Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-04-23

session, but WlthIn q few 0aNs OF
adjournment under constitutional
limitations, and by the journal of
that body it will be seen that a
Joint resolution was introduced
and passed appointing a joint com
mittee of the two houses to confer
with these commissioners, which
committee was at once appointed
This was followed in few days
by a joint resolution, passed on the
last day Of the session, authorize
ing the appointment Of commits
si01ers 70 treat with the Guthori-
ties of Virginia. But ia the hurry
of business incident to the closing
hours of the session no provision
was made TO defray the necessary
expenses of the commissioners,
and, although the commissioners
were appointed by the Governor,
they were forced to postpone ac-
ton under this resolution till the
next session of the legislature.
And / will say here in reply to
charge made by the Senator
from Connecticut Mr.. Hawley -
/ quote from the Congressional
Record of the 9th instant, and /
ask the Secretary to read it
The Chief Clerk read as follows:
/ abhor Reputation in every
fiber of my being, whether it be
of national or State debt. My
State knows n thing of it. l
would that no State might know
it. / do not know how much or
how little there is of it in the Vir-
ginia campaign. l do remember,
however, that the Republican
constitution of West Virginia, es-
tablished in 1862, promised to as
sumo an equitable share of the
whole Virginia debt; do know
that Republican legislation in
West Virginia provided COM
mission to go to Richmond and
see what should be assumed as
West Virginia's portion of that
debt; and / do know that when
the Democratic party got control
of West Virginia in 1872, it made
a new constitution and wiped out
that paragraph, and the Democ-
racy of West Virginia has never
to my knowledge undertaken to
carry out the pledges made by the
Republicans of West Virginia to
take an honorable share of the
debt.
Mr.. Camden-I will say in reply
to the Senator and to other Sena-
tors on that side of the Chamber
who have since repeated this
charge, that this was the last &C.
ton taken in West Virginia by q
Republican legislature in reference
TO this debt question.
The Democrats elected a Demo
cratic governor and legislature in
1870, and the subsequent action to
which l shall refer was by Dem
ocratic legislature, and under a
resolution introduced by my col
league-who was then a member
of the legislature and whose De-
mocracy, | take it, will not be
questioned - and commissioners
appointed by a Democratic gov
ernor. But | will state further
that there has never been any is
sue between Republicans and
Democrats in our State on this
question, and as far as / know no
political difference of opinion in
regard TO it exists, and there never
has been any public action or off,
cial expression by either party in
West Virginia that did not recog-
nizs her obligations to assume her
equitable portion of the debt ac-
cording to the constitution of 1868
when ascertained.
The Democratic Legislat ure of
West Virginia ,on the 18th of Feb
ruary, 1871, by a joint resolution
] authorized and directed the Gov
ernor TO appoint three commits
sioners to treat with the authori-
ties eff Virginia on this subject of
the adjustment of the public de bit,
requiring them to make rep ort
thereof to the Governor, to be by
him communicated to the legisla-
ture at the commencement of its
next session, and make the neces-
sary provisions for the payment
of their expenses, which had been
omitted in the resolution of the
previous session. Under this res
Olution commissioners were ap-
pointed, and they made very
full and exhaustive report, to
which l shall refer.
But here it is proper to state in
this connection that the General
Assembly of Virginia, by reso-
luton adopted on the 18th OF Feb
ruary, 1861, no doubt anticipating
the provisions of the funding bill
which was passed the following
month, rendered to the State of
West Virginia an arbitration of