The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-25
Special Dispatch to tho IntsllIgonc0F.

Special Dispatch to tho Intelligoncsr.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, May A.-The
state irreducIble school fund viii not
be distributed. This was decided by
the constitutional committee to-day.
The pending amendment proposed. be-
ing report No. Q, from the committee
ON county organization, taxation and
finance, was adopted with put three neg
ntivc votes. The amendment agreed
upon preserves the fund intact, fxes
one million dollars as the maximum
limit, and provides that the interest
and all nccumulations thereover shall
be annually applied to the support Of
the free schoolos.
Report No. Il from the same commit
tee. proposing an amendment to elect
three land appraisers, was taken up,
and the proposed amendment rejected
by n vote OF Q to 5. The question came
over from last week and had been thor
oughly discussed. and was again debat-
ed to-day in vigorous fashion by some
members. Senator Fast offered strong
arguments against the amendment and
showed that II was subject OF purely
legislative character and the legislature
had authority TO pass such law, ana
It was useless TO plant 1t In the consu-
tuition.
The whole Of to-day's session was
characterized by exciting debates, ana
some OF the members got so warmed up
that several personal Tits enlivened the
proceedings. notably picturesque
passage between Mr.. Hunt and Pap
Toler. The controversy was particular
ly warm and at close range over the
proposition TO change the constitution
so that new counties could be formed
out OF an area OF $50 square miles, 5000
population aud on a majority vote or
the people effected thereby.
The old fight in the last legislature
over the new county attempted with
Mannington as the county seat. cropped
out strongly. and a number OF other new
county schemes were limited Mt Mr.
Glover. of Preston, spoke earnestly ana
at length In favor OF the change ana
said that Preston county might some
time in the future be divided Into two
counties. Messrs. Hunt and Toler were
in favor OF the general proposition to
make the way easy for the formation OF
new counties, and intimHted that Ka-
nawha might be too big TO be kept in-
tact rs one county.
Senator Young spoke forcefully
against any change al all. The meas
ureR provoked some warm talk, anof
coming TO vote Its opponents, after hav-
ing failed to kill 1t on Mr., Kenneys mo-
tion to indefinitely postpone, which was
lost by a vote OF to G, began putting
In destructive amendments.
In order to stem the adverse tide and
with the hope OF making II more salts
factory, on Mr.. Glover'S motion the lim-
IL was raised from $50 to 325 square
miles, for both new county and the
old one from which territory might be
taken. The limit OF population was also
raised from six to seven thousand. An
other amendment offered was that two
thirds instead OK n majority OF the
voters should be necessary to carry
new county, pending which, truce was
agreed upon, and the measure as
amended was made q special order for
Wednesday.
Senator Baker offered resolution
looking to the creation OF the office OF
insurance commissioner and providing
for his election by the people. Senator
Fast submitted n comprehensive reBo-
luton in the form OF an amendment to
the law as at present In important par
ticuInrE. Reference to q committee was
dispensed with and the resolution comes
directly before the full committee. Re-
port No. /. from the judiciary commit
tee, changing the word "and" to ''or."
n verbal error In the present constitu-
ton, was adopted.