The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-13

The whetlins Register publishes 2 nun'-
Der OF letters which have passed 10 the lass
ak months between the Western Vir-
gielan Committee Of London, England,
on The one part, and Governor HOLIDAY o.
VIRGINIA and Governors MATTHEWS ana
JAcxsow, Of West Virginia, on the osner
mart. The committee innocently proposed
that Yves. Virginia should assume % per
rent. Of all certificates OF Indebtedness
allotted nv virginia to West Virginia under
The funding acts OF 1871, ~, and 10. We
can tell all concerned that West virginia
has no intention to pay 5 per cent. OF the
debt she Justly owes, whether that deot 10
twenty.four millions, as 1t is II virginia
has not assigned too much to her, or bail
that SON, or quarter that sum, or any otner
sum. II shows entire ignorance OF west
yirSlnia's intentions, and Of The character
OF the people Of that State, for capitalists 70
be paving even AZ much as ten cents on tne
dollar Cor West virginia's certificates OF
indebtedness issued by Virginia.
The London committee proposed that u
West yirginia declined TO pay the % per
cent. above described she should agree 10
committee OF conference to decide the
amount OF her Indebtedness, said committee
10 consist OF the Governor Of West Virginia,
tae Governor Of Virginia, or the properly
authorized nominee Of each OF them, ana
representative Of the Western Virginian
Committee Of London, said committee OF
conference 10 nominate an umpire in case OF
difference OF opinion. This, too, IL, under
the circumstances. a proposition only to be
laughed at. West Virginia doesn't acknow-
ledge that she owes quite million OF dollars
OF Virgiuia's ante bellum debt. Governor
JACKSON denies that she is responsible TO the
creditors for any sum. OF course, she Is
never going to agree TO have disInterested
parties saddle her with burthen which all
the Interested parties, or, in other WORDS
the taxpayers OF West Virginia, have fully
made up their minds never to carry. On,
no; West Virginia would bury politically
Governor JACKSON, or Governor MATTHEWS,
or any other Of her officers who should dare
10 admit that she owes one tenth part OF the
debt which Virginia has so literally assigned
TO her. So Governor MATHEWS replied last
December that the Legislature would soon
be 10 session.
Last spring Governor MATHEWS went
out Of Office. and Governor JACKSON came
In. The London committee wrote to the
latter asking whether the Legislature bad
acted upon their suggestion, and threaten
Ing TO take illegal measures" TO compel
West Virginia to assume her just proper
ton OF VirgiDia's antebellum debt. A
ridiculous threat, Of course. The London
bondholders, like good many others, seem
10 suppose that in this country the courts
have some sort Of control over Legisla-
tures-a grand mistake, and one which the
bondbolders will find out in good time.
Governor JACKSON answered in letter
which, though little creditable to him,
shows lust what the creditors Of West Vir-
ginla have 10 expect. He declared that the
creditors have no claim upon West Vir-
glnia; that Virginia is responsible to them
for the whole debt, and West Virgioia will
pay TO Virginia what the two States agree
upon MS her share. He is guilty OF the
miserable subterfuge OF quoting what PER-
POINTS State Convention in Wheeling in 1861
did, aud of speaking OF that Convention as
"the Convention OF the State OF Virginia y
another proof that our West Virginia friends
are not honest enough to pay the debt she
Justly owes, much less the twenty'four mil
lions we have assigned TO her. The Wheel
ing Convention OF 1861 was West Virginia
Convention, and consisted Of no delegates
except from the northern border OF what Is
now West Virginia. 1t is humiliatng to
find a West Virginia Governor-one, too,
who had no sympathy with that bogus Con
ycntien-quoting the swinding act Of a
fraudulent body as authority for Sinking
debt. Here is what Governor JACKSON
quotes from the Wheeling Conventions
liberal apportonment OF the debt
"The new State shall take upon itself
lust proportion OF the public debt OF the
Commonwealth Of Virginia prior to the LIST
day OF January, 1861, 10 be asccrtained by
charging 10 IL all State expenditures within
the limits thereof, aud just proportion Of
the ordinary expenses OF the State govern
meDt since any part OF said debt vas con'
tracted, and deducting therefrom the
moneys paid into the treasury OF the Com
monyealth from the counties included
within the said new State during the same
period"
Under such rule, half the counties in
the present State Of Virginia would escape
all responsibility for the debt. AccOmac
and Northampton would never have to pay
a dollar. But it is not necessary 10 charac-
tefize conduct OF this sort. The public
will judge for themselves.
The London committee also wrote several
letters to Governor HOLIDAY, Of Virginia,
on the same subject. His only answer says
that he has no power in the premises, and
that the whole matter will have 10 await the
action OF the Legislature.
NJ