Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-25
WANT TO sEcEDE.

An Extraordinary Resolution Introduced
In the Second Branch OF Council last
Night
Following Is the resolution introduced III
the Second Branch of Council, last night,
by Mr.. Hildrelh, and referred - uDani.
nous vote to the Committee on Legislation,
With instructions that they bring it to the
attention Of the Legislature and endeaVor
10 secure its passage by that body:
Be il Resolved BY the Legislature of West
Virginia, That Hon. A. J. Sweeney, Hon.
JOS. Bell and Henry X. LIST be and they
are appointed to negotiate with the General
Assembly of Pennsylvania for the sale and
transfer 10 the State Of Pennsylvania OF all
that portion of the State of West Virginia
living north of the south line of Pennsylva-
MIA and extending northward to the Ohio
river
After the resolution had been read BY the
clerk, Mr.. Hildreth took the floor and said:
nMy idea in introducing this resolution
is. that so far as the city of Wheeling is con-
cerued. we do not amount to shucks IN the
ewes of the Legislature of West Virginia
So far as my information goes, the entire
action of the Legislature has been detri'
mental to the Pan-Handle and subservient
TO the agricultural interests OF the State.
TApplause1 This being the case l think
the best thing we can do is to get out. We,
may finally succeed in getting this thing
through, and we should begin work on 1t at
once. believe that. if our people could
vote upon the proposition nine-tenths OF
them would vote for it.
Mr.. Wier-I would like to have little
light on this matter.
Mr.. Hildreth-You think there is a col
ored person in the wood pileH
Mr.. Wier-Ies.
Mr.. Hildreth-Ican assure you that there
is none.
Mr.. Wier-I am satisfied with West Viz
ginia.
Mr.. Hildreth-Well, you can stay ifyou
wish; l have no objections. Laughter.
Mr.. Harrell wanted to know what author
ity the little council Of the city Of Wheeling
| had to sell out the Panhandle.
Mr.. Hildreth explained that Council had
| nothing to do with selling out the Pan
Handle" Council merely proposed to ask
the Legislature to take action in the mat
ter.
Mr.. Wier-I want to be annexed to Ohio
Laughter.
Mr.. Sweeney took the floor for the pur,
pose of giving his views on the matter This
was not q new proposition. Twenty-Five
years ago, when the vote was taken on the
division of the State, he made speech at
the First ward polls in favor of the idea now
brought forward, and for which old General
De Haase called him rebel. There had
been scarcely any legislation in the past ten
years which was not detrimental to the Pan
Handle. Daniel Lamb had once made a
calculation showing that the same ratio of
population per delegate obtaining in some
of the interior counties would give Ohio
county eighteen delegates instead of four.
The city Of Wheeling paid onesixth Of the
taxes Of the State, and got nothing back
Reyerting to the taxation system the
speaker asked what would have become of
the city of Wheeling had the Legislature
succeeded in imposing $500 license tax
| on saloons? We would have been robbed
of $4,000 or $4,000. When the city OF
Wheeling put her head up she, like the
Irishman at Donnybrook Fair, is hit
Charleston got all she wanted for few
years occupancy Of an old building as a
capitol, but Wheeling was begrudged SlOr-
900 for ten years occupancy OF new
building.
The State of Pennsylvania, he said, had
no State debt and no State tax. The
revenue of the public works ran the entire
State government. In the Panhandle coun
ties Of West Virginia industrial interests
predominated, but we were tackled on to an
agricultural State, which cared little for the
interests of manufacturers. he illustrated
his meaning BY saying that West Virginia
| was richer in minerals and timber than any
territory of corresponding size east OF the
Mississippi, but if man should 90 down
into the State and indicate desire to start
. saw mill on one OF these immense tracts
of timber land, no one would come forward
and say: Here are 100 acres of land on
condition of your starting mill, but the
| question would be: How much tax can
you stand?" They were after the last cent
every time He did not think the Legisla-
ture would let 60 its grip, but it was worth
while to make the trial If be could put his
works on a wheelbarrow and wheel them out
of the State he would do it. Applause.
he could not compete with OHIO and Penn
| sylvania manufactures because the latter
paid very much lighter taxes.
The discussion was continued for some
little time longer, after which the resolution
was unanimously adopted.
In the First Branch the resolution met
with violent opposition. Several members
spoke against It's adoption, Mr.. Alfred Cald
well making an extended argument against
it, and the document was finally postponed