The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-24

acts Of lel2-6, pro Vtdlng ior tne fe'lQea.
ton OF county seats, recommending that
Mr.. Tasr, Chairman Of the Committee.
on Penitentiaty, reported back Senate bill'
No. l05, o bill providing for the appoint
ment OF Superintendent Of PenitentIary.,
Recommended to pass.
Mr.. johnson. Chairman OF the Com
mittce on Militia, reported back Senate
bill No.,l09, q bill making appropriations
70 certain volunteer military companies
for services rendered to the State in sup.
pressing the riots in the months Of July
and August, 1877. Recommended to pass.
Mr.. Dennis, on the part OF the JudlciR.
ry Committee, offered Senate bill No, ll3,
abill providing for tho purchase and dis:
tributiOn OF o certain number Of copies Of
the Revised Statutes Of West Virginia.
by Mr.. Wood: a bill to authorize the
Pittsburgh Wheeling & Kentucky Rail.
road Company 10 connect or interseCt It's
railroad with the Baltimore 4 Ohio Rail.
road. Referred to the Judiciary.
Mr.. Dennis presented communication
from ]. N. Camden, and moved that II be
printed In the Journal. Several Senators
opposed tho motion on the ground that II
was premature. The motion was lost and
the communication returned to Mr.. Den.
mis-.
The following is a copy of Mr.. Camden's
letter:
LETTER FROM J. n. CAMDEN.
To he Honorable, he Senate Of Wea Iir.
ginid:
Itlnd from reportofyour proceedings
that Joint resolution has been passed
by your honorable body, and is now pend
ing before the House for its action, citing
me to appear before the bar Of the Senate
to answer charge OF contempt for de.
clining TO answer o certain question pro-
pounded to me by the joint special com.
mittee appointed by the Legislature 10 III
vestigate certain matters relating TO tho
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.
! was away from home and out Of the
State when | heard Of the proceedings
Of your honorable body in refer.
ence to myself. and as soon as important
business arrangements permitted, came
here for tho purpose OF meeting any de-
mands that may be required OF me, and to
bring myself within the Jurisdiction Of the
Legislature. desireto submit the follow
ing statement OF facts in relation 10 the
matter: In the 1irstplaCe, Ihaye never at
any time been summoned to appear be-
fore the joint committee, but in September
last the chairman of the committee called
upon me at my. office in Parkersburg and
requested mo 10 step into an adjoining
office for the purpose Of giving testimony
before the committee. In compliance
with his request, accompanied him into
the office OF Judge Okey Johnson, and
found two members Of the committee, the
chairman and the memberfrom Jefferson.
Several questions were propounded 10 me,
all OF which ] answered except the one
referred TO. My reason for declining to
answer that question was because ! CON,
ceived 1t to BIO an improper question, and
an infringement upon tho rights Of the
company, whose business was Entrusted 10
my management.
II the Camden Consolidated Oil Com
pany was successful in the management
Of It's business in bringing oil irum Penn.
sylyanla to Parkerburg, and manutaGtur.
ing 1t there, and shipping the products to
the seaboard for export, thereby building
up a large manufacturing interest in West
Virginia, largely from product Of Penn
sylVania, in direct competition with
similar interests in PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio,
and Western New York, It would, think,
be manifestly improper to compel'it to
reveal to the public and to competing rail-
roads ont oil tho State its competition in
business and management OF Its private
business affairs. Such requirement
might result not only 10 the prejudice Of
the interest OF my Company, but also 10
the injury OF the largest manufacturing
interest OF the city Of Parkersburg, ut
least this was the light in which the cues.
ton presented itself to my mind, and
asked time OF tho committee for The pur.
pose OF considering tho question, which
was readily granted, and the committee
adjourned, as the committee expressed
themselves anxious to leave on the next
train, which l believe they did. The
chairman Of the committee afterwards al.
dressed mo & letter requesting me TO meet
the committee In Wheeling Mt y time fixed
in December fa,i' M .t I0a
Twas in the East at the time. The letter
was addressed 10 me at Parkersburg, mud
l did not receive it until the time fixed had
passed, and my recollection is, that re.
piled to the Chairman Of the committee to
that effect, stats tl1se facts rs relating
TO myself, and respectfully submit that |
have had no intention To- show any disre,
speet or contempt towards the Legislature
or It's joint committee, and think thC facts
do not justify such conclusion. | aM
now before your honorable body, and
while l protest that the question pro.
pounded to me, and which l declined to
answer without fplther consideration, is
in violation OF the rights and priv.
lleges which attach to / the pri.
vacy Of individual business trans.
actions, still ] am willing to
answer that or any other question which
may be essential TO further the public in.
terpsts or protect the rights Of the State.
wish 1t to be distinctly understood that l
have no desire to shield the Baltimore 4
Ohio Railroad Company from inyestiua.
ton. / nov distinctly disclaim any inten.
ton, at any time, Of doing any action in
contempt Of the authority OF tho Lortsla,
turc. or Of the joint committee, and now
appear before your honorable body and
voluntarily waive question OF privilege,
andan ready to answer such questions as
your honorable hody,or Its Joint commit.
tee may desire. IRespectfully,
slHGHp3 J, H.0ANDES.
Wheeling, Jan. %; 1870 q ii, I'D
Mr.. Wood moved to take up House Joint
resolution No. 13, in relation to insurance
on tbe Capitol building. The resolution
was adopted, and Mr., Wood was appoint.
el TO communicate Il to the House.
Senate joint resolution Was-fead In rela.
ton 10 tho Rapon Rajlronfl iii n Tos,nJ