All money and taxes heretofore payable into the Treasury under the provision of the said section four to the credit of the school fund, shall be hereafter paid into the treasury to the credit of the general school fund for the support of the free schools of the State. (H. J. R. No. 31.) JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12. [Adopted February 7, 1901.] Declaring it to be the duty of the Legislature to carry into effect an appropriation to erect a monument at Point Pleasant in commemoration of the battle of Point Pleasant, approved February twenty-fifth, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, and to vacate the appointment of trustees made by the governor of West Virginia, in pursuance of House Joint Resolution No. 34, adopted February twentysixth, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, by the legislature of West Virginia. Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That it is the duty of this legislature to carry into effect the appropriation approved February twenty-fifth, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, appropriating thirty-five hundred dollars for the erection of a monument in commemoration of the battle of Point Pleasant, fought in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-four, said appropriation ing been paid to E. L. Bill, assignee of E. Sehon, March eleventh, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, and afterwards, with the accrued interest thereon, having been paid to John W. English, F. A. Guthrie and A. R. Barbee, trustees appointed by the governor of West Virginia, in pursuance of House Joint Resolution No. 34, adopted on the twenty-sixth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, by the legislature of West Virginia; and said funds have never been disbursed in accordance with the act of the legislature of West Virginia, and said House Joint Resolution, adopted as aforesaid; and be it further, Resolved. That the appointment of said trustees, made by the governor of West Virginia, under and by virtue of said House Joint Resolution No. 34, adopted February twenty-sixth, thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, be, and the same is hereby, vacated and set aside; and be it further, one Resolved, That the governor of West Virginia shall, on the fifteenth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and one, or as soon thereafter as practicable, appoint three trustees, whose duty it shall be to ascertain and take charge of the amount of said appropriation, and any other donations heretofore made, or that may be hereafter made, with its accrued interest, and with said funds proceed to erect a monument provided for in said act, approved February twenty-fifth, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, upon such sites and grounds, as said trustees may select, in the town of Point Pleasant, Mason county, West Virginia; and be it further court Resolved, That the said trustees, when appointed, shall have authority to institute proper legal proceedings in any having jurisdiction to recover said sum of thirty-five hundred dollars, and accrued interest, together with all donations, from the different trustees who have received said thirty-five hundred dollars and donations, and said trustees when appointed under authority of this resolution shall, before receiving any money under the provisions of this resolution, execute a bond in the penalty of ten thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties under this resolution, said bond to be approved by the county court of Mason county, West Virginia. Said trustees shall be allowed a reasonable compensation for all their services rendered under the provisions of this resolution. (H. J. R. No. 32.) JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13. [Adopted February 8, 1901.] Authorizing the secretary of State to furnish the judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit with copies of the West Virginia reports. Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That the secretary of state be authorized to furnish the judge. of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court a set of West Virginia reports, for use of his office. (H. J. R. No. 35.) JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14. [Adopted February 16, 1901.] WHEREAS, What is known as the Home Guard soldiers of this State were called in a case of extreme emergency into the service of this State on behalf of the preservation of the Union in the late Civil War; and WHEREAS, These gallant, patriotic sons of our Mountain State did good service in an hour of the most extreme peril, and under the greatest and most adverse circumstances; and WHEREAS, All of them are now old, and many poor, and disabled from said service, and have not been recognized commensurate with their service, and the honor and dignity of this Nation, it is mete, right and eternally just, that these old, grayhaired surviving veterans, their widows and orphans, should share the benefits of the United States pension law; therefore, be it Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That the United States senators and representatives of this State in congress, be requested and instructed to use all urgent and diligent means to secure an amendment to the "Pension Act" of June 27, 1890, extending the benefits to such West Virginia State troops and Home Guards as served sixty days in said service, and were honorably discharged, the same as States soldiers. United (H. J. R. No. 36.) JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 15. [Adopted February 20, 1901.] or measures to appoint a comrevise the tax in relation to Authorizing the governor of West Virginia to disbursement of revenue, and the laws in relation to in- WHEREAS, The system of tax assessment and laws in relation to disbursement of in this State, is substantially the same as and revenue laws revenue, now in force, that adopted at the organization of the state, and it is believed not to be such a system as is best adapted to the changed conditions, brought about by the development of the state and its resources, and that defects exist in the several acts, now in force under the present system, and that in forty-five days the legislature cannot perfect the system or put into a consistent and practicable whole the laws now in force; and WHEREAS, A great part of each session of the legislature is now consumed in the enactment of laws relating to the incorporation of cities and towns of more than two thousand inhabitants, to the prevention of much needed legislation; therefore, be it Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: reso the That the governor, sixty days after the adoption of this lution, shall appoint a commission to be composed of five citizens of this State, competent and qualified by reason of their character, learning, occupation, business or profession for the discharge of the duties to be imposed upon them under this resolution, whose duty it shall be to consider and report to the next regular session of the legislature of this State, or to special session which may be called, with power to act upon such report, what changes are required in the tax assessment or revenue laws of the State, to equalize taxation, to reach property, firms, persons and corporations not now bearing their just proportion of the burdens of taxation, and to raise the necessary amount of revenue, with the least possible burden upon people and property of the State, and to secure a proper disbursement of same. Such commission shall submit to the legislature, with their report, such measure or measures as they may deem necessary or expedient, to remedy defects, defects, remove irregularities in our present laws, relating to the subjects named, and give the State a more efficient system of laws relating to assessments, taxation and revenues. The commission shall also consider the framing of a law classifying cities, towns and villages and submit with their report if practicable a ure or measures providing by general law for such classification, and for the incorporation of cities and towns of over two thousand inhabitants, and for the amending of all municipal charters. The commission shall complete their labors hereunder not later than the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and two. The said commission shall be paid each ten dollars a day for each day necessarily spent in the discharge of their duties under this resolution and their necessary traveling expenses, but only the time spent in the sitting of the commission shall be paid for, except in the case of a sub-committee sitting to dis charge some duty imposed upon or referred to it by the commission. The commission may employ a secretary, whose compensation shall not exceed six hundred dollars. All the cost of said commission shall not exceed seventy-five hundred dollars, which amount is appropriated for the purpose, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, and five hundred dollars shall prove insufficient to pay such cost under the provisions of this resolution, then the deficiency shall be met by a ratable reduction from the per diem of the members of the commission. if the seventy (H. J. R. No. 38.) JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 16. [Adopted February 14, 1901.] Instructing our senators and requesting our representatives in the congress of the United States to use their best endeavors to procure the purchase by the government of the locks and dams on the Little Kanawha river in this State not now owned by the government to the end that the people may be permitted to travel on said stream and to transport their products thereon free from tolls and exaction of any kind or character. WHEREAS. The Little Kanawha river through a thickly settled section, and in in natural and material resources, such as and also fruitful in agricultural products, rapidly developed; and in this State runs several several counties, rich coal, timber and oil; and is now being WHEREAS, Said river is navigable for sixty miles for passenger and freight traffic and has thereon five locks and dams but one of which, being the one highest upon the river, is owned by the United States government; and WHEREAS, At all of the said locks and dams, except those owned by the government, as aforesaid all of the people are taxed in tolls upon all their traffic and travel; and WHEREAS, It is most desirable and proper, as well as fair and just that said river should be opened up to free transportation and traffic, and very many beneficial and profitable results to the people would accrue if the policy of the government, to which it is already committed by the ownership of said one lock and dam on said river, and the maintenance of same, was fully caried out and the government owned and maintained all of the said locks and dams; therefore, be it |