The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-02-13

The Scrap up to Date Comes up to-day
In Both Houses for Finsf Settle
menf

Last week it was thought the
fight over Augusta county would be
settled before this issue of the NEw
DOMINION as it had been made a
special order in both the Senate and
the House. The same bill has been
introduced into both houses at once
in the effort to rush it through. But
contrary to expectations it is still
undecided. 1t comes up to-day in
both houses and both sides seem de-
termined to fight it out SO that it
may not be unreasonable to expect
that the final vote may be given
next week. The debate over the bill
last week developed some sensation
al features. Senator Fast accused
the promoters of the scheme of al
most every crime known to the penal
code. The outburst may have been
somewhat indiscreet but it certainly
contained large chunks of whole
some truth. After lively tilt the
bill was made a special order for
February 10th.
When it came up in the House the
fight again waxed warm. Oratory
galore was wasted over the matter
and it was again fully demonstrated
that every single requirement of the
law, the constitution and good sense
had been violated by the promoters
of the bill.
Judge Umstead advocated its ref
erence to the Judiciary Committee,
and made strong argument against
the unlawful proceedings and the
gross injustice about to be done the
people in the counties affected. He
read the constitution of the State
on the subject and showed that the
whole proceeding was unlawful and
members who voted for the bill
would violate their oaths as mem
bers of the legislature. He read the
statute requiring that legal notice be
published in the counties affected,
before new county could be estab-
lished, that an official survey should
be made of the territory to ascertain
whether the new county and the
counties from which the territory
was taken contained the requisite
number of square miles; that an Of
fetal census be taken to ascertain
whether there were the requisite
number of inhabitants, none of
which requirements had been COM
piled with. But cold facts like these
cut no ice.
Mr.. Hess, of Harrison, who was
in favor of the bill at first, had
changed his mind. He was willing
to vote Tor the new county if it could
be shown that its advocates were en-
titled to it, but they had not proven
their case, and he was compelled to
vote against it.
Mr.. Lashley, referred to the spec
ial report of the Auditor, which
showed that none of the counties in
terested had the requisite number
of square miles. If Monongalia,
Marion and Wetzel counties had the
territory which the new county peo-
pie claimed they had, about half of
the land in those counties was I'M
taxed, because the Auditors books
did not show lands assessed and
taxed in those counties of more than
half of the number of acres claimed
by those men to be in the territory.
After lively debate the bill was
made special order for to-day. 1t
is now being charged that there is
$500, 900 behind the scheme and that
it will be done at all hazards. How
ever the prospect for it's defeat
look very much more favorable than
it was this time last week. The
more it is investigated the more
rotten the scheme annears.