Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-01-21
FROM WHEELING
DOings Ofthe Legislature
Gossip about tie Session
Re disiricling-W0rk
of b evisOry Conn
mitGee. &c.
WHEELING, JAN. 18th, 1881.

" A1EGh1LN1 ~ AoNls 1CQ1t
The legislature has now been in
session long enough to get down to
business, and is steadily at work.
The general impression among the
members is that the session will be
a long one, but a few think Li,are is
70 necessity for a long session, and
that the work q ba finished by the
1st OF March. If the york OF tile
Revisory Committee could be utiliz.
Cl and acted upon as it comes from
e Committee, Ob6re would be no
occasion for a ioug session, as the
object of that Committee was to re-
wise and prepare legislation in such
manner as to save time in the leg
islatule. But the work of the Com
mittee covers extensive ground, and
the average member is not disposed
to be cut off from his part in the
work of making laws by the action
of the Revisory Committee. He
wants every bill to go through the
regular course, and it looks as if he
would b, gratiied. The opinion is
that the bills generally will be refer
red to the committees. If so, the
labors of the Revisory Committee
will amount to nothing at all, as to
saving time and shortening the SEES
sion.
A number of quite important LIat-
tiers will come before this legislature;
not the least of which is the ques-
tion of re-districting the State.
There are various opinions in regard
to the matter. The opinion is gain
ing ground that it would be danger
Gus for the legislature to anticipate
the action of Congress in this re-
spect. 1t might result in the un-
seating of members elected to Con-
gress under such re-districting.
Looking at the question from this
standpoint, it is hardly probable that
the legislature will go into the re-
districting business in advance of
the action of Congress in regard to
the matter.
The temperance people are quite
active and will be before the legisla-
ture with strings of petitions in fav-
or of the passage of the Prohibition
Amendment which will be pressed
again this winter. Judge Jim Fer
guson, the brainy leader in the
House will have charge of the
Amendment, and expresses his abil-
ity to have it pass that body with
out much trouble. | don't know
who Will chaperon it in the Senate,
but, unless there has beena decided
change since the last session, it will
find some trouble in getting through
that body.
There is no doubt that the tenn
perance movement is growing in the
State, and is preparing to make it
self felt. 1t is rumored here that
Judge Ferguson, Judge Brown, Col.
George Moffett and others are quiet
ly p~erfecting a plan to Mahonize the
State on the Prohibition question.
Just how it is going to be done, and
lust when the movement will be for
mally inaugurated, | am not prepar-
ed to say. The plan is said to be d
"deep laid" one, and has some refer
ence to the election of a u. 5. Sen
ator. When it fully ~crystalizes, l
will inform you.
There is astrong effort being made
by some of the active members of
both Houses to have provision made
\ for a Geological Survey of the State.
This is an important matter, and
would be highly advantageous in the
present.rapid development of the
| State. A bill has been passed provid-
ing for a special committee of the
two Houses to constitute a commit
tee on Geographical Survey. That
is a step in the right direction.
If one keeps his eyes aud ears open
and is a close observer, though not
seen on the surface, there is a good
deal of quiet manipulating going on
in regard to the election of a United
States Senator next winter. OF
course this legislature has nothing to
do with the matter, but twelve OF
the present Senators, who hold over
will have a vote on the question. 1t
is a noticeable fact that these twelve
hold-over Senators are decidedly
more courted and sought after than
the twelve whose terms expire with
the end of the present session. How
ever, the setting sun is rarely wor-
shipped. But | shall not have fully
discharged my r~eportorial duties, if
l omit to say something about the
prospective candidates, You must
not apprehend that there will be a
derth Of applicants for the position.
AS. far as heard from we have
first, the Hon. C.. J. Faulkner, Of