The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-14

night, when the Legislative apportiOnmen
bill was under discussion. After warn
debate onthe constitutionality and expedi
ency Of increasing the membership Of til,
House Of Delegates and the number o
Senatorial districts, the Senate, by largl
majority vote, ordered the Judiciary Com
mittee to draw up bill arranging twelve
Senatorial districts, and apportioning the
Delegates on a basis Of sixty.fve members
BY this action the Senate emphatic.
ally put itself on the record as opposed
to an increase Of the membership oil
either House. Yesterday it Stultiaed
itself and turned a complete sum,
mersault In voting for the adoption oi
Senator Stollings substitute increasing the
Senatorial districts to thirteen, making a
new district out Of the counties OF Cabell,
Wayne and Putnam. The minority report
offered by Senators Smith and Donehoo,
which provided for rearrangement Of the
districts, but keeping the present number,
was made short work Of. The consistency
Of the Democracy and the elasticity Of the
conscience OF that party were made mani
fest in refreshing manner by the argu-
ments Of Mr.. Dennis. In the morning he
was quite clear as 10 the right and propri.
ETY. OF passing the Congressional redistrict-
ing bill, which disagures the geography OF
the State, but he was verymuch worked up
in the afternoon over the minority report,
which did precisely the same thing in
regard to the Senatorial districts. He
also objected, on the gpounds OF party
policy solely, to attaching Tucker
county to the Monongalia and Preston dis.
trict. "EIow long will 1t be-" said Mr..
Dennis, turning to the Senatorfrom Tucker
(Air. Ewin) "betore you elect Democratic
Senator from Tucker in that district" OF
course such powerful arguments had the eff
feet Of rallying the faithful, and even after
Tucker was eliminated from such good US.
sociations and Joined TO a Democratic dis
trict, 1t WIS not satisfactory. Why? Be.
cause the Stollings substitute was in re-
serve, and as It give two more Democratic
Senators and increased the power Of the
Southern end Of the State it would better
serve the purpose OF the Representatives Of
that section to kill the minority report and
adopt the StollingI substitute. To do this,
however, required somewhat Of struggle.
A few Democrats rebelled against
stultifying themselves, and with the
aid OF the Republicans OPP
posed the increase. For an hour
and half the minority succeeded in
staving Off action on the substitute by
dilatory motions, and filed in the intervals
by pleading for time to consider the matter
and attempting to reason with the majority.
But it was Of no avail. The representatives
from the Southern end OF the State and
Eastern Panhandle stood solid and voted
as one man, being led by Senators Dennis
and Faulkner, who were coached by the
Speaker Of the House, who occupied seat
near them. The only object the minority
accomplished was to annoy the majority,
which they did in the most approved man
ner; and It was only when every means
had been exhausted thatamotion WIS final
" putagreeingt the bill as amended by the
Stollings' substitute. The debate was not
marred by angry recriminations, but twas
spirited in the extreme and developed in
consistencies on the part OF the dominant
party, which will undoubtedly weigh against
them when reviewed by the calm judgment
OF the people Of the State. The action OF
the Senate will certainly aiFort precedent
for the House to take upon itself the re-
sponsibility OF increasing its members, and
the Senate cannot with any good grace OBJ
ject to such action. The doubtful constitu.
tionality Of the increase ought to have some
weight, but that argument was disposed of
by the Senate, which declared that MS there
was doubt they would allow that doubt
to weigh in favor Of increased representa-
tinn, which is in complete accord with
other arguments Of less force and weaker
logic.