Year: 1879

himself to be goaded by hot-hasts preju-


dice into doing something that might


prove to be worse than useless when it


was done.


Mr.. Arnold, of Lewis county, also made


warm appeal to the House to avoid pre-


cipitate action, and gave quite historical


and humorous reminisc ence OF the days


when we had no railroads in West Virgin


la, and when the representative men of


Northwestern Virginia met in great num-


bers in his town to implore the authors


ties at Richmond to favor the building


of the Baltimore aud Ohio road in order


that they might have an outlet to the East
and West. We were then ready to prom


Use anything and everything to get rail-


road, and when at last We got it without
costing us sanything, we began to think that
it would not do for the road to make
money out of US, and people get very
much excited nowadays when they hear
that the road has actually made money out
of its West Virginia business. For his
part he could not forget that a box of goods
could be brought to Clarksburg from the
East for less money than it could be taken
to Weston, twenty-five miles by wagon.
This was the reason why his people were
building narrow gauge connecting with
the Baltimore and Ohio.


Chap Stewart followed Mr.. Arnold in q
speech for the resolution. We say for the
resolution, although we did have at vari-
Gus times in the course of Chaps speech,
serious doubts as to which side of the sap
ling he would finally straddle. Like the
Tennessee stump orator he seemed in
clined to be both "for and against the
mill dam" He said that he did not ex-
pect the company to comply with their
charter. He did not believe they
could do a successful business under
their charter. What he was after was a
If the company was ready
to do even half right he was ready to take
them by the hand, bat if they were not
he would proceed against them with the
full power of the State. AS the safest
thing to do, he proposed to vote for the
quo warranto proceeding. Nevertheless
he should move to reconsider the resolu-
ton when passed, and also to lay chat mo-
ton on the table. thereby keeping it
within the control of the House, and await



And sure enough, Chap did move, after
the vote was taken and the resolution car
ried, to reconsider it. and then to lay his
motion on the table, and the House con-
Cured in his motion. The ordinary ope-
ration of such a procedure is to kill off
utterly any resolution or motion thus dis
posed of, but Speaker AIoffett has ruled
this session that when the intent of the
motion is explained the subject matter
thereof is kept alive and within the con-
troll OF the House.


And thus the railroad debate of yester-
day was concluded. No notice was sent
to the Senate of the concurrence of the
House, as in that event the resolution
would have passed beyond the power of
the House for reconsideration.


AS to the effect of the quo warranto
ordered yesterday, there seems
to be some diversity-perhaps we should
say uncertainty-of opinion. The charter
was read by Gov. Jacob and Mr.. Gum
to show that it (D provided penalties for
illegal charges, anu (2) provided against
at the hands OF any future
Legislature. Both Of these gentlemen
seemed to be very doubtful whether
proceeding to vacate would receive coun-
tenance from the Courts.