Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-10

HcCrum, Mcneil, Meadows, Nor.
row.. Orr, Sheppard, steere,
Wells (of Tyler and Wilson (of Barbour)
The noes were: Messrs. Wilson (Speakerl
Bee, Brady, Edmiston, Evans, Ferguson,
Floyd, Grmtham, Hail (of Barbour) Lur-
ty, Holt, johnson, Kepner Leonard, Mof-
tfet, Poe, Prince, QHarrier, Riley
Rowley, Seabright, Settle, Sharp, Siler
Sinclair, Thompson, Tippett, Wayt-27.
Absent on leave and not voting:
B Crumrine, Davis, Monroe, Rowley.
& A message from the Governor was an
snounced, returning, with his objections
Thereto, House Bill No. 165, amending sec.
tions and 10 of chapter l6l OF the Acts OF
1923, ana the question being shall the
bill pass the objections OF the Governor to
THE contrary notwithstanding, the bill was
rejected.
Mileage.
Mr.. Lynch offered resolution providing
that the Clerk, assistant clerks, Sergeant
alarms, Doorkeeper and pages, be allow
ed the same mileage as members from their
counties.
Mr. Grantham was opposed to any addi-
tional allowances to officers of the House,
and moved to indefinitely postpone.
Mr.. Fulkerson moved to lay on the table,
which was adopted.
Bills on Second Beading.
! House Bill No. 339 authorizing the build
ing OF bridge across the Elk river at
Charleston, was read second time and
ordered to a third reading.
House Bill 36l, regulating contracts for
labor in this State, making eight hours le-
gal days work, was read second time, and
on a call OF the ayes and nays, on demand OF
Mr.. Ferguson, the House refused to order
the bill TO third reading by vote OF 8
to A.
House Bill No. 1885, relating to the road
tax of John w. and ". w. Riley, of Han
cock county, and
House bill 1858, fixing the times OF holding
courts in the Fifth Circuit, were each read
a second time and ordered to a third read.
ing.
House bill 362, concerning offences against
the person, came up on its second reading.
Mr. Edmiston moved to strike out so much
of the section relating to indictments as
requires the grand jury to return indict.
ments for manslaughter and murder in the
second degree, and leave the law as it now
is, so that all indictments for killing shall
be for murder in the first degree, and sus-
tanned his position with forcible speech.
Messrs. Ferguson and Leonard opposed,
and upon q call of the roll the amendment
was rejected.
Capital Punishment.
Mr.. Steere moved TO strike out the death
penalty in the fifteenth section for certain
heinous crimes therein specified.
Mr.. Ferguson said this was a very I'M
portant matter. The section punished a
horrible crime with death if the jury on the
trial so declare. 1t was hardly necessary to
call attention to the fact, so prevalent was
this most horrible crime-in his judgment,
more horrible than murder-that man
did not feel safe TO leave his family without
guard. There was no punishment ade-
quate to the enOrmity OF the crime, except
death. 1t was the fact that the death pen
atty was not enforced that led to the pun
ishment of such crimes by mobs, and he
proposed to have all crimes punished by
law. He sincerely hoped the matter would
be left to the jury, as was intended in the
act.
Mr.. Steere thought that twenty years
punishment by confinement in the peni'
| tentiary, would be more certain to be en-
| forced. In these cases it was always diff
cult to prove and the sympathy OF al
were with the injured party, and during
| the excitement men were likely to bt
wrongfully punished, and if sent to the
penitentiary, the evil could be corrected:
The amendment was voted down by de
| cisiye majority, and the bill ordered to 81
| engrossed and read third time,
Geological Survey.
House bill No. 36S, providing for geo
| logical survey for this State came up on 1t:
second reading.
After some minor amendments, Mr.
Brady moved to indefinitely postpone the
| bill. but afterwards withdrew the motion
which was renewed by Mr.. Grantham.
Mr.. Seabright hoped the motion would
| prevail. Ohio county had no interest in
1t, and ii the State could not protect the
miners, there was no reason for it,
Mr.. Kepner said if the State could not
afford to protect the men ROW engaged in
| digging her coal and ore it was useless to at
tempt to develop more mines.
Mr.. Moffett thought he could convince
| the gentlemen that il was as much to the
interests of Ohio county rs any other, be
cause by developing the mineral resources
of the State it would increase the taxable
value of the lands, and to that extent re-
| lieve Ohio county from portion OF heI
present burden.
Mr.. Grantham was not opposed to geo.
| logical survey at the proper time, but now
| the State could not afford it. 1t called for
| the expenditure of s., 900, and as the House
| decided it could not afford to expend 81 ,O0J
| for the protection of the miners in
those already developed, he did not think
| it could afford to spend this amount at
present on a survey. 1t was not the time.
Mr.. Moffett admitted il was not the time.
1t should have been ten years ago, and
then West Virginia would have been worth
double and triple what she now was. He
thought that because the miners bill had
been defeated, was no reason why this
should be. He considered it the most i'm
portant measure for the interests Of the
State, now before the House, and thought
he could so convince any intelligent man.
Mr. Ferguson didn't know whether he
was Intelligent or not, but he proposed
to show that it was most
Ubiquitous Measure.
For that reason he had hoped the motion
would not be made, but that the bill would
be perfected and 60 to its third reading,
when he would have something to say.
The motion to indefinitely postpone was
withdrawn. the bill ordered to be engrossed
and read third time, and the House ad'
journed.
FIRE RECORD.
VERGENYEs, VT, February 9.--The works