Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-06-19
Communicated.

nuCu misrepresentation W1e1 The state
of Virginia was divided. her convention,
assembled at Wheeling. passed an ord;-
nance reading, 1.-THE new State shall take
upon'itself just proportion of the public
debt of the Commonwealth of Virgiuit,
prior to the first day of January ls6l. to be
ascertainsd by charging to it all the erpen-
ditures within the limits thereof, and a Just
proportion Of the ordinary EXPENSES of the
State Government, since any part of said
debt was contracted and deducting there
from the moneys paid into the treasury of
the Commonwealth from the counties in
cluded within the said new State during
the same period" The declaration in the
Constitution of 1868 was as follows Sec
ton 8, Article s.-"An equitable proportion
of the public debt of Virginia prior to jan
uary LIST, 1851, shall be assumed by this
State. and the Legislature shall ascertain
the same as soon as practicable And the
present Constitution contains the following
provision: Section 4, Article lO.-..No debt
shall be contracted by this State except to
meet casual deficits in the revenue, to re-
deem a precious liaJflty Of The STATE, etc, and
seclion 5, Article TO- provides, THE power
Vi L1AAblOh VI bilo Legislature Suull eXGenQ
to provisions for the payment of the STATE
debt and interest t.reon, ETC." Here are plain
provisions in the fundamental law of our
State for the mode of ascertaining West
Virginia's part of the old debt and an ex-
plicit dires.ion to ascertain the same as soon
as practicable. Unfortunately Virginia in
making settlement with the bond holders
in 1871, overlooking the Wheeling ordi
nance, assigned to West VireiniA one-third
of the debt issuing what are known as Yfr-
ginia Deferred Certificates for this one. third,
pledging on their face payment lin accord
ance with such settlement as shall hereafter
be had between the States of Virginia and
West Virginia" and held the bonds for
which they were issued in trust for the
owners. No one at the time of the adoption
of the two Constitutions questioned liabil-
ity the part of West Virginia for share
of this debt. She would not have been
admitted into the Union save for her recos
milton of an obligation to assume a just
proportion oft. The early Governors of
the State each recommen ded and urged the
Legislature to appoint CO mmittee to meet
Virginia and ascertain the proportion OF
the old debt to be borne by The new
State. In 1871 commission called the
West Virginia Debt Commission was
appointed by the Legislature and proposed
to Virgiaia to ascertain the amount due to
West Virgins. Those representing Vir
GINA and West Virginia disagreed US to the
method of determining the am cunt of West
VirgihiiS liability, but the West Vir.inia
Commission proceeded to state the account
according to the Wheeling Ordinance and
found this State indebted to Virginia in the
sum of 1891 000 AT the same time this
Commission ascertained thu amount ex
pended within the limits of the State OF
West Virgins on railroads, turnpikes,
bridges, etc, and placed it at the sum of So
45r929.29. In addition large amount was
spent on the Asylum at Weston. Under
the following provision OF an Act of Feb
ruary 3rd, 1868, BE it enacted by the Gener.
al Assembly of Virginia that all the prop.
erty owned by this Commonwealth within
the boundaries of West Virginia shall pass
to West Virginia, but the State of West yir-
GINA shall account for. the same in the set
clement to be hereafter made with .thi.
Commonwealth" ya'utble stocks and
bonds were transferred to West Virginia.
The Constitution of West Virginia of 1863.
provides, Section I, Article s:
THE Legislature may at any time direct
a sale of the stocks owned by tie State in
tbs banks and other corporations but the
proceeds of such sale slipl he applied to the
liquidation Of The public debt"
The legislation of West Virginia has di
rected that the principle of the proceeds OF
said property sold shall be careruliv pre-
served and the interest and profit only be
used for the benefit of the schools. The re-
port OF the West Virginia Debt Commission
of 1871 placed the value of the stock owned
by Virginia in the banks 1T $3.50. GOO. These
stocks with other valuable investments
were disposed of aud put in the IrreducibIe
School Fund of this State refer to the
above stat enlents to show this State acquir.
ed valuable property from the State of yir
ginia. Her recent legislatures declare BY
formal resolution that she will refuse to
take any action with reference to her PRO
portion of the old debt, and that she is in
no way obligated for any part thereof. The
members of the last Legislature, although
acting under the solemn obligation of an
oath TO support the Constitution of West
Virginia subscribed to before they entered
upon their duties, became parties to reso
luton of bald reputation. The speaker of
that Legislature, voting for such a resolu- |
tion, recently said in All interview in the
Wheeling Register
1T must not be forgotten that In the original
ordinance between w. Va, and the mother
State 1t was provided in substance that an nd |
Justment OF Va debt should he had between
the two States on tasis of charging this
State with all the Improvements made within
her boundaries for which the debt was created
aud by cred ling her with the umonut she had |
contributed to tho Treasury Of Vi. after de-
Quoting her share of the expenses of .overn-
mcni. The Democratic party has taken the
ground that II there i any question between
va, and w. Va. it eau be settled umicnbly be-
tween them whenever Va. appoints a co,iinis-
SION ana takes proper steps to settle. The
Democratic party will stand firm on the ground
that no one is interested in The question Int
me states OF Va and w Va, aud the inter
meddling OF any owners of pretended bonds
will not be tolerated for moment"
This same gentleman, presided recently over
the Democratic Convention at Parkersburg.
which passed resolution disoWnHng liability
fol any part of the old Va debt. How it is
possible for member of the Legislature to
vote for resolution of reputation with the
provisions of the Constitution cited above be-
fore him, is little ruzzliug to the mind of
of man with a conscience. NJ one has ever
asserted th9t ". Va owes the Va Deferred
Certificates 1t is clel- that q settlement
ought to be had between the State of Va. and
W. Va. and il W. Va owes the old State the