The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-03-06
LAST WEEK.
And Closing Work Of the Legis-
lature.


ldtuIt.
Senator Fast Severely Scores Some
Freak Legislation.
CHARLESTON, Feb. %, 1S97.-On
Friday, February 26 at midnight the
limited forty five day session Of the
by two-thirds majority
of both houses the session should be
extended. Owing to unforeseen and
unavoidable physical causes an ex-
tension of few days is not an i'm
possibility; it is discussed to some
extert to-day; but hardly think it
likely that the extension will take
place.
THE FLOOD.
During the past forty-eight hours
the rains fell and the floods descend
ed. Great torrents rushed down the
innumerable riyulets that pour their
floods into the tributaries of the
Great Kanawha. The channels of
the lotter were overfowed; the towns
and villages along its banks were
more or less submerged. To-day the
boats are plying freely over four to
six feet of water around the State
House. Charleston reminds one of
the pictures and stories of Venice;
for the people are driven to the ne
eessity of going from place to place
in boats. For time the hacks and
carriages did thriving business;
but soon the depth of water in the
streets became so great that Except
in a few localities) the carriages
could no longer be used with safety.
The water is now within two or
three feet of the highest mark ever
reached, as recorded in the memories
of the Oldest inhabitants, and is still
rising slowly. | am fortunately sit
uated at the corner of State and
Summers street, on one of the high
est swells of ground in the city, one
square from the main entrance to
the State House. The water is in
the yard, two feet more will put it
in the house. Last evening people
in the lower parts of the city began
moving out, all night long the work
of moving went on as long as vehi-
cles could be used for the purpose
and is still going on, only the boats
have tyken the place of the vehicles.
Much snconvenince, loss, misery and
suffering have been entailed upon
hundreds of people many of whom
are ill-prepared to suffer any loss at
all. The carities of the more fortu-
nate have been called into requisi-
ton and are taxed tie their utmost
capacity tosafford temporary relief
and shelter for the distressed. The
loss to the tradesmen and mercan-
tile establishments in general is
necessarily great.
ADJOURNMENT.
This morning Senators and Dele
gates might have been seen vending
their way as best they could toward
the State House; some were in car
riages, some in boats, some were even
to be seen mounted upon monster
moving cars, and some fioated out
upon RATS constructed Of drift and
debris. A quorum of the House did
not appear and an adjournment was
made until tomorrow at 10 o'clock.
A quorum of Senators reached their
destination. The basement of the
Capitol being flooded the heating
machinery could not be used; but
fires were built in the JudiciaryCom-
mittee room; the Senate would have
transacted business in this room had
not the House adjourned. The Sen
ate is up with the calendar. The
House is not up with it's calendar
The Senate can pass all Senate bills
now ON the calendar Cor otherwise
dispose of them in three hours. The
House has more Senate bills pend
ing on the colendar than it can oil
will pass in the remaining days Of
the regular session. The Senate
feels that their bills have. been need
lessly and discourteously kept back
in the House In-many instances
instead of amending Senate bill
and passing it the House has made
the subject matter of the Senate bill
material out of which to construct 9
House bill and has then passed it as
House bill and sent it over for tho
concurrence of the Senate. This
may seem like childish work; and il
is. There is no necessity to comment
on this sort of conduct. Real mer
rise above the situation. The Sen
ate so far has not once retaliated
though in many instances it might
have done so. In justice l think il
ought to be said that this course o
conduct toward Senate bills is at
tributable to a very few members O
the House. The great body of then
would rebuke such proceedings i
resistance were made. A House bill
is ordinarily disposed of in the Sen
ate within five or six days. Their,
are dozens of Senate bills on tn,
House calendar, some of them stand
ing on first reading, not even re
ferred to committee, that have beer
there more than two weeks. TIL,
Senate also adjourned till to-mor
row. 1t does not feel like sending
more bills to the House to remain
undisposed of, or be absorbed in ;
House bill which then passes as tn,
work of some one other than tn,
real author.
UNIVERSITY = PREPARATORY DEPART
MENT.
There are some men here VIII
seize upon an idea, and, if it sounds
well or presents good appearance
on its face, without calmly, fully anC
discreetly examining into its merits
at once insist upon enacting Law
embracing the aforesaid idea. They
seem to act as if they haye made /,
wonderful discovery and want to ge
a patent on their invention befer
some else makes like discovery
The proposition to abolish the pre-
paratory department of the Univer
sity seems to have come about il
i, this fashion. 1t has been said by
some of our best educators that tn
school system OF the State ought t.
be carefully and tremendously grad
ed from the lowest to highest educa
tional institution. Thereupon som
Legislative mind conceives shor
cut to desired end by forcing tn
conclusion, and proposes to abolish
the preparatory department at tn