Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-11
.apRAcncAL POLITICS.
Our Legislative Headlights, Fore
casting Future Work.
What viii Be Done With the Work Of the Re-
- yisory Committee -Redisbietiag the
State for Congressional and
Legislative Purposes.
ALL IS READY FOR The FRAY.


ALL IS READY FOR THE FRAY.
To-day the Legislature will open what
may be a very busy and protraeted session.
The volume of work already blocked out
is large, and what may yet come up may
be equally bulky. Most of the members
of both House and Senate are in the city
prepared to ut once enter upon the
labor of the session. Only about
a corporals guard remains to yet
report The hotels indicate the presence
of the State Counsellors and the Hobbies
are constantly crowded with members and
their friends; all busily discussing the
probable coming events. The REGISTER
scribes mingled with the throng and picked
up here and there points of interest and
importance. Some of these are found be-
low.
Judge n. n. Brown,
Senator from Jackson county, was found
in his room at the Mcclure, with coat OFF,
hard at work He recognized the REGISTER
commissioner cordially, and laying aside
his work, submitted to the inquisition.
He said he had not come here to waste
any time. He had been sent here some
wears ago to amend the Constitution and to
cheap, prompt and efficient State govern
ment. The change in the Constitution has
regarded vast deal of legislation in order
to set the machine of the government
going. The Legislature, last winter, labor
cd industriously to that end and by its
Committee on Revision the work had been
going on ever since; and 80 far as he was
able to Judge from what he had seen
OF the work OF that committee, they
had performed vast deal OF labor
very intelligent and judicious
manner. His view Of the duty of the Legis.
lature now was, that ii should first perfect
the work of the last session, and of the
Committee on Revision, so as to furnish, i'll
the shortest possible time, to the people OF
the States complete code of statutory laws,
for the reason that the courts are unable to
administer the laws now in force. For in
stance in bastardy and many other i'm
pOrtant cases, there Is no court having jur-
isdiction to enforce the law. This resulted
from the changes made by the cOnstitu-
tiOnal amendments, and the fact that the
LEGISLATURE has not had time, hitherto, to
conform the statues 70 the existing cOnsti-
tutional tribunals.
OF course, he continued, the legislature
will Judge for itself OF the mode OF proce-
durc 10 effect these muCh-desired ends. but
for his part he Could see no good reason for
referring the report of the revision COM
mittee to the standing committees Of the
two houses. !: seemed to him that the
shortest and most business like plan would
be to proceed 10 read the several bills pre-
pared and printed by the Revision Com
mittcc. for the first time i'll the two houses
without further reference.
In regard to rediStricting the State for
congressional purposes, his information rs
to the status of affairs in Washington WAS
not sufficient TO enable him to judge what
would be best TO do underline circumstances,
but he hoped 10 have more full and def
mite information at an early day.
lie thought the State Senate, IS present
constituted, sufficiently large for all prac.
tiCal purposes, considering the number OF
people in the State when compared with
the number of Senators in larger States.
l.. w. Wilson,
Speaker OF the House, was captured for 4
moment. last evening, by REGISTER en-
voy, aGithe Mcclure. He was strongly of
the opinion there would be but short SEES
sion. lie could see no reason why it
should be strung out to sixty days. In re-
gard 10 what would be done with the report
of the Revision Committee he expressed
profound ignorance, stating that he had
lust arrived. and had heard but little of the
matter. lie was equally non-cOmmittal on
the subject Of redistricting and appOrtion-
mCnt.
President Summers.
of the Senate in company with cX-Speakcr
MOftctt. were next encountered and talked
willingly and pleasantly. They did not
see how it. was possible. with the large
amount of business coming before it. for
the Legislature to adjourn under 60 days.
They said that the weight of opinion among
the members. so far as they had heard, was
in favor of referring the work of the Revi.
sion Committee to the regular standing
committees OF the two houses, and have it
come up i'll regular order.
In regard TO Reproducing the state,
DR.. Summers thought it would be impoli-
tic to dc so in advance OF Congressional ac-
ton. as Il might furnish an excuse for the
exclusion of our members, If the next
House should be close. lie thought the
better plan would be, in case no action
was taken by Congress for the Legislature
to provide for the election of a member at
large.
Captain Mofiett agreed with this view,
but said that al recent interview with
Senator Vest, Of Missouri, the latter cx.
pressed the opinion that even this might
not serve to prevent trouble in event the
controlling party in the next House was
disposed to he technical. but in any event
it would prevent objection to all but one
Congressman, while to redistriCt and elect
four would lay them all open to objec.
ton.
Col. ID. ID. Johnson,
OF Tyler. Clerk OF the Senate, was found at
his room at the st. James. The Colonel
has views. and decided ones, on such qucs-
tons, but not being a member of either
House, he did not consider it proper to ex-
press them in advance of Legislative action.
He was, however Of opinion, from CONVEX
sation with members. that the report OF
the Revision Committee would be referred
TO the regular Committees.
Hon. Has. III. Ferguson,
Of Kanawba. was found at the Mcclure. In
reply 10 the question of what would be
done by the Legislature he replied: 81
don't know thing about it,"
Finally he said, that while it wag diff
cult to tell what would be done with the
report of the Revision Committee the
matter being entirely under the control of
the two houses under Parliamentary usage
the report would be received and treated
as bill reported by any other committee
and placed on the calendar. This was the
method pursued by TIE Virginia Legisla-
ture in lSi9 and by the West Virginia Leg
islatufc in 1868.
The question Of re-jlistricting the State
was in equally as unsettled condition, and
ii was impossible to say what would be the
result. In regard to Congressional Dis
triCts he considered any action in advance
of that of Congress to be unsafe. For in
stance, if the Legislature re-apportions the
State and provides for four Congressman,
perhaps but three would be allowed; while
If they let the matter remain as at present
and provided for the election OF one at
large, Congress might provide that none
should be elected until after the States
had been re-districted In any event there
was 70 safe way but to wait until Congress
sional action was had.
AS to the length of the session, he said it
was impossible TO say. There might and
probably. would he great deal of legisla-
ton brought before the twO Houses, per-
haps more than last year, in addition 10
the report OF the Revision Committee. and
while lac was anxious to go ahead and get
through. he could not say how long the
session would last.
Personal Notes.
Hon. VIM. Ewin was sought By a REsIs-
TER reporter at modest hour last night,
but he found that the Senator had retired