deration of the vote by which the first resolution was adopted.
Mr. Rives demanded the ayes and noes, which, being called, resulted — ayes 20, noes 61.
So the House refused to reconsider, and the preamble, after an amendment submitted by Mr. Bouldin, approving the principles of the impressment bill passed by the lower branch of the Confederate Congress, and expressing its disapprobation of the amendment offered to it in the Confederate Senate by Hon. Mr. Sime.
The preamble as amended wasg or vacancies in the General Assembly) was taken up and discussed at considerable length by Messrs. Buford, Husks, Forbes, Greene, Anderson of Botetourt, Rutherfoord, Barbour, and Saunders of Franklin.
During the pendency of the subject, Mr. Bouldin, at 3 o'clock, moved that the House take a recess until 7½ o'clock, which was agreed to.
Evening Session.--The House re-assembled at 7½ o'clock.
The bill before the House at the hour of adjournment, providing for securing representat
federate Government for medical purposes of grain heretofore purchased.]
On motion of Mr. Tomlin, the bill requiring railroad companies to receive all articles for transportation by weight was taken up and ordered to its engrossment.
The consideration of the order of the day — the bill for securing representation in the General Assembly from counties held by the public enemy — was resumed and further amended and discussed until 3 o'clock, at which hour, without disposing of the subject.
On motion of Mr. Bouldin, the House took a recess until 7½ o'clock.
Evening Session. --The House reassembled at 7½ o'clock, and were engaged until a late hour in the further discussion of the bill providing for the filling of vacancies.
The Senate bill was finally amended by Mr. Newton, declaring vacancies to exist in counties from which no election returns shall have been received, and allowing the present members from such counties to hold over.
The bill as amended was pas
, under the provisions of the same act. After a brief discussion, both cases were referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
The consideration of the pending subject was then resumed, the question being upon a Ryder offered by Mr. Bouldin, providing that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to impair or interfere with any contracts entered into under existing laws nor any rights growing out of the same.
The Ryder was discussed, and finally rejected.
Mr. Forbes moved to amend the bill by striking out the provision relative to distillation for medical purposes by the Confederate Government, which was agreed to.
Mr. Bouldin then moved to add his Ryder as a proviso to the bill, which was agreed to — ayes 47, noes 44.
Mr. Niland offered an addition to the proviso, which was agreed to, that the proviso just adopted shall refer to contracts made directly with the Confederate Government, under the act of October, 1862.
The bill, as amended, t
solution extending the session of the present General Assembly until Monday, the 23d day of March, and asking the concurrence of the House in the same.
On motion of Mr. Mallory, the House proceeded to the consideration of the resolution just received from the Senate, and the vote being taken upon the adoption of the resolution, it was rejected — ayes 68 noes 47--a three-fifths vote being necessary to carry in such cases.
On motion of Mr. Treadway, the vote was reconsidered.
Mr. Bouldin moved to amend the Senate resolution by extending the session for ten days, and that the General Assembly, when it adjourns on Saturday next, will take a recess until the first Monday in April, which was rejected.
Mr. Grattan moved to lay the resolution on the table, which was rejected.
Mr. Baldwin moved to amend the Senate resolution by extending the session to the 30th of March, unless the public business be sooner disposed of, which was voted down.
The vote again coming
f tobacco.
Mr. Mallory moved to amend by inserting the Sentinel, and ordering its publication for one time in the daily issue alone, pending which.
On motion of Mr. Hopkins, the whole matter was laid upon the tale.
At 11 o'clock the order of the day was taken up — the subject of salt — and discussed at considerable length by Messrs Barbour and Forbes, in favor of the contract with Wm. N. Clarkson, as reported by the majority of the committee; and by Messrs. Crockett, Fleming, Bouldin, Robinson of Richmond, and Buford, in behalf of the contract with Chas Scott & Co., as reported by the minority.
The previous question was called, which was upon substituting the report of the minority for that of the majority, and the vote resulted — ayes 58, noes 49.
The vote then recurred upon ratifying the contract with Messrs. Scott & Co., and resulted — ayes 64, noes 42.
