Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-02-20
FROM THE CAPITAL.
DEVELOPMENTS.

Spirited scenes, those which gather last
ing interest and Importance as they
progress, are rare occurrences In the
legislative proceedings of the State, OF
West Virginia. Common every day
matters in Legislative business, mingled
at times with little spirited discussion
to relieve the monotony, is about all
we GET the whole session through.
Grave, torcible proceedings have been
attemped or conducted less than thrice
in the history of the State, those OF to.
day making the last of the trio, as well
as the first proceedings of the KIND
that has ever taken place since this Ut
tie Commonwealth had place In the
galaxy of sovereign States.
Imagine the Legislature, in its lower
body in complete and studied session.
two-,hirds of the higher body upon tne
floor, grave speaker in the CHAIR anu
the lobby crowded to sufocatlon WIN
promiscuous and excited crowd, an Ola
man. vergiug upon the ripe age OF
three score and ten years, dove-taileo
between two eminent lawyers, all IA
ciuo the speaker and the central figure
in contempt before the House, and you
have the pictnreg complete. Listen TO
the speaker rs he0reads, "what bonus
or interest, if any, does your bank pay
to Z. A. Bennett, Auditor of the State,
or John S. Burdett, Treasurer, for the
use of the funds of the State deposited
therein" Gather the answer from the
aged witness as follows: l decline TO
answer the question for the reason that
it will criminate myself" and you will
tn en- understand that Mr.. n. b. Cabell,
President of the Merchants Bank OF
Charleston, is before the House of Rep
resentatives of West Virginia for the
purpose of purging himself Of contempt
for having refused to answer the ques-
tions of the committee now lnvestlga-
ting the State finances, of when }.
Hanson Good, Of Wheeling, is chair
man.
When, at the very beginning OF the
session, a resolution was introduced and
unanimously passed, to enter into an
investigation of the Ways and Means
by which the State finances were con-
trolled and expended, little if any, in
terest was taken in the subject, and
from that time until to-day the meetings
of tie Committee had been character
lied with no preceptible amount Of in
,erest or important information.
Therefore, when it became rumored
this morning that the President OF the
Merchants Bank had refused TO answer
questions pertinent to the inquiry, and
for which be would be brought before
the bar 81 the House, to answer for
such contempt, there was considerable
interest manifested in what would be
done, although SO well had the secrets
of the committee been guarded that
very few people knew anything about
the mine Of interest and importance,
which WA to be exploded in Tie after
dinner session of ;he House of Dele
gates
Q rhe House convened as usual at
three o'clock.
Soon after Mr.. Good, Of Wheeling,
sent TO the Clerks desk a resolution
asking that \. B. Cabell be arrested by
the Scrc eant-e.-Arns and brought be-
rore the bar of this !luase TO answer a
contempt OF is Authority.
4 little after Gse o'clock the Serge
au;-at-Arms appeared with the conluma-
cions witness. He occupied chair
directly in tie aisle fronting the Speak
or. Mr.. Hogeman and Quarter OF bis
counsel, sat upon rither side OF him,
giving direction as 10 his action. The
Speaker read the questions AS above
stated prepared by the committee, and
the great crowd present, with bated
creath, waited for the answer; and when
the refusal to answer was clearly and
distinctly read b. the clerk, murmur
surprise ran through the whole au-
dirDce. As soon as they Lad been utter
cd. NJ. Mason, Of Jefferson, moved to
adjourn, and then the question arose,
a very grave one too, for so incXperI-
c3ced body as this, us to what should
be done with the witness Mr.. Hutch
inson. of Wood made a strong speech,
urging his transfer to the custody OF
the Sergeant-at-Arms until tomorrow,
and Mr.. Carlisle, Of Harrison, opposed
this proceeding, rather questioning the
right of the House to compel the wit
ness to answer. Mr. Campbell, Of Han
cock, made a temperate speech, inter
leaved with some criticisms upon MIR.
Carlisle's defence Of the witness as a
member of the committee, which
brought ont severe response from Mr..
Carlisle, during which he was ordered
to his seat by the Speaker-Mr. Jordon,
of Wheeling, in the chair. 1t was
nearly seven o'clock before the House
adjourned, without action, leaving the
witness in the custody OF the Sergant-at-
Arms for the night. That Is II he
chose to stay there.
There is Of coarse Amuch excitement
attending this Unusual proceeding, and
thousand different storiss are afoat as
tothe information possessed by Mr..
CabeA Of his transactions with the
State officers, WHICH would make him
a criminal to disclose, but it may be
that we will have these hidden trut lbs
shortly, and / refrain from repeating
these stories, although some are very
Interesting, and Indicate that if this in
ycstigation is, pushed the reflections
will not stop at the Auditor and Treas.
,ro,,rl. wv Grantham. eX-SaDa-