The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-14
UP THE PANHANDLE.
A Cbatty Letter from "CamiIIuS''-
The Stale Debt-COngress Cam
dIdstes-DestructiOn OF "a Residence
by Fire-SInking "a Gas We'll In New
CumberInnd.

goes Tor just any and everything that an
unclaimed fancy or these tremendously
liberalized times may suggest.
Senator Hereford's bill to synchronize
the Congress and State elections in this
State, this fall, IS commendsble for sew
ersl reasons. Besides the great saving
of money 10 the State, realized in the
payment of expenses for one instead OF
two elections, and the greater saving to
the sovereigns who vote IN time expend-
ed, consider the greatest saving OF all,
which results to those burdened indiYid-
usls, the candidates, in getting ont the
vote. AS the vote can't be got out with
out money, and as the money must come
from the candidates, the advantage Of a
single election to the purses OF the latter
becomes mathematically obvious. Can
didates are worthy class of persons and
deserve protection. AS Col. Ben. VIII
son is down in black and white as ia
vorer Of protection" (or, at least, as
opposing Woods tariff bill, it is reason
ably certain he will see MIR. Hereford's g
bill through the House.
There are some points involved in the
settlement of the partition Of our State
from Virginia that ore pretty hard to
see. The subject is suggested by your
discussion of 1t in Saturday mornings
paper. The validity OF the partition is
admitted (or, at any rate, the partition Is
submitted TOY on all hands, so that the dit
fculty Is not about that, or about the
identity, or quantity Of the dlvisible
property to which the parties are respec-
tively entitled. The trouble is that out
Of the partition there results payment
TO be made by one of the parties TO the
other, by way OF rendering 1t just and
eoutsble-a sort of inter State owel.y
in partition; and it is IN the liquidation
of the amount so payable tina. perplexity
arises. What shall be the mode and
measure of such liquidation? That Is the
hard question. Before trying to answer
it may observe that the clam put forth
by some West Virginlans that our State
owes nothing upon the partition, Is un-
tensble. The terms and conditions upon
which such partition was, through the
primary voice OF all the sovereign peo-
pie, proposed; upon which it was made
and ratified, and through which and
which alone it received all the lite, force
and validity belonging to it, are uDequiv-
oCal and imperative In declaring West
Virglnis's Indebtedness for "propor-
tion of the public debt Of the Common
wealth of Virginia, prior to the first day
Of January, 1861" The proposition shall
be 'fust" one, al equitable Onei but
the State of West Virginia "ShaH' take
It upon hersef-it "ShGU be assumed by
her. Until some species OF logic or law
is invented by which it may be concluded
tnat a proposition of 4 given thing means
no part of 1t, it will be useless for West
Virginia to claim that she is liable tor
none of Virginias debt Alike by both
her acts ana admissions the former ls
estopped, and by the decree COM
frming the partition she Is pre-
cluded from denying her indebted
ness To 1ohOnI is she indebted? But
l leave that tor others or the hereafter,
and proceed 70 consider concerning the
mode of liquidation.
That is something, the truth to say,
that ought to have been attended to and
fixed by the restoration convention Of
1861. But having received the go-by by
that body, and the determination and as
certsinment OF the qIlantu'n OF debt as
sumab.e having been (as appears by clear
implication from the terms OF the ordl-
nance of the Virginia restoration con-
vention, as also by the express language
OF the West Virginia ConsututIon) COM
mitted and delegated to West Virgins,
it would seem to be but 3 very PLAIN and
simple duty upon the part OF our State
1t is a sale and exclusive duty, too and
hence settlement by treaty, as was pro-
posed and attempted in 1871, was extra
potential and illegal Until the new
constitution was adopted, the Legislature
was the appointed medium, and doubt
less yet remains the proper one for max
ing the adjustment. That body might,
| should think, very readily attain the
object through a special committee; # not
by that means, then through commits
sion of, say three, judicIous citizens, eX-
pert in the matter OF accounts. For the
strong reasons set forth in your article,
the duty should be attended TO by the
next Legislature. Such fxation OF the
amount of liability upon our State would
be and remain h0ality. Provision
conld then be made for the payment mot
the liquidation" which is the word very
nearly sbsurdly used In the old cOnstltu
tion) Of the amount TO the use or order OF
Virginia.
No great stir is yet perceptible in this
county concerning candidates. Col. Ben.
Wilson is very much esteemed among
the Democracy, yet l cannot prom
lse that his mem bership is considered so
wholly indispensable that some other one
of our deserving men Of ability oRght
not to have chance. John A. Campbell
has certain style about HIM that i'm
presses the 'gr&nd moral ideas" OF mi
nority party, and his friends here are IN
high feather over his anticipated success
sion to the honOrs lately clustered about
the brows OF Charlie Scott.
The residence of Ii. Filson and the at-
Joining tinsmlth and hardware house Of
Filson (S Brown, in New Cumberland,
were, with their contents, wholly con-
sumed by fire Saturday night. The fam.
ily Of Mr.. Filson were absent on = visit
at the time. The fire (the origin OF
which is not accounted for and may have
been incendisry) broke out about II
o'clock. All of Mr.. F.'s household goods
and a valuablc amount of tools, tinwaTe,
stoves, Sc, were consumed or destroyed.
The loss is about 5000, covered partially
by insurance in the Fire and Marine OF
Wheeling.
w. q. Murray, Esq, is sinking a gas
we'll on his premises near this place. 1t
is now down over four hundred feet Be-
fore going one hundred feet enough gas
was found TO run large factory, bu. the
boring was proceeded with, and st this
stage the prospect for oil is very encour-
sging. Good strikes have been made re-
Gently at Wellsville and East Liverpool,
Ohio, only seven miles away, so that
high anticipations are harbored. The
natural gas and oil of Hancock will yet
prove great factors IN the production OF
wealth. CAAlLLUs.
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. {.