The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-09-03
Favorable Report Looked For.

w dSllluS ION, Aug. ~. - Mem
berS of the West Virginia delega-
ton in Congress are greatly
pleased over the attitude of the
subcommittee of the judiciary
committee which has under CON
sideration Congressman Hamil-
toms bill providing for the pay
ment by the federal government
OF any part of the Virginia
state debt for which West Viz
ginia may be held liable. The
| subcommittee have addressed q
letter to members of the West
Virginia delegation, in which the
provisions of the bill are practic-
ally given the approval of the
subcommittee. The letter is an
explanation of the reasons why
a report has not been made upon
the measure and in it the sub
committee gives as the principal
reason that the full amount Of
the debt has not yet been deter
mined and that no action by Con-
/ gress could be expected until the
amount is determined. MIR.
Hamilton especially pleased with
the attitude of the sub-commit-
tee which has in effect approved
the main point of his contention.
While the subcommittee evident
~ has no intention of reporting
upon this bill before the cues
ton of interest on the Virginia
debt is determined by the su-
preme court Of the United States,
the committee seems to be in full
sympathy with Mr.. Hamilton's
bill and the indications are that
at the right time q favorable re-
port will be made upon the meas
ure. The letter from the sub
committee is as follows:
Honorables John w. Davis,
William G.. Brown, Adam B. Lit
tlepage and John M. Hamilton,
Members Of Congress from West
Virginia,
Gentlemen:
Referring to House joint reso-
luton No. "a relative to the ante
war debt of Virginia, which was
referred to the subcommittee of
the judiciary committee, of which
subcommittee we are members,
we have to say that among the
many matters claiming our atten-
ton, we have been unable to give
this matter as full consideration
as we desired, or as the impor-
lance of the question demanded,
and for that reason we cannot
report it at this time. We feel
satisfied, however. as to some of
the propositions involved.
We have no doubt from the
historical citations made by Mr..
Hamilton in his argument before
the full committee, that the state
of West Virginia was created and
the consent of Congress and of
President Lincoln to its creation
granted, because Of the military
eXlgencies existing at the time,
and that the creation of the said
state is attributable to certain
measures Of war adopted by the
government as set forth by Mr..
Blaine in his history cited in the
argument.
While we have not been able
to investigate them to our full
salts faction, the precedents set
forth in the argument are very
strong upon the consideration of
the question, and the resolution
and the matters therein contain
ed seem to come closely to, if not
entirely within, the scope of
| these presidents.
We cannot announce our final
views at this time but beg to sug-
gest that one trouble about the
matter is that this debt is not en-
tirely determined. While the
supreme court has in a prelimi-
, nary way ascertained the prin.
cipal, yet the question of interest
remains wholly unsettled. and as
the interest may, if the court
shall so find. largely exceed the
amount Of the principal, it is an
parent that the amount you ash
the government to assume. is in
definite and undetermined. anC
p We are clearly of opinion that w,
: would not be justified I'm report
{ ing in favor of government as
sumption in advance of the de