Legislature of Virginia, Senate.
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1861.
The Senate was opened with prayer by
the Rev. Dr. Burrows, of the First Baptist Church.
Standing Committees.
The President announced the
Standing Committees of the Senate, as follows:
On Privileges and Elections,--
Messrs. Thomas of
Fairfax,
Newton,
Dickerson of
Grayson,
Thomas of Henry,
Early, Spitler, and
Finney.
On Courts of Justice--
Messrs. Coghill,
Robertson,
Neeson,
Day,
Christian of
Middlesex, Ball,
Branch,
Whittle, and
Nash.
On
General Laws.--
Messrs. Logan,
Marshall,
Alderson,
Caraway,
Garnett,
Hart,
Wiley, and
Quesenbury.
On Roads and Internal Navigation.--
Messrs. Johnson,
Dickinson of Prince Edward, Christian of
Augusta,
Newman,
Marshall,
Thompson,
Claiborne,
Lynch,
Pate,
McKenney,
Taliaferro, Greaver,
Whitten, and Bales.
On Finance and Claims.--
Messrs. Brannon,
Dickinson of Prince Edward,
Neeson,
Thomas of
Fairfax, Day,
Bruce,
Robertson,
Lynch,
Early, Christian of
Middlesex,
Hart, and
Branch.
On
Banks.--
Messrs. Ishell,
Christian of
Augusta,
Robertson,
Thomas of Henry,
Claiborne,
Newton, and
McKenney.
On Lunatic Asylums.--
Messrs. Claiborne,
Urquhart,
Greever,
Isbell,
Garnett,
Christian of
Augusta, and
Branch.
On Agriculture and Commerce.--
Messrs. Thompson,
Marshall,
Carson,
Finney,
Harvey,
Massie, and
Bales.
On Military Affairs.--
Messrs. Douglas,
Carson,
Newman,
Penny backer,
Urquhart,
Nash,
Quesenbury,
Harvey, Spitier, Bail,
Whittle,
Thomas, of
Henry, and Witten.
On the Penitentiary.--
Messrs. Dickerson, of
Grayson,
Brannan,
Johnson,
Logan, and
Garnett.
On the
Armory.--
Messrs. Neeson,
Coghill,
Caraway, and
Douglas.
On Executive Expenditures.--
Messrs. Day,
Newman,
Early,
Dickinson of Prince Edward, and
Pennybacker.
On Library.--
Messrs. Christian, of Middle-sex,
Urquhart, and
Whittle.
On First Auditor's Office.--
Messrs. Nash,
Bail, and
Neeson.
On Second Auditor's Office.--
Messrs. Marshall,
Wiley, and
Pate.
On the
Register's Office.--
Messrs. Taliaferro,
Massie, and
Bruce.
On the
Treasurer's Office.--
Messrs. Pennybacker,
Spitler, and
Branch.
On the Bonds of Public Officers.--
Messrs. Newman,
Caraway, and
Christian of
Middlesex.
On Public Printing.--
Messrs. Newton,
Hart, and
Pate.
On Enrolled Bills.--
Messrs. Thomas of Henry,
Logan,
Pennybacker,
Thompson, and
Massie.
On Clerk's Office.--
Messrs. Early,
Taliaferro, and
McKenny.
Resolutions.
The following resolutions were offered and adopted:
By
Mr. Douglas.--Instructing the
Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of compensating
John Critcher for services in prosecuting a felony in the Circuit Court of
Westmoreland by special request of the
Judge thereof.
By
Mr. Dickinson.--Granting leave to withdraw from the files of last session the
Bill No. 160, and referring the same to the
Committee on Finance.
By
Mr. Coghill.--Instructing the
Committee on
General Laws to inquire into the expediency of adopting such legislation as will prevent speculation in articles of prime necessity.
By
Mr. Johnson--Instructing the
Committee on Finance and Claims to inquire into the expediency of assuming and paying out of the Treasury, or otherwise,
Virginia's proportion of the
Confederate States War Tax.
By
Mr. Brannon--Referring a portion of the
Governor's message to the
Committee on Finance and Claims.
By
Mr. Whittle--Instructing the
Committee on Courts of Justice to bring in a bill to conform the Code of
Virginia to the
Constitution of the
Confederate States.
By
Mr. Hart--Instructing the
Committee on
General Laws to inquire into the expediency of amending an act passed 31st January, 1861, chartering the
James River Insurance Company, at
Howardsville, in the county of
Albemarle.
By
Mr. Pennybacker--Instructing the
Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of the more effectual organization of the militia of this State.
By
Mr. Coghill--Instructing the
Committee on Finance and Claims to inquire into the expediency of refunding to the county of
Amherst the amount of a license tax paid by
Geo. L. Shroder, and refunded to him by the county Court of Amherst.
By
Mr. Thomas, of
Fairfax — Instructing the
Committee of Privileges and Elections to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the representation of those senatorial districts of the
State now unrepresented by reason of the disloyalty of those elected at the last general election.
By
Mr. Dickinson--Granting leave to withdraw bill No. 269 from the files of last session and referring it to the
Committee on Finance.
By
Mr. Robertson--Instructing the
Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of remitting a specified percentage on all taxes paid by the tax-payer promptly into the
State Treasury.
By
Mr. Thomas, of
Fairfax — Instructing the
Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of so amending the law organizing the militia, or providing by law for the payment of horses impressed for the use of the cavalry of the
State, and which have either died in the service of the
State or been captured by the enemy.
By
Mr.Alderson--Instructing the committee on
General Laws to inquire into the expediency of declaring a portion of
New River a lawful fence.
Communication from the Executive.
The President laid before the Senate a communication from the
Executive, transmitting the returns of elections held at the various camps on the 6th of November last, for
Senators to represent the 46th and 50th Senatorial districts in the General Assembly.
The
Senators elected are
Norval Lewis, of
Harrison, and
E. H. Fitzhugh, of
Ohio county.
Referred to the committee on Privileges and Elections.
Election of Senators.
The following resolution, offered by
Mr. Pennybacker, lies over under the rules:
Resolved, That the Senate, with the concurrence of the House of Delegates, go into the election of
Senators of the
Confederate States on Monday next at 1 o'clock.
Petition.
By
Mr. Logan--The petition of citizens of
Halifax, praying that David Apt may be licensed as a hawker and pedlar.
Negro convicts.
A message was received from the House of Delegates, by
Mr. Anderson, communicating an act passed by that body to amend and re-enact the act entitled ‘"an act providing for the employment of negro convicts on the public works,"’ passed April 7, 1856. Read twice and referred.
The Senate adjourned.
