Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-01-20
THE LEGISLATURE.

Both houses of the Legislature of West
Virginia met on Wednesday, january
10Th, and organized by the election of the
following officers:
House :-For Speaker, J. j. Woods, OF
Ohio County; for Clerk. J. B. Peyton' OF
Greenbricr; for Sergeant-at-A Arms, mos.
p Sergeant. editor of the Barbour Jeter-
soafan: for Doorkeeper, NealiS, of Hamp-
shire County.
Sry,rL:-For President, Il. d. Farms
worth. of Upshur County; for Sergeant
alarms, Chas. 5. Vln'IIver, editor of the
Kevser Tribune: for Doorkeeper, D. y.
Kelly, Of Greenbrier.
The following are some OF the most I'M
portant committees of each house:
SENATE.
Committee on JuIiciary-Messrs. Stol-
lings. Donehoo, Fontaine Smith, Byrne,
Price, Burgess and Floyd.
Committee on Finamce-MessrS. Done
hoo, Stoling>, Byrne, NcNeel, Coourn'
Dawson and Lobban.
Committee OH Education - MesSrs.
Byrne, McGrew, Roberts. Samples, Hays,
Melvin and Coburn.
Committee on Railroad>-MeS>rS. Byrne,
Mcneil, Price, Stollings, McGrew, Scott
and Roberts.
Committee on Militia-Messrs. Barbee,
Melvin, Lobban, Smith, Of Tyler, and
woodward.
HOUSE.
On the Judiciary-MrSSrS. Armstrong,
Penny backer, Holt, Fouke, Daley, Par
sons. Brown. james F., wells, Brown,
G.. L., Stifel, Brown, james H., Dovener
and Davis.
On Taxation and Finance-McsSrs.
Hall, Caring, Shirt, Brown, James F.,
Rider, Mccullough, Evans, Dovener,
Maxwell and McCord.
On observation-disclosures. Gilke>on, Holt,
McOueeu, Fouke, Corder, Bee, Cox, Sta
pleton, Lynch, Brown, j. II.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The message Of Governor Jackson deals
principally with the States finances. lie
/ shows that ut the close OF the fiscal year
1881 there was casual deficit III the
treasury which required the borrowing OF
! $50 900, and ut the close OF the last fiscal
wear there WAS Il deficit which ncce>Slta-
/ ted borrowing the further sum of 1000.
| A mart of this loan has been paid, but
| there remains unpaid the sum of Sl4O,O UO,
for which the State is still indebted. by
the census OF 1870 the population OF The
! State was 442.Ol4. In 1880 it increased TO
! 6lS. 443, an increase of nearly ~ per cent,
vet the assessed value of tn" personal
/ property in the State in 1871 was greater
! than in 1881 by more than 5000, 600, and
the assessed value of the land in 1851 was
greater than in 1871 by about $lO.0OO, 1000,
/ showing a net gain in real and personal
nropertv of about 81 900 900 on Sl36, 200,
/ 600. or Il little over five per cent. III ten
wears. And yet the revenues have all
the time been decreasing. While this de-
crease in the revenues has been going on
from year to year, the Legislature mas
! acttIally cut down the taxes, instead OF
increasing them. With this reduction IN
TAXATION the State has continued to add
largely to Its public institutions. More
building has been done since the reduc-
ton than before, and, added to that, all OF
these institutions have been expanding
and requiring more money.
I'm regard 10 the school fund, the Gov
ernor says not one penny has been uNeu
under democratic administrations that
was not authorized by law and taken in
strict compliance with the law, and the
use of which by ;hc State has been fol
/ the good of the schools.
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
SENATE RESOLUTIONS.
By Mr.. Hayes That the Committee on
Education inquire into the propriety OF
levving Il tax of 20 cents on every hun
drcd dollars Of taxable property, accord
inc TO the valuation Of the last assessment
Mr.. woodward presented resolution
instructing the Committee OF Education
to investigate and report whether MeSsrs
Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., of Cincin'
natl, had fulfilled the terms of their con-
tract to furnish school books to the State
Adopted.
Mr.. Samples introduced resolution di-
recting the Committee on Roads and Nav
igation to inquire into the advisability OF
amending the road law so as to allow sur,
veyors to qualify and give bond before
justices of The peace. Adopted.
Mr.. Melvin presented 4 resolution re.
ferring to the Committee on Judiciary
that portion of the Governors message
relating to the drugs country merchants
are authorized to sell.
Among the bills reported from the
! Committee on judiciary, with recommends
alton to pass, vas Senate bill No. 10, in
troduced by Mr. DOnchoO, the object OF
which is to suppress prize fighting. The
bill was ordered 10 its second reading. Ii
provides, first, that any principal, Sec
ond, referee, umpire, timekeeper or train
er concerned in prize fight shall, upon
conviction, be sentenced to not less than
two or more than ten years. Its second
provision is, that am one convicted OF
the intention of taking part in prize
fight shall be fined not exceeding $500, or
confined in the county Jail not exceeding
one year, or both, upon the discretion OF
! the court.
Nj. Hays, of Calhoun, offered joint
resolution proposing an amendment to
! the constitution interdicting the MANU-