806 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



WEST VIRGINIA. The total receipts into 

 the Treasury during the year ending Septem- 

 ber 30, 1874, amounted to $695,951, and the 

 disbursements to $657,183, leaving a balance 

 in the Treasury at that date of $282,364. This 

 includes balance of the general school-fund, 

 $224,524; balance of school-fund, $22,882; 

 balance of fund for general purposes, $30,904; 

 and balance of building-fund, $4,352. In the 

 balance of $30,604, applicable to general pur- 

 poses, is included $18,470 borrowed for the 

 use of the State, and not yet paid. Governor 

 Jacob recommends an appropriation for the 

 payment of this sum. " The foregoing state- 

 ment," says that official, " shows the healthy 

 condition of our finances ; all the demands upon 

 the Treasury have been met, and a substantial 

 balance left to carry over to the present fiscal 

 year. The last Legislature failed to impose 

 the five-cents tax, heretofore known as the 

 hospital or building tax, and consequently the 



revenue for the present year will be considera- 

 bly reduced. I estimate this reduction at $60,- 

 000 in round numbers, consequently the ap- 

 propriations for this fiscal year must neces- 

 sarily be less than heretofore, for, even if it 

 should be your pleasure to restore this tax, 

 it can only avail for the next fiscal year. This 

 is greatly to be regretted, for at least two of 

 the public institutions need liberal appropria- 

 tions for construction purposes. I recommend 

 that this building tax be renewed for one year." 

 The question of the removal of the State 

 capital has been prominently agitated during 

 the year, and will doubtless be acted upon by 

 the Legislature of 1875. The present capital, 

 Charleston, is far from the centre of the State, 

 and is difficult of access to a large portion of 

 the people. Early in June a State Convention 

 of delegates to consider this subject was held 

 in Grafton. C. M. Bishop, having been chosen 

 as the president, remarked that " the wheels of 



HARPER'S FERRY. 



prosperity are now clogged by the lack of a 

 proper and permanent location of the State 

 capital. The seat of government is not where 

 the people want it, and, if a popular vote were 

 had upon the question, an overwhelming ma- 

 jority would pronounce in favor of removal. 

 Charleston is difficult of access to two-thirds 

 if not three-fourths of the people of the State, 

 and it is not uncommon for delegates going to 

 Charleston to be compelled to pass through 

 portions of three States before reaching the 

 capital of their own." 



The views of the Convention on this subject 

 are set forth in the following resolutions, which 

 were adopted : 



We, the representatives of tlie people of West 

 Virginia, in convention assembled, recognizing the 

 importance of securing the location of our State 

 capital at some point that shall be accessible to the 

 people, and believing that its present location is 

 detrimental to our best interests on account of its 

 remoteness and inaccessibility, would recommend 

 to the people of the State for their consideration the 

 following: resolutions : 



Resolved, That we favor the removal of the State 

 capital from Charleston to some more accessible 

 point. 



Resolved, That the question of the removal of our 

 State capital has for its object solely the general 

 convenience and accommodation of the people ; 

 that it has no political significance, but is demanded 

 by a large majority of the people of this State, with- 

 out regard to party or political creed ; and that we 



