Virginia Legislature.
[extra Session.]
Senate.
Tuesday, March 7, 1865.
The following bills were taken up and passed:
House bill to authorize the
Central Lunatic Asylum to procure
cotton yarns, and to exchange the same for supplies for said asylum.
Joint resolutions expressing the sentiments of the General Assembly to the gallant soldiers of
Virginia for their patriotic devotion to duty, as expressed in their recent action.
Joint resolution for the encouragement of production of such supplies to enable us to maintain our armies in the field and to support the families of soldiers at home.
[The resolution urges the appointment of committees of safety in each county to see that all tillable land is put in cultivation, and requests all newspapers in the
Commonwealth to advocate the policy and use their influence to give proper direction to the labor, capital and energies of all our people, so as to develop all the resources of the country.]
House bill to provide for surveys in certain cases.
House bill to allow
James Fauntleroy to establish a ferry across the
Mattaponi river.
House bill to require all sojourners and refugees, who are not now in the militia, to perform military service.
Mr. Coghill presented a bill to authorize the county and corporation courts of the
Commonwealth to purchase spinning wheels, cotton and wool cards, for the use of indigent families of soldiers and sailors of their respective counties, which was ordered to a third reading.
Mr. Branch presented a bill for the relief of
Thomas Kilby, which was read twice and referred to the Finance Committee.
Mr. Christian, of
Augusta, presented a bill to provide for the security of specie in the banks of the Commonwealth, which was referred to the
Committee on
Banks.
Senate bill for the relief of
William H. Mansfield, sheriff of
Spotsylvania county, who had $11,400 of the money of the
State taken from him by the enemy, was taken up, and, owing to the absence of
Mr. Quesenberry, again laid on the table.
House bill to establish an agency in this city to prosecute and collect all claims of deceased soldiers against the
State of Virginia and the Confederate Government was taken up for consideration.--[The bill appoints
Colonel Henry Hill as the agent, and requires him to report his action to the
Governor monthly.]--After an amendment, to include claims for horses killed in service, was offered by
Mr. Newman, of
Mason, the bill and amendment were laid on the table.
The appropriation bill was then taken up, and, after the filling of several blanks and the adoption of two or three amendments, it was engrossed and ordered to a third reading.
On motion of
Mr. Coghill, the bill for the appointment of an
Inspector of Salt, at
Saltville, was taken up, read twice and then laid on the table.
The bill for the production and distribution of salt was taken up, on motion of
Mr. Coghill, and was under consideration when the Senate adjourned.
House of Delegates.
The
House met at 11 A. M.
The bill to organize an armed police force for the city of
Richmond was taken up, on the motion of
Mr. Saunders, and ordered to its engrossment.
Mr. Barksdale offered a resolution that no slave who has served faithfully in the Confederate army shall be liable to sale, either by his owner or under execution, nor shall his wife or children be subject to sale.
The resolution was rejected.
On motion of
Mr. Staples, the bill conferring upon the Legislature conventional powers was made the order of the day for Wednesday next at 12 M.
The bill to raise and equip a volunteer soldier force of slaves and free negroes for service in the Confederate armies was taken up as the order of the day at half-past 12 o'clock.
The amendment proposed by
Mr. Shackelford to the Senate's original bill was to authorize the Confederate Government to receive into the military service able-bodied slaves between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, the same to be obtained by voluntary enlistment at the ratio of one in five, with the consent of the owner and the slaves enlisting.
Mr. Shackelford advocated the amendment of the statutes so as to authorize owners of such slaves as are furnished to emancipate them, with the privilege of a residence in the
State.
On motion of
Mr. Buford, the further consideration of the bill was postponed to half-past 1 o'clock.
Mr. English submitted a resolution instructing the
Committee on Courts of Justice to inquire into the expediency of increasing constables' fees.
Bill to authorize the sale of certain bonds and stocks held by the
State to meet the expenses of the
State Government.
The bill was put upon its passage, but lost, failing to receive a constitutional vote — ayes, 70; noes, 26.
Mr. Staples moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was lost, and the vote was reconsidered, and the bill laid upon the table and made the order for the night session.
The report of the
Joint Committee on Salt, on the charge brought by the
North Carolina Legislature, made through
Governor Vance, and transmitted to the
House by the
Governor of
Virginia, to the effect that the
State authorities had diverted from the use of the
State of North Carolina certain engines and cars, employed in transporting salt.
The committee reported that they had canvassed all the facts, and find that the Legislature had been grossly misinformed; that they found no evidence that any trains had been diverted by State authority, but that certain parties might have been engaged in transporting salt to that State upon private account, for their own emolument, out of which had grown the
State imbroglio.
The report reviewed all the facts in the case, and elucidates that the
Mr. Gilchrist alluded to by
Governor Vance is really the agent of
Colonel Clarkson for the sale of his salt in
North Carolina, said salt accruing to him in consequence to the hire of his negroes at the
Salt Works, the salt being exchanged for such supplies as were necessary for the prosecution of operations at the
Salt Works.
Mr. Tomlin obtained the floor, and pending the delivery of his remarks the hour of 3 P. M. arrived, and the
House took its usual recess.
