The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-12
An Argument That will Not
Hold Water.

The Charleston Courier OF the 9Th CON
tains the following paragraph;
"Did not the Legislature Of West Yir-
ginia locate the Capital permanently at
Charleston, upon condition that the peo-
pie Of this city would furnish State
House free OF cost? Did not the people
comply with this condition. Under these
circumstances was not the act Of removal
passed in violation Of an agreement be-
tween the State and the citizens Of Charles
toni May not the removal Of the Capital
he therefore iitly characterized as gross
outrage on this community%
We~arc really astonished at this par
agraph, even In tho Courier.
The editor Of that paper ought to
know III heIlocs not) that the Legislature
Of West Virginia never located the Cap
ital permanently" or otherwise at Char
lesion on my condition whatever. Moth.
Ing was said in the act Of removal in
regard to any proposition from anybody
at Charleston, nor is there in the act any
hint Of any kind in the nature Of con-
tract. The wording Of 1t is rs follows
See page Al, Acts OF 1850;
An Ad Permanently LOcaiiny tho Seat Cj
Government for his STATE.
passed February %, 1857
BE II enacted by the Legislature Of West
Virginia;
/. The permanent seat OF government
for this State IL hereby located ut The town
Of Charleston in the county Of Kanawha.
Q. The Governor Of this State Is here
by authorized to select and secure suitable
buildings within the corporate limits Of
said town for the State Executive officers,
also for the State library and for the ne
commodatiOn of both branches Of the
Legislature and the Supreme Court Of
Appeals.
s. The books, papers and all other
things pertaining TO the varionS State
officers, required by law to be kept Mt the
seat Of government, and also the State
library, together with everything con-
neCted Herewith, shall be removed TO the
places selected aud secured as provided IN
section two Of this act, and such removal
shall bc under the direction Of the re-.
spective officers having charge Of said
books, papers and other things pertaining
to their several Offices.
4. The Governor il authorized to en-
plOy such assistance as may be necessary
In carrying out the provisions Of section
three OF this net.
8. All necessary expenses incurred un-
der the second, third and fourth sections
Of this act, shall be paid out Of the State
Treasury, upon the order Of the Gov
urnOr.
0. This act shall take effect oil the first
day Of April, eighteen hundred and sew
enty.
Now We submit that there Is nothing
in the above act removing the seat Of
government from Wheeling to Charleston
TINT locates II there "upon condition"
that the people Of that city would furnish
State House free Of cost. II il true that
Colonel Ben. Smith did one day read a
proposition to the IIOuSco Delegates US
to what Charleston would do (giyc ten
acres Of land and hundred thousand
dollars in money, pcrhnps,) in ease The
Capital was removed to that place. This,
II we mistake not, was yeat or two pre-
vious TO the actual location Of the Capt.
tai. At all events the Legislature Of
West Virginia never accepted the propo-
siLion, be II when II was, as the net Of re-
moval plainly shows. The Capital went
to Charleston without conditions, and
therefore the net Of removal may not be
"Gtly characterized as gross outrage"
on that community. On the contrary,
the abuse that has been llenped upon the
Legislature for exercising It's right TO re-
move tho Capital from Charleston is a
"groa outrage" on the members and their
constituents.