General Assembly of Virginia.
Senate.
Thursday, March 13, 1862.
The Senate disagreed to House amendments to Senate hill to authorize the use of the jails and poor-houses of the State by the Confederate States, for the safe-keeping of free negroes arrested by military authority.
The report of the committee on the qualification of certain members of the Senate, closing with a resolution that there is no one now claiming and exercising the privileges of a member of the Senate who is disqualified therefrom by reason of his holding a commission in the militia of the State, whether in actual service of the Confederate States and receiving pay therefor or not, was received, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.
A resolution for the appointment of a joint committee to examine and revise the military bills passed during the present session, was agreed to. Bills were passed authorizing the Governor to remove the public library and the papers and records belonging to the Court of Appeals from Lewisburg, in Greenbrier county, to avoid injury therefrom from the public enemy; authorizing payment for horses taken by the enemy, or taken from the owners by impressment for the public service, with amended so as to read, ‘"a bill providing payment for horses taken in the service of the State;"’ and a bill providing for having an accurate list and record made of the military forces of Virginia.--The bill to remove lunatics confined in the Penitentiary to the Lunatic Asylum was, on motion of Mr. Christian, of Augusta, indefinitely postponed.
resolutions to authorize the Governor to receive a light infantry company recently raised in Halifax county, was taken up and agreed to. The committee to whom was referred the charges against Cols. Bailey and Snyder, asked to be discharged from the further consideration of the subject because in expedient to legislate on the subject at this time.
The committee to whom was referred a resolution of inquiry respecting the troops organized for the defence of the city of Richmond, reported on information derived from the Governor, that two regiments have been organized for the purpose indicated and that no legislation is necessary on the subject.
A substitute was adopted to the bill to suspend the work on the Kanawha river and to authorize the application of a part of the loan made for that improvement to keep open the navigation of the James river canal, and to improve the sluices upon a part of the river, and the same laid on the table.
A House resolution was adopted, directing the Governor to exempt from the effect of his proclamation of the 11th inst. all persons who may be certified to him by the war or navy Departments to be necessary to the work of the Government of the Confederate States; provided, no person shall be exempt from draft under act of February 16th, or lose his right to volunteer in the State or Confederate States service.
Among the bills on the calendar which passed was House bill to convert the branch or the northwestern Bank of Virginia, at Jeffersonville, into a separate and independent Bank. 