Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-03-18

l y. anu lt Is dealt ialfly WltiE w esq
| Y Fgihia lMS IA laud and the min
raiS; the East has the money. Let
rs Try AID have such laws enacted
iat the money OF the East may be
| tttraeted 10 This State aud used i'm
9 Development. We viii be power
tfSs without their help. and our min-
rails, however valuable, will be
Whaliy valuehsS, unless aud util Il
market by rail is opened for them.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Do you think. senator, that geo.
logical survey OF this State would
attract attention 10 our wealth, aud
invite Investment ?
do. | am strongly in favor of
geological survey being made of this
STATE. 1t is necessary 20 let the
world know IA some authentic, OIL
cial manner, OF the vast territory
lying undeveloped ia the State, valu-
alle fer It's iron, coal aud timber, to
turn the tide of immigration and
capital this way, and when capital
has unlocked our mountains aud
exhibited to the eyes of the world
the valuable deposits hidden therein,
it will be but a few years until the
hum OF industry, and the smoke of
hundreds If mills and factories will
brighten our hills and valleys and
largely increase our Importance and
prosperily as u State. Men of capital
want To know just what their in-
vestmrnts will return them. Ii is
not sufficient To say To them, 1--WE
have one of the richest mineral
states in the Union;" they want to
know the facts upon which the asser.
I, on is based A geological survey
of the State, in connection with
railroads, will do more toward di.
reecting the Investment OF capital in
our direction, than amy other outlay
we could make. II we wish our
country developed, made rich and
prosperous by enterprise and capital
from home and abroad, we should
give reliable inl ormation rs to its
UNKNOWN AND VAST RESOURCES.
The mineral resources of no section
OF our country are fully known, and
never will be until IA complete g o.
logical survey is made. Some say
the survey will be- v Try expensive.
Even 1T that were so, the return for
the outlay would be very large
made some remarks in the Senate in
February 1881, in favor of geo.
logical survey of all the States 10y
the Government, and | then said,
and | am more firmly fixed in the
opinion now, that good, careful
and complete geological survey of
Virginia and West Virginia will
show more mineral resources than
all Europe. There is Il great future
for the two Vlrginias, and it is "a
mere matter development to make
them populous and wealthy.
STATE DEBT.
You referred to thus State having
no debt of its own contracting. Is
it true that steps are about to be
taken by Virginia to sue this State
for what may be found due from her
on the Virginia State debt ?
have been credibly Informed that
there is bill now being prepared to
bring the debt question before the
supreme Court OF the United States
for adjudication. For my part, | am
unqualifedly in favor of paying our
Just and equitable proportion of the
debt of Virginia, whenever that pro
portion shall be determined. No
people, State or Nation can prosper
with II faint even of Reputation
hanging over them, nor can they
afford to ignore "A just debt, or to
plead the statute Of limitations
West Virginia's record on the debt
question is good. She has met Vir-
ginia fully halfway in her Efforts to
ascertain what proportion, if any.
she should pay. In February, 1866,
she responded to Il resolution pas sed
10y the Virginia Legislature. and ap
pointed commissioners TO act with
those from Virginia to ascertain the
Indebtedness of the State, but moth.
ing WAS accomplished. In 1870, on
my motion, commissioners were
again appointed, but nothing done.
Again, in 1871, on my motion, COM
mlssioners were appointed from this
State and proceeded to Richmond.
but found no one to treat with them
officially. AS result, nothing has
been settled. Our commissioners,
however, in their &c parte report,
estimated that we owed Virginia
nearly 100000 so it seems that
we may owe some portion of the in
debtedness, and whatever that por-
tion is, am in favor of paying it.
After carefully examining the &c.
bates in Congress in 1862, on the
admission of West Virginia as
State, do not believe the bill would
ever have passed but for the clause
in the State Constitution, providing
for the payment of just and equit-
able proportion of this debt. In TACT,
this was conceded at the time of the
passage of the bill. | believe it
would be
THE PROPER AND RIGHT THING,