Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-17

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Charleston, w. Va, February 16.-
The Parkersburg boomers struck a snaG
in the House of Delegates tonight, and
are very much cbagrined over the
course which affairs have taken. A re-
solution was offered during the day,
providing for the appointment OF a
special committee of thirteen, one from
each senatorial district, to consider the
matter of the removal of the capitol
from Charleston to Parkersburg. The
resolution was made a special order for
1880 o'clock, and was taken up prompt
ly at that hour. Contrary to eXpecta-
ton, no speeches were made either for
or against the proposed removal.
There was a big lobby, including the
boom brigade and a number of repre-
sentative citizens of Charleston. The
reference to a special committee had
been asked by the friends of the bill,
providing for the submission of the
proposition to a vote of the people at a
special election to be held in May.
Jake Fisher moved to indefinitely
postpone the resolution and the vote
clearly indicated the sentiment Of the
House concerning the removal of the
capitol al this time. The two Ohio
county delegates, who were present,
voted against postponement. The mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone was car
ried by a vote of 20 to 10. The noes
were: Ash, Connolly, Davis (of Har-
rison), Harrison, Harnish, Hunter,
Merrill, Mccoy (of Ohio), O'Brien, Red
mond, Rine, Talbot and Wyatt.
Thus has the little boomlet vanished
into thin air. The capitol will remain
at Charleston for a while, but the agi-
tation for it's removal will be continued.
When there is any probability of the
success of such a move, Parkersburg
will find a great deal of opposition in
addition to that of the Kanawha valley.
There was a mass meeting of rep
resentative citizens of Charleston in
the judiciary committee Dom of the
House after the test vote showed a
preponderence of sentiment against the
proposed removal of the capitol.
The subject under consideration was
the ~advisability of offering a free site
and the architectural work for the
proposed fire proof building for State
records, for which a bill appropriating
SEQ, 900 is pending in the Senate. A
. committee of five was appointed to
consider the matter and call another
meeting of citizens if it be deemed ad-
visable.
The movement TO offer a free site
was the result of the agitation for the
removal to Parkersburg, and was in
tended to help the passage of the bill
referred to above. The fire proof
building was expected to anchor the
capitol permanently in Charleston.
To a disinterested observer it ap-
peared that nearly all the citizens who
attended the meeting went there with
the determination to raise a sufficient
sun to purchase a site, to Offset the
generous offer of the Parkersburg peo-
pie. The overwhelming sentiment
against removal as indicated by the
test vote, in the House tonight, re-
moved the necessity for such action in
the minds of many citizens. The pres
ent disposition is to wait developments.
other words, Charleston is not going
to furnish a gratuitous site unless it is
absolutely essential to the passage Of
the bill for a fire proof building.
The Senate got down to business to-
$4,000 rn---l AE-A Ill --A.l-- e.