Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-02-14
HOW IT HAPPENED
Details of the Big Scrap at
Charleston.

Vhtns when tney Gad.
The following details of the de-
bate and vote over the Augusta
county bill have been received from
Charleston, They will interest all
of our readers:
The proposed county of Augusta
| got serious set back when on sec
ond reading, after three hours de
bate, it was indefinitely postponed
by vote Of 40 to rs. 1t was 1892
o'clock before the bill came up, both
sides appearing to avoid the con
test, but when once up, every motion
TO adjourn, no matter which side
proposed it, was voted down with
out regard to the line-up'on the bill
and the tight ouce begun was fought
to finish, the House adjourning at
$50 p. m. Immediately after the
vote.
Two maps of the proposed new
county and the three counties con
cerned were displayed, one by each
side, and there was a glaring dis
crepancy between the lines OF the
proposed new county as between the
two. When the bin was reached
Mr.. Kenney, of Calhoun, Democrat.
moved for indefinite postponement.
and Mr.. Cunningham. of Tucker,
Republican, in opposition to this,
opened the case for the Augusta
county people, presenting two old
surveys and argued that Wetzel,
Monongalia and Marion county had
sufficient territory to form the new
county and each of the four have
the constitutional 400 square miles.
He presented petition purporting
to be signed by 5000 residents OF
the proposed new county asking for
it. In arguing the constitutional
requirements he said the people of
this county weres sovereign and ST.
perior to the constitution and all
statute laws, but would not advise
any member to violate their oaths,
but maintained that all constitu-
tional requirements had been met.
He said the Falrmont people wanted
to retain Augusta county people in
order to tax them for the benefit OF
Falrnont and made similar charges
against the other counties it was
proposed to carve up.
Mr.. Bowman, of Barbour, Demo
crat, replied to Mr. Cunningham,
declaring the old maps he submitted
were not official and offered map
of each county involved and the of
fetal certification thereto both from
the representative county officials
and the Secretary of States Office.
He severely criticised Mr.. Cunning
hams constitutional attitude of
sweeping away the constitution and
the statute laws, declaring it would
lay down the bars that would lead
to no one could tell. He quoted
from the constitution and code the
requirements necessary before the
formation of new county could be
considered and declared the Augusta
people had not made the notice of
publication the official survey taken
vote Or census, and maintained
that his official survey cause the Of
ficers of the three counties proposed
to be carved up had the area for
such purpose.
Mr.. Cunningham replied that
petition was better than vote and
that they could not get vote taken
because the officers of the three
counties concerned were opposed to
the project.
Messrs Hughes of jackson Mr.. Hill
of Tyler Mr.. Carlin of Braxton. also
spoke on the constitutional feature
and urged that ever. member stand
by his oath be had solemnly taken
to support the constitution, saying
that the Supreme court of West Vir-
ginia, as announced by Mr.. Gun
ningham, held that it would not 90
behind a Legislative act, presuming
that the Legislature had acted under
the constitution and that, there be-
ing no recourse to the courts, the
Legislature, under its oath to sup
port the constitution, must itself as
a jury consider and decide the con-
stitutional questions. They pleaded
for calmness and deliberation and
the elimination OF prejudice, com
plimented the Warrington people
onthe fight they had made, but
maintained they had come into
court, without making their case up
according to law.
MI. lSarnhard moved the previous
question and Mr.. Cunningham de-
manded the ayes nays. The result
was an indefinite postponement by
vote of 40 to 25.
The floor of the House and the
gallery were we'll filed with interest
edIspectators, including many ladies
and when this was announced amid
dead silence no manifestation of any
kind followed. During the debate
Mr.. Cunningham said he had heard
it said in the street that Mr.. Hill
was the paid employee of great cor
poration that compelled him co es-
pouse the new country because in
would increase its taxes. Mr.. Hill
arose and said it was absolutely
false and Mr.. Cunningham accepted
Mr.. Hills statement as true. He
made an insinuation against Mr..
Hughes, who started in on hot re
ioinder. when Mr.. Cunningham re-