House of Delegates.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1862.
Bills reported.
The following bills were reported:
By
Mr. Robertson--To amend the charter of the
Culpeper Savings Bank.
By
Mr. Luray--To incorporate the Bank of Page.
A bill to organize a regiment of Pikemen, for the
Confederate service.
A bill in relation to the sale of ardent spirits in cities and towns, [authorizing the authorities of cities and towns to prohibit the sale of liquors, at the request of the
military officer in command].
On motion of
Mr. Locksidge, the Senate bill to repair the military road leading from the
Warm Springs, by
Huntersville to
Greenbrier river, at Marten's Bottom, was taken up.
The passage of the bill was earnestly advocated, upon the grounds of military expediency, by
Messrs. Lockridge,
Robinson, of
Richmond,
Crockett, and
Anderson, of
Botetourt; When, after a brief debate between the advocates of the bill and
Mr. Barbour, relative to the form of the appropriation of $6,000 called for, it was passed by a vote of ayes 87, noes 4.
The salt works.
The hour of twelve o'clock having arrived, the order of the day — the ‘"report of the joint committee to correspond with the lessees of the salt works"’--was taken up. The pending question was to strike out the first resolution of the majority report and to insert therefore the first resolution of the minority report; and, under the operation of the previous question, was negatived by a vote of 27 ayes to 61 nays.
The question then recurred upon the adoption of the majority report, ratifying the contract for 400,000 bushels of salt with
Stewart,
Buchanan & Co. A debate ensued upon the merits of the bill.
The main question being then put, the resolution was adopted by a division vote of — ayes 51, nays 37.
The second resolution to report a bill to carry out the provisions of the bill, and to provide for the distribution of the salt, was then adopted.
Protecting Railroad Bridges.
A communication was received from His
Excellency,
Gov. Letcher, transmitting the resolutions of a Railroad Convention, representing the District of Virginia.
Tennessee, East of
Knoxville; and of
North Carolina, North of
Weldon, relative to guarding certain railroad bridges from incendiaries.
The tax bill.
The tax bill was called up, when--
Mr. Dabney submitted an amendment, by way of a ‘"
Ryder, "’ to the bill relative to establishing a standard for ascertaining the value of slaves.
The amendment was rejected and the question recurring upon the passage of the bill, it was adopted.
Prolongation of the session.
On motion of
Mr. Robertson, of
Richmond, the resolution offered a day or two ago, and laid upon the table, for the prolongation of the session, was made the order of the day for to-day.
The Military bill.
On motion of
Mr. Saunders, the bill authorizing the
Governor to organize and call out certain forces for the defence of the
State, was called up. The pending question upon it being to reconsider the vote by which a clause of the bill relative to the enrollment of citizens in the counties between the ages of 45 and 65, and of 18 and 16, was stricken out at the previous consideration of the bill.
After considerable debate, in which the motion to reconsider was advocated by
Messrs. Worsham,
Richardson, and
Anderson, of
Botetourt; and opposed by
Messrs. Anderson, of
Rockbridge,
Price,
Bradford, and
Booten, it was negatived by a vote of ayes 38, nays 54.
Pending the discussion upon the second section of the bill, the
House adjourned until 7½ o'clock this evening.
