800 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



ried her decision into execution on which 

 the following statement was made before the 

 convention by one of its members: "At the 

 very moment that proceedings were pending 

 between the two States for the adjustment of 

 the principles upon which their respective 

 portions of that liability should rest, and when 

 a disposition had been manifested by West Vir- 

 ginia to meet with fairness and good faith the 

 responsibilities of her position, the State of 

 Virginia took the subject under her entire 

 control, assumed to be the sole judge, and to 

 determine what her proportion and what our 

 proportion of that debt should be, and to 

 compel her bondholders, under the penalty of 

 a repudiation of their debts, to accept the dis- 

 tribution which she had chosen arbitrarily to 

 make of the respective liabilities of the two 

 States. Under this arrangement, she issued 

 new bonds for two-thirds of her debt, and gave 

 a deferred certificate representing the third, 

 for which she chose to regard West Virginia 

 as liable, and for the payment of which de- 

 ferred certificate she disclaims all responsibil- 

 ity until a settlement shall take place between 

 herself and West Virginia. These certificates 

 have since been thrown upon the market, are 

 quoted at the stock-boards as West Virginia 

 certificates, and have sunk to a low state of de- 

 preciation, already resulting in a loss of nearly 

 one-third of their debts to the bondholders." 



The final result, ascertained by a vote of 42 

 to 26, was, that the above-mentioned section 

 of the old constitution should be entirely omit- 

 ted in the new.' This instrument, in article 

 10, section 4, simply authorizes the Legislature 

 to contract debts for some specified purposes, 

 among others, " to redeem a previous liability 

 of the State." Thereby the new constitution 

 recognizes the obligation of West Virginia for 

 whatever she may justly owe to the State of 

 Virginia as her share in the latter's debt; and 

 declares her willingness to pay it when prop- 

 erly ascertained. 



The State of Virginia claims, and in her ar- 

 rangement with her creditors, as above stated, 

 has actually assumed, that the proportional 

 share of her debt chargeable to West Virginia 

 is one-third of the whole, or above $16,000,000 ; 

 whereas the commissioners appointed by West 

 Virginia to investigate the subject, after hav- 

 ing examined the public records, have official- 

 ly reported its amount, in their judgment, to 

 be less than $1,000,000. 



The fourth Thursday (22d) of August, 1872, 

 was appointed as the day of a general election 

 for the ratification or rejection of the constitu- 

 tion and schedule. The constitution was rati- 

 fied by a majority of 4,534. Total vote, 81,656. 



The members of the Legislature elected un- 

 der this constitution are required to meet at 

 the seat of government on the third Thurs- 

 day (19th) of November^ 1872. The term of 

 service of the delegates first elected is to ex- 

 pire on November 1, 1874; the regular ses- 

 sions being now biennial. 



The term of office of the Governor, Secre- 

 tary of State, State Superintendent of Free 

 Schools, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney- 

 General, is fixed by the new constitution at 

 four years, to commence on the 4th day of 

 March, 1873. 



The term of office of the four Judges of the 

 Supreme Court of Appeals is twelve years ; 

 the term of office of the nine Judges of the 

 nine Circuits, into which the State shall be 

 divided, is eight years. 



Some Liberal Republicans and Liberal Dem- 

 ocrats of West Virginia met together at Par- 

 kersburg, on April 18, 1872, and held a con- 

 ference, in which it was resolved "that the 

 Liberal Republicans of West Virginia, who 

 may attend the Cincinnati Liberal Republican 

 Convention, be requested to use all honorable 

 means to secure the nomination of Chief- 

 Justice Chase to the presidency." 



A similar resolution was adopted requesting 

 the Liberal Democrats, who may be in attend- 

 ance as delegates to the Reunion Reform Con- 

 vention, which meets at the same time and 

 place, to use their influence for the nomina- 

 tion of the Chief-Justice. A platform was 

 adopted, liberal in character, which briefly 

 covers the following points : 



The perpetuity and sovereignty of the Amer- 

 ican Union ; the restoration of local self-gov- 

 ernment; the preservation and coordination 

 of the three departments of the Government 

 executive, legislative, and judicial ; an accept- 

 ance in good faith of the last amendments to 

 the Constitution ; the adjustment of our tariff 

 laws to a revenue standard, with such dis- 

 criminations only as the general interests of 

 the country may require ; amnesty for all past 



Eolitical offences ; protection of the rights of 

 ibor ; a speedy return of the currency to a 

 specie standard ; the accession of neighboring 

 states when it can be done without inter- 

 ference with national obligations and without 

 force or fraud ; the protection of American 

 citizens, whether native or naturalized, from 

 the despotism of foreign governments; and 

 the inviolability of the national debt. 



The platform concludes with an appeal to 

 all patriotic citizens to unite to protect the 

 Union of the States, and for the restoration 

 of peace, progress, and prosperity, to the en- 

 tire people. 



The Republican party assembled in State 

 Convention at Grafton, on the 23d of May, 

 when they chose delegates to attend the Re- 

 publican National Convention at Philadelphia. 



The import of the resolutions which were 

 then adopted by the convention is summarily 

 stated as follows: they "set forth the pros- 

 perity of the country, the reduction of the 

 public debt, the maintenance of peaceful rela- 

 tions at home and abroad, the economical ad- 

 ministration of the Government, and the in- 

 tegrity of public officials; favor the continued 

 reduction of taxation, the gradual payment of 

 the public debt, Grant's civil-service reform, 



