not suit the views OF ceratn parties.
Oh no; they had an ak TO grind. There
was no money in It. A large amount Of
public printing was looming up all the
time in their patriotic minds, and their
cry was give me the spoils Of office; ere
ate O necessity for additional legislation,
that we may grow rich and fat from the
oifal and garbage Of public favor. And
the sequel shows how well they have pro-
flied by 1t. Eighty-six. thousand dollars ol
the hard earned money oil the people OF the
State have been squandered upon the pub.
lie printing alone, when the same amount
of work could have legitimately done,
even In case the public interest demanded
II, for half that sum. Eut this unnecessary
expenditure does mot stop here. The ex.
pense of the Constitutional Convention,
long session OF the Legislature and other
incidental expenses have swelled the
aggregate TO the enormous sum Of al.
most three hundred thousand dollars.
But this robbery does not stop here. An.
other code has to be printed and bound and
distributed. The people had scarcely be.
come familiar with the laws as contained
In the code of'6S sufficiently either TO obey
or execute them until they are all torn to
pieces and new or rather old and obsolete
provisions incorporated unsuited to our
people, and not demanded by public policy
interes, or safely. Not only is the civil
and criminal jurisprudence oi the State
so changed, mystifled and conflicting that
1t will take another session OF the Legis-
lature to purge the statistics oil their am
briguities
But to cap the climax, tho very able
financiers OF the Legislature have under
taken to take q step backward, 10 go back
twenty-five years md adopt the old Vir-
ginis mode OF taxation, and throw the
burden Of taxation upon the personal
property of the State. Every species ot
capital, whether employed In manutac-
turing, merchandising, or in any other
way; every species Of industry and enter.
prise, as Tar as they can be, are TO be paral'
lied and destroyed, in order that the
landed nabobs may be relieved from their
constitutional share Of the public burdens
|, of course, do not mean the small and
legitimate landholders.
A lew days ago that old fossil, The ex.
Auditor ofthe State ofVirginia, undertook
to create panic, in order TO defeat the
Bethany College bill by declaring that the
State Treasury was bankrupt. But it
would not go down, and because your
correspondent "Tomahawk" gave cor
rect account OF the proceedings in that
regard, and they saw that they had put
their foot In Il, Camden and others under.
took to deny The correctness oi that re-
port. But as It always happens where the
truth Is denied or attempted TO be cover
ed up, while they escaped the mud, they
got deeper in the mire.
An exciting debate occurred In both
branches on the bill to allow criminals 10
testify in their own behalf, and after the
expenditure oil much eloquence and lit
tie cussiag tho bill was defeated.
The old usury bill Is again before the
Senate, but hope there Is sufficient intel
ligence In that body and devotion TO the
best interests Of the State to defeat 1t. :,
The only important bills yet 10 be acted
upon are the revenue bills, and think,
from what have heard, they will stand
as they are in the Code, with such amend.
ments only as will make them conform to
the new state OF things under the Consll-
tuition. =t
The financial panic has put q quletus on
every thing here In the shape OF business,
although the hotels record fair show Of
arrivals, and seem TO be in fourishing
condition.
A great many strangers are more at.
tracted here on account Of its being the
Capital of the State, than on account Of
mineral wealth represented TO be hidden In
the hills and valleys Of this portion Of the
State. While ! am free to admit the coal
Is ofsuperIor quality, and that there are
many and q variety oi seams, yet have
failed TO see any vein or seam equal to
that found In our river hills around Wheel.
ing for manufacturing purposes.
1see nothing to prevent the Legislature
from adjourning on the day fixed, and !
believe It is tho desire OF the majority Of
the members to go 10 their homes as soon
as possible. 1Ioreanon. Yours truly.
QnnA aInNAI.