Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-03
EWING BROS.


the force of adjudicating between Vir-
gnia and West Virginia the so-called west
Virginia debt. The time having been ap-
pointed for a hearing before the attorney
general. accompanied by the attorney gen
eraI of this State and Governor Fleming
went before the attorney general at tne
appointed time. We were then tod that
he could not hear US that day; that there
was some New York parties who wanted
N he heard on the subject, though he fail
ed TO inform us who the New YORK par
ties were Seeing they had pulled the So
called West Virginia debt into this ques-
ton. on the theory that Virginia was
largely indebted to the government oil the
government of the United States and w est
Virginia indebted to Virginia, and there
fore that the government would offset
! Virginia's debt against West Virginia ana
hold our money. l went 10 work, ana
with the assistance Of Attorney General
! Caldwell and Governor Fleming we pre-
pared an elaborate brief on this West VIZ
ciuia and Virginia question, within which
think we clearly demonstrated that
West virginia is not q debtor Of Virginia,
! but that upon equitable grounds Virginia
Is our debtor. The brief can be found IN
the Governors office printed, and as for
! the statement OF labor expended on H.
will speak for itself. We went to Wash
/ ington and got our hearing before the at
toruey general He retained the matter
for some time and finally determined
against us. Cleveland's administration
! came in the second time. / tried the mat
ter again and had the records there 10
! show that the departments had reversed
! themselves on this identical question: that
! this same question was up during Cover
| nor Boremans time, discussed, considered
| and passed upon in the Treasury Depart
| ment. and the money then due West Nir-
| gina ordered to be paid, and 1t was pald
! TO this State The whole record or TINS
matter is in the brief that 1 have referred
! TO and can be seen by anybody VINO can
/ read. The difference was that Governor
! Roreman's administration was Repubh~
! can and Governor Fleming's Democratic
! and I was Il Democrat, and during Cow
| crror Boreman's time we were not annoy
! cd by a lot of adventures, either Demo-
; crat or Republican, who were trying to
plunder this State with this so-caled Nir-
/ time found the same Republican, Matth-
! ews. in the same Old place, as second
| auditor, and, of course, he decided the
! same way Then 1 was told and shown
| by departmental reports that the question
| having been determined by one admins
J tration and departments, would not De
| opened by a subsequent administration.
! There was no other means left us but 10
/ get "A Joint resolution through Congress,
reciting that the money should be pald.
! Such q resolution passed, and j should
| say here, with acquiescence of the whole
| Virginia delegation; 1 should further add
! that during this whole controversy there
was not a Virginian, either in or out Of
| Congress. of whom I knew, who objected
| to West Virginia receiving this money.
! We finally succeeded In getting the money
! i'm the month of March, 1850 That is the
/ date on which it was received, and as up
| to this time there was no right 20 pay
out any money on this account. / paid out
of my own funds from the time I was
appointed until 1 got the money due me,
near about $1,000 Instead OF receiving
! $4,000. 1 received in all but 5000, one-third
of ten per cent on the whole amount re-
covered. The appropriation allowing the
/ ten per. cent. shows that / am entitled to
| one-half OF the amount, but on my own
/ suggestion to Forrest ". Brown. the adj
ministrator Of the estate of Beverly
! Tucker. agreed that he should take two-
| thirds and / one-third. That contract I
/ think 1 deposited with Governor Mac
/ Corkle.
/ am not exaggerating when I say that I
| did more actual work after Congress APP
propriated this money. to secure il 10 the
State. than all the agents of all the States
put together, and we got as small, if not
! the smallest per cent, of allowances Of
/ any of the agents.
During the last session of the Legisia-
! ture the House of Delegates passed an act
I believe, repeating this ten per cent. APP
/ preparation, but when it went into the
| SenaT it evidently was considered theyc
/ as such an open, bare-faced attemp- ID
violate the provisions of the contract IS
the appropriation act of 1891 was, that ;he
| Senate would not entertain It, I oaid very
/ little attention to these proceedings, be-
cause l considered my contract good
/ enough for a mandamus proceeding, II
! necessary.
/ 30 Iar as Auditor Johnson ndylGE THIS
money out after the expiration o. thIce
years from the time it was Appropriated
/ is so silly that anybody should sec better
| Though the act was passed in 1891 IL APP
propriates no money I'm tho treasury and
/ specially provides that none shall ne paid
! until it comes into the treasury from this
/ fund. The Sl54,O00 came into the treasury
! in March 1895. of which I received $5.-
/ 1922. and Beverly Tucker estate lee
ceived S1O,26j22 just simply say. in con-
clusion. that 1 was employed by the STATE
as it's agent, performing the services TO
+ a much greater extent than 7 contemplated
( when took the agency; tha- the Legs
/ lature appropriated the money En- payment
! for my proportion, according TO a contract,
! and anybody who intimates TO the con-
trary is not only a slanle.er, our deIib-
/ crate and wilful falsifer
The authors Of these charges arc either
/ absolutely Ignorant Of the whole matter.
or are deliberately disseminating SANDER
/ and falsehood. There Is no-hug i'm the
( charge made but what the records Of the
state House show TO be absolutely false
BELLAIRE,
Mrs. Barbara Patterson. of Matm0ra=
III "a IN#f "a