Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-01-24
AT THE STATE HOUSE.
PROCEEDINGS or THE LEGISLATURE.
SENATE

SENATE.
WHEELING, January -.
senate opened with Newton in the
Chair.
The opening prayer was made by
RR Swope, Of ST. Matthew'S Episco-
pal church,
4 communication WAS real from the
CLERK O! the House asking the concur
rene. OF the senate in the passage OF
H.JR. No. IS. making provisions for
the re-irsurins OF the State House.
TEPORrS.
Dennis. chairman Of the Committee
o, the Judiciary, iayorably reported on
number oi bills, one OF which
was that providing iOr the IN
,r,juction OF the 'MOttctt Bell
Punch Register.
Baxter. OF tnr Committee ON Coun-
lies and Municipal Corporations, re-
uorted two bills concerning the County
Court. one Of which was recommended
10 pass. ami the other to be rejected.
Tarr, Of the Pcnitentiary Committee,
made favorable report on the bill %
create a superintendent OF the penlten-
tiAry.
Johnson. of the Military Committee,
r.rnrtrd hyurably ON the bill apprO-
p-'a;in, money a. pay the militia Tor
their .ry.rys during the July riots OF
ls,I.
HON. o. y. CAMDEN,
tET7Ugh ~rnatDr Dennis, of tircCnbrier,
submitte a communication concerning
his ALLEGED contempt Of the Senate,
which W. append:
To tRS Hgp0rdJls, hS S7iGt2 of West Itr-
glHla-
find from the reports Ot your pro-
crnIin-S that Joint resolution has been
passed by yDUr honorable body, amt l.
nov pending before the House for IT.
artIo1. citing me to appear before the
bar Oi the Senate. tD auSwCrtOacharge o!
contempt for declining % anSwercrrtun
questions prupuundvd tO me by the
Joint special committee appointed by
the last Legislature tU investigate GER
tan matters relating Q" the management
oi the h. & q. K. H.
1 WAS away from home AMI ont Ot the
S,ue when learned Of the proceedings
of your honorable body iu reference 70
myspli. A, ,uuu a. important business
arrangements permitted | came here for
Oh purpose ui meeting any demands
tn may be- required oi me, amt to bring
myself within the jurisdiction ut the
legislature.
desire to submit the following state
IN mt of facts ga relation % this matter:
In the first uLgrr ] have never at any
tim. been summoned tp appear before
th iuiut committee. but Iu September
las, thrrha.rmau ui the committee called
upon me az my utlirr in PdrkersburI
an requested Wv tu step .Ht' an atJOln-
in: athrr i1r the purpose ot giving testl-
m ms before tlv guG.If'cr. In com
p.Auyy with hI~ request / accompanied
HIN into the uf'.ur 90 JUi-r Okey
johnson. aUi tuUuI twH members
of the yuuu.',.r present, the chair
man and the >nustrr from jefferson.
Se,rrt. questions ven. prupouudrd %
m' al. u, which answered, except the
ON, referred tu .u the report. NV
reason Tor refusing 90 answer IL vas
that I considered 20 fp hv an improper
qu '-,,uu, AMI 8u infringement oi the
TX - 90 the company, whose business
vAs iUtru>tyj 20 my management. ID
the Camden Cunspidatcd oil Company
has sucrre,ird IN the management OF its
business of bringing ell from Pcunsyl-
yaulI tD Parkcrshurg and refining u
there and shipping Its products {" the
sca5Jari for export. thereby building
up q large manufacturing interest m
West Virginia largely from a product ut
PENNSYLVANIA, In direct competition
with similar interests in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Western New York, 10 wuuld,
j think, De- mauItrs,Iy improper to
compel il o. reveal D. the
public und tu competing rail
rosds out oi the state. and its competi-
tors In business, the management OF
lts private business affairs. such re-
qu.rvmcut might rySu', MT .uly o. the
prsIudlrv oi the interests ui INV COm-
lIly, bat al~p tu the injury ni the
largest manufacturing interest of
Pa-krr>NUr. At ,,I-f tll, WAS the
hgIt IN which the question presented
itself o. my mind, and J>Nci time iur
the purpose ui considering the guc~-
uon, which was readily granted, and
IN" committee at'oUruyl The chair
nun aitCrWlri lilrt>~,vl WC a letter
requesting me o. meet the committee IN
Wheeling 40 time fixed IN December
The letter dad not reach me until the
time iNed hal paSsCd. unlthis think,
j stated IN nv reply to the chairman.
state these facts - relating
{" myself. and respectfully submit
that have hai no intention
% show any disrrspeyt or contempt
toward the Legislature or It's Joint Conn
mittce. and think the facts ITO not JUS
tity such conclusion.
| am now before Your honorable
bpiy. and while protest that the gucs-
tiul propoundei u me j. IN violation
Oi the rights and privileges whlCh at
ta,h 90 the privacy oi individual husl-
hess transactions, still ] am willing 20
answer that or any other question
which NAV be deemed essential "a fur
th'r the public interests or protect the
rights ot the State.
wish il to NJ distinctly understood
that / have no desire to shield the K <
o. railroad COMPANY from investigation.
! now distinctly di>clSim any inten-
ton az any time Of doing any SCI IN
contempt ofthe authority ot the Leyis-
hture or II is Joint Committee. AMI !
nov appear before your honorable
body and voluntarily waive the Qucs-
ton Of privilege, and am willing 10 an
swer such questions n yoUr honorable
body OF the Joint Committee NAV lie
sire
Respectfully.
J, Y. CNNpEN.
WhoSling, JJRHary 9S 1912.
Dennis moved that the communist
ton be printe in the journal
AcGrew wanted il laii % the table.
President Johnson thought the CON
nunicatiOn premature, a. the liouSe
had not acted on the resolution cItiHE