Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-01-27
II TO q MEMBERS SAY 50!
Full Report of the Struggle
Columbus.

The bill of Representative Atkinson
providing for removal of the count!
seat of this county, received its Quietu
in the House of Representatives las
Thursday. The bill had been made ;
special order for Wednesday, at 8 P. NJ
Promptly at that hour Mr.. Atkinson
called up the bill, and remarked that ht
hoped it would pass. Mr.. Pugsley, Of
Highland, shortly afterward obtained
the hoor, and proceeded to deliver {
carefully prepared speech in advocacy
of the bill, or, rather, denunciatory ol
st. Clairsville and Its people. His speech
was remarkably bitter, considering the
fact that he knows nothing of our towI
or its people; but st. Clairsyille people
who listened to it had no difficulty il
determining its paternity-they saw
very readily that it was an ardent young
man of Bellaire, a recent importation in
to the county, who had permitted his
zeal in uprooting the society of this
county to get away with his judgment
who was speaking through the member
from Highland. His invective was well
delivered, occasionally was embellished
with real wit, but on the whole, did the
bill much more harm than good. 1t was
case where the expression Il admire
your pluck, but confOund your judg-
ment,' was applicable. Mr.. Groom, of
Franklin, made a strong legal argument
against the bill. He took the ground
that the General Assembly must, in all
cases, inquire into the necessity of re-
moval, and until convinced there is a
great public necessity for removal nc
such act should lass. The General As.
sembly must judge for itself. The re-
quirement that such acts shall be sub
mitted to the people before taking effect,
is intended as a check upon legislation
He cited the fact that Bellaire is mac
cessible by private conveyance, and de-
clared that to Columbus, from which
fifteen lines of railroad radiate in all di-
rections, a majority of the people of that
county 60 to court in their own convey
ances. They prefer it, for the reason
that they can control their own time.
Mr.. Reed, Of Trumbull, Chairman OF the
Committee on County Affairs, remarked
that he had visited ST. Clairsville and
Bellaire with the committee. The coun-
ty buildings, although old style, he
found in good condition. Good roads
led to st. Clairsville from all parts of
the county. The country around that
town is very fine, and the location for
the county seat a good one. The town
is within four miles of the geographical
center of the county, and, probably,
within one mile of the center of popula-
tiOn. am informed by gentleman
whom think knows, that very large
majority of the taxpayers of the county
protest against removal 1 can see no
good ground for removal. Mr.. Reeds
remarks made decided impression upon
the House. Judge Walker, of Logan
county, reviewed the speech of Mr.. Pugs-
ley, and what review it wasl From
beginning to end the House was con-
vulsed with his ridicule of the effort of
the member from Highland. He said
the member reminded him of the orator
he had heard of who roamed with old
Romulus, ripped with old Euripides, and
cantered with old Cantharides. He in
formed US st. Clairsville is on hill 200
feethigh, but as we are not informed how
low Bellaire is we are in utter ignorance
upon that vital point. and cannot, there
fore, tell how we ought to vote. We are
told that criminals are SO scarce that it
is lonesome for the single prisoner in
the Jail at St Clairsville, but we are not
told how many there are in Bellaire
who ought to be in jail, or how quick il
would be filled if removed there. Again,
the character of the men who have lived
in the place ought to have great weight
with US in determining this question, ac-
cording to the gentleman from High
land. The speaker referred to the great
man of Highland, who Lad once been
Governor, but was never afterward
heard of; and then remarked that St.
ClairSville, he thought, would not suffer
in this particular when compared with
HillSborough. He might mention, of
those who had lived at st. Clairsville,
Charles Hammond (perhaps my young
friend from Highland has never heard
of him), who will always be honored
and revered by the legal profession,
Benjamin Ruggles, Wilson Shannon,
Hugh J. Jewett, Benjamin s. Cowen,
William Kennon, and other distinguish
ed men; but where, said he, is the great
man who ever lived or died at Bellaire.
The good die early" will perhaps ac-
count for the omission, but still the
lack of them, according to the argu-
ment, was fatal to his chosen location.
The place where Bonaparte was born
and buried was alluded to by the gentle
man from Highland, but as he had fail
ed to give us the. level of his grave we
are still cropping in the dark as to what
effect that event would have on the re-
If Toval of the court house from st. Clairs-
vile to Bellaire. Judge Walker argued
against the unfairness of the PROPOSE
tlon to the people of Belmont county,
and spoke ably and eloquently on that
point His speech was an impromptu
one, and was one of the most brilliant
we ever listened to in legislative body.
The debate was kept up until about
81 o'clock, when motion was made to
lay the bill on the table. Dr. Steward.
OF Monroe, moved to take recess, In