The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-15


taken into consideration in arriving ct
an equitable adjustment, and conclude
their report by charging to West Virginia
all the money expended within her ter.
rltory and credltilg her with her estimated
share Of the public property aud assets OF
Virginia not embraced In the debt, and
upon this basis ascerta!ned the amount
due as West ViIginia's proportion OF the
debt on January s, 1861, $685., $3.50 90.
This report was communicated by the
Governor to the Legislature OF West Viz.
GINA en- the 18th OF January, 1879, and has
remained unchallenged.
The Governor In presenting It TO the
Legislature used the following Language;
1T will demand your serious considera.
ton whether you will now proceed 10 IS.
sumo what you may conceive to be the
equitable proportion OF the public debt oil
Virginia prior to the lst Of January, 1881,
or whether you will in the light Of past
events await further action on the part Of
Virginia"
No further action has been taken on the
part Of either State, and there the matter
rests.
Now, slT, there Is one more criticism
that deserves attention. 1t has been di.
reCtly charged more than once by SenA'
tore during this discussion thNt because
the formal recognition Of the obligation Of
West Virginia to pay her equitable pro.
portion oil the deb! OF Virginia contained
in the Constitution Of 1858 does not ap.
pear in the Constitution Of 1879, that the
Democratic party, as soon as II obtained
aacendency In the State, repudiated this
obligation,
A few words OF explanation will make
this plain, The Constitutional Oonvsn.
ton OF 1879 had before 1t the report oil the
Commissioners to which have been re.
terring, West Virginia has no bonded
debt, and never had, and both Oonstitu.
lions contained provisions prohibiting her
from making any except for certain sptCi.
fled purposes; and in leaving out section s
OF article s Of the Constitution OF 1868,
which provided Tor assuming M equitable
proportion Of the debt Of Virginia, pro-
vision was made in tho Constitution OF
1879, In section OF article 10, to the ex-
tent OF providing, in connection with
section 4 Ot the same article for the pay.
ment Of the debt when asCertained.
Section provides that no debt shall be
contracted by tho State except, among
other things, 10 redeem The precious liability
of The Stale"
Section 8 provides that the power OF
taxation 10 the Legislature shall extend to
provisions for the payment Of the State
debt and tho lntereSt lhereoD;" SO that
the Constitution Of 1872, instead OF reCOg.
MIXING the obligation TO assume an equita'
bic proportion Of the debt, provides Tor It's
payment when ascertained.
And now, Mr.. President, having pre-.
scented In full the record on the subject
VI the debt between the two Vrglnlss, ]
shall leave the question on this record
without any further remarks.
Mr. Vest obtained the floor.
Mr.. Blair-I wish to ask the Senator
from West Virginia q question as TO an
item Of fact. / did not quite understand
what had became OF the securities which
Virginia held on account oil the public
improvements Of which the Senator spoke.
Has she still these geCuritiesP
Mr.. Camden-she has,
Mr., BIair-The whole amount?,
Mr.. Camden-The whole amount,
Mr.. Davis, Of West Yirgnia-I will say
to the Senator from New Hampshire that,
80 far as my knowledge Is concerned, In
no way has West Virginia received bene.
fit for any Of the moneys spent In the ter.
ritory Of the old State. My colleague has
said that about thirty million dollars Of
the debt as II stood In 1851 had been ex.
pended In the old Slate and about two
million five hundred thousand dollars In
tho new State.