Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-03-04
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Morning Session.

HOUSE OF DtbEtA ho'
Morning Session.
Yesterday morning was very duIl
time i'm the House; il was as dry inside
as it was damp outside. The members
or large number OF them spent nearly
all the time in the Senate Chamber or
loaied in the cloak rooms.
Judge Ferguson moved his chair upto
the Clerks desk where nc could hear
without any exertiOu the second read
ing of House Bill No. 204, Il bill To re-
vive, amend and re-enact Chapter :" OF
the Code concerning the assessments oi
taxes. Others Of the Judiciary also paid
strict attention from 10 o'clock, the hour
set for taking the bill up, until Il O'Clock
when the House took a recess, being
about
HALFWAY Through the Bill.
Before the special order was taken up
ther. was some other business trans.
acted.
The bill concerning the poor, with
Scna.e amendments coming up, the
amendments OF the Senate were con-
Cured in, with one exception.
Mr.. Leonard, from the Committee on
Taxation and Finance, reported bill
making appropriations OF public money
10 pay members Gi the Legislature anu
for salaries OF the Cilicers Of the govern
ment with the recommendation that 1t
pass. The rules being suspendedit 1t was
considered and reai the first time 10y
its title.
Some hall dozen bills were on motion
4 al - nl "A
time, then being ordered to their Sec
Ond.
A large number OF amendments were
made to the
Assessment Bill"
but were OF no special importance and
at l2o'cl0ck on motion OF Mr.. Seabrlght,
a recess was taken until 2P. NJ.
Afternoon Session.
On reassemblng the bill was taken
up. The members were wide awake IN
the afternoon and lively time general
ly was had, at some times, reminding
one forciblv of the times when the
Railroad Bill'' was up.
The section first attacked was the one
levying
IaNeS on hallrOduS.
Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. FulkersOn in the
chair, moved to amend one sentence
making the TAX apply To all railroads
Messrs. Hubbard and ferguson opposed
this IA being useless and unnecessary.
Mr.. Hubbard was OF the opinion that
that were il adopted it would appear
that the law hal not heretofore been
clear and plain enough. Messrs. Wilson.
Molrrtt and Hall, of Barbour, were all
in favor of the same. Mr.. Wilson found
an opportunity for repeating part OF his
celebrated railroad speech, which he
was not slow To avail himself OF. lie
made the hall echo and re- echo with his
eloquenUr. The Speaker demanded the
ayes and nays, saying that h' wanted to
20 before htS constituents with record.
This Little Fling
brought Judge Ferguson To his feet, who
declared that he would not thus be
dragOOned.
The amendment was adopted by an
ave and nay vote.
Mr.. Hubbard raised another row by
proposing an amendment adding to the
prohibiting OF County Courts to COM
promise or remit railroad taxes, fine
Tor so doing oinOt less than SlOOor more
than 500 on any member ot the Court
who should SO DO. Mr. Morrow was
opposed to this. Mr.. Wilson again de-
nounced the
"Grinding Mouopolies,
and was in favor of adding To the fine,
Imprisonment. Mr.. Grantham favored
both ideas. Mr.. Quarter made 4 de-
cided speech against it, claiming that It
was
A Dangerous Precedent,
for if carried out, judges of the Supreme
Court would be sHbject to tine and Iul-
prisonment.
Considerable disorder took place at
this point and Mr. Moifett, who was in
the chair, was obliged 10 use the gavel
very lively.
Mr.. Hubbard and Mr.. Quarter at
last got into legal spat and the other
members rested from their labOrs and
listened. The fight was a pretty one
and ended VIGOROUSLY for Mr.. Hubbard
and his followers by
Large Majority
and the reading of tine minutes was re-.
sumed. NJ. Wilson's speech against
allowing the railroad companies 10y hav
ing .their taxes remitted. taking
money from where it belonged, drew a
big lobby.
During the brilliant legal battle be-
tween Mess. Hubbard and Ferguson,
Mr.. Hubbard was engaged in asking
Mr.. Quarrier a question; Mr.. Lowry
spraug up and asked Mr.. Hubbard a
question and wanted an answer. IL
prefer not TO answer YOU until | get
an answer TO my question" said Mr..
Hubbard, thus crushing the gentleman
from Summers. After the talk between
Mess. Hubbard and Quarter, Mr.. Hub
bard turned 10 Mr.. Lowry and asked
what he wanted. That gentlemen, with
an injured look, said, Nv hen | did ask
YOU something received such curt re-
ply that 10 not care TO repeat the
question now.
Mr.. Hubbard-"I am sorry the
TendeI Feelings
of the gentlemen from Summers
were so lscerated, and am, can as
sure him, with no desire TO do him any
personal discourtesy.' Lowry looked
gum but said nothing.
The Assessors
received large amount OF attention and
the gradual decrease OF taxes in the
treasury and the spparent decrease OF
property, while everything else had in
creased. The lawyers and tinanciers OF
the body all took turn. 1t was half
past six when the bill was finished with
its amendments, and at Gas o'clock the
bill was ordered to engrossment and
third reading and the House adjourned.