Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-04
oUR STATE soLoNs.
Corporal Punishment in the Public
Schools Discussed.
The Prohibition Amendment Declared De-
feated---Primay Election. Bill---Com-
pulsory Edueation---An Interest
ing Observation-Disclosures
ment Till Monday.
THE WHEELING BILL IN THE SENATE.
SENATE.
Morning Session.

Morning Session.
The Senate met at 10 o'clock and the pro-
ceedings were opened with prayer by Kew.
G. Il. Copeland. =.
A communication from the House OF
Delegates announced the passage of Senate
bill amending the Code concerning the
appropriation of money by any county for
the construction of railroads or any other
work of internal improvement. Also the
agreement of the House in the Senate
amendment to the joint resolution au-
thorizing an inquiry into the management
OF the State institutions. So the Hospital
for the Insane will be the only one to under
~ NJ r. staii I ;sss. iasrsxanesd abill pssscsssins
the duties OF the clerks Of the County
Courts as to indexing copies OF deeds ad-
mitted to record, .and in relation to admit
ting certain other deeds to record. 90
Senate bill amending the Code, concern.
ing insane persons and the government oil
the Insane Asylum, was passed.
A number of bills were then read Sec
ond time and ordered to third readiny,
A bill amending the Code concerning
the reports of the Supreme Court Judges,
was amended BY the Judiciary Committee
so as 10 strike from the bill the provision
authorizing the reporter TO condeHse the
opinion of the Judges. This recommenda-
tion of the Judiciary Committee was adopt
ed by the Senate. Other amendments were
made TO the bill, after which the Senate
took q recess.
Afternoon Session.
The Senate reassembling Mr.. McGregor
introduced bill providing for the conf
pensation from the treasury OF James V.
Skidman, for work done on the Staunton
and ParkerSburg turnpike in 1860.
Mr. Dennis presented a petition signed
BY S. B. McClung and seyenty-tye others,
OF Greenbrier county, asking that the law
known as the dog law may be so amend
ed as to give them vote upon said law.
Senate bill in relation to the
Government of the City Of wheeling,
was read second time.
Mr.. Woods. BY request, offered an amend
ment to several sections TO this bill, which
were, in substance, that the act should take
| effect from and after its ratification by the
| qualified voters of the city OF Wheeling at
| an election held for that purpose.
Mr.. Woods said that although his posi-
| ton on this bill was well defined he
| did not wish that Senators should be in
| huenced by his views. He wanted them
| to vote on their own responsibility without
! reference to what he did. He knew no
| more about the merits and demerits of the
| bill than other Senators. His information
| was derived from the newspapers and what
| he had heard others say in regard TO the
| proposed bill He thought that the amend.
| ment offered by himself to submit the bill
| to a vote of the people for their ratification
| or rejection should be adopted.
Mr.. Farnsworth said he opposed the
| amendment because it virtually
AnnulIed the object of the Bill.
To submit the bill to the people would de.
| Law its beneficial effects for long time and
| probably kill the bill altogether. The peo-
| pie did not always know what was best for
| them, and there was no certainty what
would be done with the bill ii it was sub.
! mitted to their vote The bill had passed
| the City Council by very large majority
and was endorsed BY nearly the entire busl,
! ness class of the city. The proposed
! amendment was defeated in the Council
| and before the committee OF this Senate
that has had the bill under consideration.
He strongly urged the defeat OF Mr..
| Woods amendment and hoped that the
bill would be passed.
| Mr.. Dawson, a member or the Senate
| Committee on Counties and Municipal Cor
| porations, said that the bill and the pend
| ing amendment, substantially, were.before
/ the committee; that distinguished citizens
had appeared before them, and that they
| had listened to extensive arguments, pro
| and con upon the bill and the amendment,
| and that, after careful consideration, the
| committee, by unanimous vote, decided to
reject the amendment and report the bill as
| il came from Council, with favorable recon-
mendation. The bill came to the committee
with endorsements showing that II had
| been adopted bv both branches OF Council.
1t was not pretended thar it was acted upon
without notice; upon the contrary, the
subject had been fully discussed. and the
bill adopted section by section. Ii seemed
to him that the only question 10 he cOnSid-
cred by the Senate was, whether it is pro.
per to grant the power asked for asked for.
The committee thought IL was.
The Measure Commended Itself
to their judgment; it follows the action
taken by many other cities. So far Ss tried
in this city Tin connection with the gas
works il had worked well. 1t is a proyi-
sion for the conducting OF business matters
upon business principles. 1t is to be pre-
sumcd that the Council represented the
people i'm this matter as in all otherS-it is
the city government The Council is a
large body. and the constituency OF the in
dividual member comparatively small
Here the assertion that u majority OF the
people are opposed to the bill is a
violent one for il is equivalent to de-
claring that the Council misrepresents its
constituency How is the Senate to know
what the city wants, except by the action
of its legally constituted authorities? Are
We 10 go out and interview every man,
woman and child? But if the Council does
misrepresent public sentiment, the people
should make that fact known TO Council.
The Legislature deals with the city as such
through its corporate authorities; not with
the individual citizens. The power and
authority OF the Legislature to amend the
charter of the city of Wheeling is expressly
given il by the Constitution. The corpora
tion is a creature of the Legislature; it Is
not a sovereignty. The Legislature, is,
therefore, under no obligation to submit
the matter TO the people. Besides, there is
no precedent for so doing. Other changes
of precisely a similar nature have been
made in its charter without submission to
the people. There is q chapter of the Code
in which il is provided that towns incor-
porated previous TO the adoption Of the
Code may avail themselves of the addition
al powers given therein, by mere vote of the
Council. Sothe rule, as far as it is set forth
BY law is rather against submission. IL
the Council has misrepresented the people
of the city, the people have their remedy
against the Councihnen at the next election.
For the present they have to abide by the
action OF the men they chose TO represent
them. The bill does not take from the
people
nor destroy thier representation. The
Council elected by the people, is to APP
point all the Boaad of Commissioners, aud
to confirm their acts. The people act
through their representations as the voters