The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-08

t,oeedle dee. The effect of the language
employed by the reporter and that used
| by himself is the same. 1t is II charge
of dishonor against West Virginia.
| What more dlshonor could she be guilty
OF than that of being contaminated with
| the will to do that which "would destroy
her claim to the homage and respect of
mankind2' 1t was verify q Brutus stab!
and as much out of place IN lecture to
the University boys, as the frequent allu-
! sions to the State debt in the sermons OF
the Virginia parsons. The promi-
nence which certain divines are
giving this subject in their
Sunday discourses has given rise to
suspicion in the minds of some of the
Virginia people that these preachers, IN
imitation of Judas lscariot, have aold
their Lord for thirty pieces of silver.
"Vindex" does not deny the statement
about the action of the Constitutional
Convention IN wiping out the select CON-
mitLee OF seven. He only denies that
Mr.. Wiley, who was q member OF it,
held any Virginia bonds. l am very
glad of 1t. If FIVE righteous men could
have saved Sodom 1t Is equally possible
that one disinterested member might re-
lieve the committee OF very dark sds-
plcion that enveloped it. l would re-
mind "Vipdex," however, that the list Of
persons holding Virginia bonds on file In
the executive department and to which
he refers as published in the Journal OF the
Convention, is not complete list. l
know OF persons holding Virginia bonds
whose names are not on that list. So,
that is not authority for the interest the
mem bers of the committee may have had
in the matter. Still accept his denial
ON behalf of Mr.. Wiley, and credit his
statement that Mr.. Wiley was not
bondholder. But it still places the ex-
Senator in an uncomfortable position
that OF having been placed on a commit
tee which two-thirds of the members OF
the Convention believed was selected for
q 'job"-as their subsequent action in
dicated.
In the first place there was no Eecessl-
ty for this select committee. The whole
subject of the old State debt had been
referred to the Committee on Taxation
and Finance where it properly belonged.
1t was fully considered and discussed by
that committee, and the conclusion the
committee arrived at was that q settle
ment of this veXed question was purely q
matter of legislative determination. That
1t was improper to bind the State by any
Constitutional restriction, and that 1t was
c mstter of negotiation between the two
States 1t was thought proper by the
committee 10 report provision, that in
the event West Virginia should fall in
Virginis's debt on settlement, TO clo:he
the Legislature with the power to pro-
vide for its payment. Accordingly
clause was inserted in the report exactly
Is i! reads in the 4th Section Of Article
Y, of the new Constitution: mo deot
shall be contracted. By this State, except
to meet casual deficits in the revenue, to
redeem q prev,oAs liability, to suppress
insurrection, &c" The only previous
liability" that the State could have in
CURED was what might possibly be due
as q proportion of the Old State debt.
THIS certainly was going far enough on
our part. Why was 1t necessary to as
sumo more than that tor which we were
lisble2 The Legislature was granted the
power to provide for the redemption OF
any liability tha. existed. But this uld
not suit the views OF certain gentlemen
hence the covert attempt to construct q
new committee. l do not propose sitting
in judgment on "a respectable set OF gen.
tlemen," but / simply gave facts, SO that
each could draw his own conclusions. L
said there was contemplated 'job," and
| say so yet. l do not say that MI
Wiley knew it to be so; l do not say
that he had any design to put up job;
but | do say that those who did contem-
plate It designed using him as an instru.
ment with which TO accomplish their
purpose. Like Jake's pet lamb, he was
caug gbt in such bad company he had to
stay there. He msy have belonged TO
the category where "Vindox" placed him
-"in the common herd, whose instincts
were psssably honest but without the
great power of discernment to see where
this thing was drifting. l do not AFRO:
gate to myself any such great gilt, but l
did have common sense enough to vote
q ,.inst the construction OF the commit
tee and to vote for its demolition when 1t
had been constructed. 1t Is very unu-
susl occurrence in the proceedings OF
legislative bodies to authorize the aP-
n0intment of committee for special
nurpo.e, and then TO wipe the committee
out of existence before 1t has had an op-
portunity TO consider the matter referred
10 il. 1t sometimes occurs that com
mi,tee is relieved OF further consid-
erstion of a matter-this being the polite
wsy of getting rid of an unpopular COM
mittee. There must have been some
provoking cause to have aroused the H.
dicnstion of the members OF the Consti.
tutional Convention 10 such pitch IS TO
step beyond the bounds OF parliamentary
courtesy and have extingulshed the COM
| mi,tee in this summary manner. II
"iob" was not discovered, will "Vlnde1
explain the cause OF his conductT
AN ORIGINAL JOB.
After the Convention had so efectual.
" souelched this little job BY putting the
.;p.sssbly honest Septemvir in their
little beds, Mr.. Wiley introduced an ad-
di,ionsl section, TO be added TO the re.
mort of the Committee on Taxation and
Finance, the same quoted by "VindeI,"
and the same which wss incorporated IN
the Constitution of 1868, in reference 10
West Virginis assuming proportion OF
the debt of Virginia. Mr.. Willey's
proposition Was voted down by
the decisive vote OF twenty
ave. to forty-si1 noes. This action otthe
Convention may be justified upon the
ground that this section which was en-
grated in the Constitution Of 1868 was
.'iob" The original job in this matter.
The Constitution Of the United States re-
ouires that in the formation OF new
State, the State out Of whose territory
the new government is TO be taken, shall