The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-26
WASHINGTON NEWS.
THE PRESIDENTS PRERooArlvE
Ia y.toIss Objectionable A.l,ur..-l Proposed
CoastitutlOsaI AntAdmsst-W -Wsst YIrginIa.
School statistIes-S,w River Inprorr
-StatIoa.ry Bills OF rConErsssusn.
rom an OCCASIONAL Correspondent.

are attracting considerable attention from
the Congressional mind, and both have
been discussed frequently in the news
papers Of the country. Since the time Of
Grant each President has urged upon Con-
gress the necessity for an amendment to
the Constitution permitting the Chief Mag.
istrate to veto any particular item In an ap.
preparation bill to which serious objection
may occur in his mind, and at the SAME
time approve OF the balance OF the bill.
Senator Mcpherson, 6f New Jersey, has q
Joint resolution, now before the Judiciary
Committee, 10 carry out this idea by an
amendment to the Constitution. At pres.
ent the President must either accept and
affix his signature to unwise and objec.
tionable sections in an appropriation bill,
thereby often incurring censure, .or he
must veto the whole bill and run the risk
OF giving embarrassment to the Government
by It's iailure, for, as you well know, the
principal bills making provision Tor the
support OF the government, are all com.
pleted in the last days Of session when
every moment 10 precious. They are fre-
ouentIy presented to the President for ap-
proyal within q few minutes Of the final adj
iournment, and he mustswallow the whole
dose or none at all. Grant urged upon
Congress the necessity and wisdom OF Civ.
ing 10 the Executive some discretionary
power over those items which he deems
against the public interest, without putting
in jeopardy IN entire money bill, and his
example has been followed by his success.
sors. II Is doubtful II such measure can
be passed in the limited time remaining,
but its wisdom and justice Is forcing itself
upon the minds Of more than one Senator
and Representative.
CHANGE OF TINE FOR coNvESINd CONGRESS.
The other measure, to which l referred,
is that changing the time for the meeting
Of Congress from the first Monday in De-
cember to the fifth day Of March, the act
not to take effect until the Forty.ninth
Congress in 1885. The increase OF legsla-
tive business, expanding with the growth
of the corntry, has been so great that the
limited time now afforded In the second
session, ending on the fourth Of March,
does not suffice to more than complete the
appropriation bills. A glance al the condi.
ton OF legislative business at the present
time will show the necessity for lengthier
session. There are now awaiting action in
the neighborhood Of ten thousand bills, oi
this number over thousand have received
favorable consideration in committee, and
now encumDer the calendars OF both
Houses OF Congress It may besaid that the
majority OF these bills are OF private
nature, but it must be admitted that they
have a direct and immediate interest to
somebody, and should receive considera.
ton. But there are many measures now In
shape for final consideration, hundreds oi
them, which have special application TO
yhole communities, and States, and sec.
tons. Many OF them are OF local interest
to West Virginia, and without material
objection to their favorable passage, will
be lost simply for lack Of time in which
they can be considered. As Just stated,
many mem bers feel the necessity Of making
provision for longer session. j! Z
The convention Of educational men now
in session in this city have petitioned Con.
gress TO pass the bill appropriating ten mil.
lion dollars annually for the education oil
the people. In this connection the Census
Bureau furnishes some interesting statis-
tics. From these tables take the follow
ing relative to West Virginia:
WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL STATISTICS.
The total number Of males oftwenty.one
years Of age aud upwards, in West 'Vir.
ginia, who cannot write Is 22,ss5. OF this
number l0,055 are white, and $3.50 are
colored. The total population who cannot
read, ten years or upwards, is 52,04l. The
total population who cannot write, ten
wears of'age and over, is S5,376; divided as
follows: white, 1921, colored, 10, lS9. II
Congress should pass the bill the share oi
West Virginia, upon the basis Ct illiteracy,
would be Sl36, ,S2l.42.
The Adju,ant General OF the Army In his
recent report to Congress gives the follow.
Ing as the militia force Of West Virginia
General staff officers, eight; regimental
field and staff officers, eight; company OIL
GERS, thirty. The non commissioned 9th
GERS and privates number 4l0. This is the
strength OF the organized militia. The
numbe OF men available for military duty,
unorganized, Is 10000.
In the regular post route bill ol the ees-
sion the only new post route directedto
be established in West Virginia is that
from Burners via Lake Ridge and Will
sons Run 10 Floating Rock
The Committee on War Claims have
prepared the bill for the payment OF
claims arising under the act Of July 4, 1854,
for the quartermaster's supplies furnished
the army during the war. The total
amount allowed 10 citizens Of West Vir-
ginia Is SlS,Sl2 ". The largest single
claim allowed Is that OF John L. Charles,
Of Mason county, for S2,2s2 90.
NEW RIVER IMPROVEMENT. ,..
In the River and Harbor bill, asreported
by the House Committee on Commerce, Is
an appropriation Of $4,000 for New River,
West Virginia. 1t is the only river in the
State, besides the Great Kanawha, deemed
worthy Of improvement. The engineer
saws about this improvement that "the
new work covers river space, with q
channel filty feet wide and two feet deep,
Of nine miles. The wing dams and train
ing walls built this season, II united would
make a wall II miles long, 9 feet wide and
5 feet high. BatteauE navigated the stream
throughout the summer, carrying their
uRual load OF six tons, which would have
been impossible without the improve
ment The work will be essentially for
the benefit oil West Virginia, as the coun.
ties Of Monroe and Mercer will supply all
he freights, until the improvement reaches
the narfows, forty miles above Hinton.
@The amount required for'the compile.
ton Of the existing project on the Ohio
river Is $4,000"
Your West Virginia members must do a
fearful sight Of writing to their constitu.
ents. Under the law each member is en-
it,iad ,o q aiaiinnarv account 10 the vaIne