The rules requiring 65 votes to ratify, the Speaker declared the question lost.
Mr. Hunter mov
of Mr. Coghill the Senate went into secret session for its consideration.
The bill to prevent persons from harboring deserters was ordered to be printed.
Mr. Dulaney, of Fairfax, introduced a preamble and joint resolutions on the war and its present aspect, pledging Virginia to listen to no terms of peace of compromise short of the recognition of the separate independence of the Confederate States.
Under the rules of the Senate the resolutions were laid over.
In the House, Mr. Bouldin, from the Committee on Finance, reported a bill amending and re-enacting the 109th section, of the act imposing taxes for the support of the State Government.
Mr. Haymond, of Marion, presented a resolution, which was agreed to, that the special Committee on Salt be instructed to inquire whether families driven from their homes, and now living in other than their own counties, are excluded from the advantages of the salt distribution.
Mr. Woodley, of Upshur, with the consent of t
y duty.
By Mr. Newman: Of requiring the Banks of the Commonwealth to receive on deposit Confederate States Treasury notes.
The joint resolution submitted some days ago by Mr. Johnson, of Bedford, relative to the Virginia and Tennessee railroad was taken up, and on motion of Mr. Neeson, referred.
The bills providing that all Confederate notes shall hereafter be received in payment of taxes was taken up and passed.
The Senate then went into secret session.
In the House, Mr. Bouldin, from the Committee on Finance, reported a bill making an appropriation for the expenditures of Government, and a bill to prevent public officers from speculating in Confederate notes.
The number of resolutions of inquiry submitted was large.
Among them we notice the following: By Mr. Hunter, of Berkeley — Of requiring all able-bodied foreigners to serve in the army or leave the State.
By Mr. Worsham--Of ascertaining what can be done, without detriment to the public interest, to al
djourned.
In the House, Senate bill to amend and re-enact the act imposing taxes for the support of Government, so as to authorize Sheriffs to receive Confederate Treasury notes in payment of taxes and all public dues, was taken up and passed — ayes 117, noes 2.
Mr. Jones, from the Committee on Privileges and Elections, offered a resolution to authorize said committee to send for persons and papers in the contested election case from Halifax county.
Agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Bouldin, the bill to prevent public officers from speculating in Treasury notes, was called up. The design of this bill is to prevent Sheriffs and others from receiving Confederate notes for less than their par value.
The bill imposes a penalty of not less than $100, nor more than $1,000 for each violation.
The bill was read a second time, laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed.
The Chair submitted a communication from the Governor, with reference to an order of the Hustings Court
he debate upon it renewed.
It was finally ordered to its engrossment.
The bill to punish the harboring of deserters, was taken up, and passed by a unanimous vote.
Mr. Christian, of Augusta, from the Committee on Banks, reported a bill with reference to the necessity of further legislation to require Banks to receive Confederate notes; and submitted a resolution adopted by the Banks of the city to receive all the issues of the Confederate Treasury as currency.
In the House, Mr. Bouldin, from the Committee on Finance, reported a bill to prohibit auction sales in certain cases.
The bill provides that until a ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States, no auctioneer or other person shall sell at auction any articles of food or clothing, necessary or convenient, for the subsistence of man or beast, or any goods manufactured within this State, except for the producer at the place of production; nor shall any goods, wares and merch
first, and ordered to be read the second time.
Mr. Christian, of Augusta, offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee for Courts of Justice inquire into the expediency of authorizing a sale of free negro convicts in the Penitentiary.
In the House, the bill to amend the 11th section of the act passed March 30, 1863, for the production and distribution of salt, with Senate amendments, was taken up, and the several amendments of the Senate concurred in.
Mr. Bouldin, from the Committee on Finance, reported back joint resolution to authorize the Second Auditor to receive the sum of $1,000,000 from the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, with a recommendation that it pass.
He reported adversely upon a resolution inquiring into the expediency of listing the property and profits of individuals, firms, &c., with a view to appropriate all profits made during the war to the payment of Virginia's quota of the public debt.
Mr. Rutherfoord, from the Committ
