General Assembly of Virginia.
Senate.
Tuesday Feb. 4, 1862.
The Senate was called to order at the usual hour.
Prayer by
the Rev. Dr. Moore, of the First Presbyterian Church.
A communication was received from the House of Delegates announcing the passage of the following bills: To incorporate the Mutual
Life Insurance Company; to amend the charter of the town of
Danville, &c.
Bills reported.
Mr. Brannon, from the
Committee on Finance and Claims, reported a bill authorizing a re-assessment of a house and lot in
Lynchburg.
Mr. Newman, from the
Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to secure to
Virginia the arms, accoutrements, and equipments furnished by her, to troops now or to be placed in the field.
Mr. Pate; from a select committee, reported a bill to empower the
Governor to have made out and filed in the State Department complete lists of the
Virginia forces.
Communication from the Executive.
The President laid before the Senate a communication from the
Governor, transmitting copies of the correspondence between the
Executive and Confederate authorities on the subject of the public arms of the
State.
Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.
Resolutions.
The following resolutions inquiring into the expediency of legislation upon the subjects named, were adopted:
By
Mr. Collier--Of cancelling, by way of retaliation and reprisal, the
State bonds held by the
Government of the
United States or any citizens or inhabitants thereof, and of applying the amount of interest which would semi-annually accrue thereon to the relief and indemnity of the citizens and loyal residents of this State who have been robbed or otherwise injured by the marauding soldiery of the
Government.
By
Mr. Whittle--Of providing by law for the protection of the public library at
Lewisburg, in the county of
Greenbrier, by removing it further from the incursions of the enemy.
The military bill.
Mr. Johnson presented the proceedings of a meeting of
Bowyer's Battery, a company of
Bedford volunteers, protesting against the provisions of a bill passed by the Senate entitled an act to reorganize
Virginia's quota of the
Confederate States army.
Read and laid on the table.
Bills passed.
The following bills were taken up and passed:
Senate bill to establish an inspection of leather, in the city of
Norfolk.
House bill making an appropriation to the civil contingent fund — yeas 33, noes none. --(Appropriates $10,000.)
House bill to incorporate the
Petersburg Iron Works.
House bill to refund to
E. W. Bayley a sum of money erroneously paid by him into the Treasury.
Yeas 31, nays none.
Order of the day.
On motion of
Mr. Newman, the order of the day, to raise a force for the defence of
Western Virginia, was postponed until to-morrow (Wednesday)
Stay law.
On motion of
Mr. Coghill, the bill known as the ‘"Stay Law"’ was taken up and made the order of the day for Thursday.
The war tax.
On motion of
Mr. Johnson, the bill assuming the payment of the
Confederate States war tax was made the order of the day for Thursday.
Covington and Ohio Railroad.
Mr. Christian, of
Augusta, on behalf of the
Committee on Roads, &c., reported the following joint resolution, which lies over under the rule:
Resolved, by the General Assembly, That the Board of Public Works, on behalf of the
Commonwealth of
Virginia, is hereby authorized to negotiate with the proper authorities of the
Confederate States for the delivery to said Board of the bonds of the
Confederate States, to an amount not exceeding one million of dollars, to be taken as an advance,
pro tanto, in payment of the debt of said
Confederate States to the
Commonwealth of
Virginia, when obtained, and that the proceeds of the sales of said bonds shall be applied by said Board, as promptly as practicable, to the further construction and completion, westwardly, of the
Covington and Ohio Railroad, so as most speedily to make the same available for transportation purposes for the military defence and protection in
Western Virginia:
Provided, that said
Confederate States bonds shall not be sold at less than their pay value, and that the amount obtained and applied as herein directed shall, to that extent, be taken as so much out of the existing appropriation by the
State of Virginia for the construction of the said
Covington and Ohio Railroad.
On motion of
Mr. Thompson, the Senate adjourned.
