Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1917-01-09
S0L0NS' ATTENTION
CALLED To OLD DEBT
By Atty.-Gen. Lilly In His Lat
est Biennial Report.

COT 0lCiHIldi iiCpOi l.
Charleston, Jan. "a. A. Lilly. at.
torney general of West Virginia. rem
dered 563 opinions during the TWO
year period which ended on June so,
1916, according to his biennial report
just made public Many OF the opiu.
ions involved matters of extreme inn
portance to the commonwealth. The
attorney general also appeared in -
criminal eases and 80 civil proceed
ings, the most important in the lat
ter class being the Virginia debt case
In concluding the recital of facts
concerning the progress made in this
litigation. Attorney General Lilly
brings attention to the fact that al
any time after the adjournment OF
the West Virginia Legislature, the
State of Virginia through It's attoH
ney general. may renew its prayer for
writ of execution against the State
of West Virginia to satisfy the judg.
ment of the Supreme Court of the
United States against the latter for
approximately $13,000060.
The report of this case shows that
the first petition for this writ was
denied without prejudice 70 The re
newal 70 the same after the next ses-
sion of the legislature OF the Stat
of West Virginia has met and had d
reasonable opportunity to provide fer
the payment of the judgment
The first opinion of general int
est rendered by the attorney general
was that in reference to the abolition
of the contract system at the stat
penitentiary. Others related 70 tn"
rights Of citizenship Of child born
in the United States of parents WIN
had not become naturalzed. III
amount of alcohol which could be cor
tanned in apple-cider au1 an infe pr
tation Of an act of the state legisla
ture prohibiting the use of the Amer
can flag for advertising purposes.
a number of opinions of the attor-
ncy general as shown in The report
deal with road improvement. He de
termined the manner of submitting
the question OF bond issues. con-
struction by special levy and the va
Iidity of contracts. a number Of
opinions were also given with refer
enee TO the primary election laws of
the state and the workmen's com
pensation fund. The report also con
tains a list of the banks designated
as state repositories by The board OF
public works and the form Of the
bond as approved by the attorney
general These banks number Ia.
Attorney General Lilly also shows
the moneys collected by his depart
ment, giving the style of the cases
productive Of caSh which passed
through that office The largest jude
ment was that against the Martins.
burg Power Company +or $-7Go6
The next in importance was that aga
inst the Citizens Dollar Savings Bank
and Maryland. Casualty Co. which
was a judgment for money deposited
in the bank as state depository
The amount of this judgment was
$I9,699
The total disbursements aside from
salaries for the two year period vas
$8.751, there was a balance on hand
on June 80. 1916. of $2051 The sal.
airy of the attorney general is $4,000
a year. The total salaries drawn by
his assistants of whom there are
three is $500 a year The salary Of
stenographers was almost $1,000 Be
cause of the expiration Of the time
limit fixed by law, 1912 Of the fund
for reprinting and binding the SUI
irene court reports was returned te
40 treasury, only $1,000 being dis
bused from the fnud in 1915, and So
267 in 1916.