The Legislature.
--In the
Senate yesterday the following bills were reported from committees, and read first and second times and passed to a third reading.
By
Mr. Dickinson, from Committee on Finance — A bill amending and re-enacting an act passed 28th March, 1863, authorizing the receipt of
Confederate States Treasury notes in payment of taxes and other public dues to this State.
By
Mr. Randolph, from Military Committee--A bill to punish persons for harboring and assisting deserters.
A bill to outlaw deserters from military service of
Confederate States.
Mr. Collier presented the following bills which were referred to the
Committee on Courts of Justice: A bill to present the depreciation of the currency issued by the
Government of the
Confederate States.
A bill to reduce and regulate the prices of clothing manufactured in this State, and of wheat and Indian corn, and the products thereof.
Mr. James F. Johnston,
Senator from
Bedford, was unanimously elected
President pro tem of the Senate.
The following resolutions of inquiry were presented: By
Mr. Carson, that the
Committee on Military Affairs inquire into the expediency of reporting bill No. 54, entitled a bill to organize Home Guards, which was reported by said committee, and rejected by the Senate at its last session; by
Mr. Coghill, that the Committee of Courts of Justice inquire into the expediency of adopting such legislation as will suppress extortion and speculation; by
Mr. Johnston, a joint resolution to authorize the
Auditor of Public Accounts to receive from the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company the sum of $1,000,000, loaned to the Board of Public Works for the use of said company by act of Assembly, on the 9th day of February, 1863.
In the
House a number of resolutions were offered, among them the following:
By
Mr. Walker, of
Rockingham — That the Committee of Courts of Justice inquire into the expediency of passing a law prohibiting the sale of property, either real or personal, by persons who may have gone, or who may intend to remove from this State to the
United States to avoid the operations of the conscript or militia law, and to provide for the sequestrations or confiscation of such property, under proper restrictions.
By
Mr. Miller--That the
Committee on Confederate Relations inquire into the expediency of adopting some measures by which the property of the citizens of the
Commonwealth may be more secure from illegal and unreasonable impressment by the Confederate Government.
By
Mr. Pendleton--That the Committee of Courts of Justice inquire into the expediency of so amending the first section of chapter 3 of the Code of
Virginia as to exclude from rights of citizenship all persons resident of this State who have voluntarily, since the 17th day of April, 1861, held, or may hereafter hold, any office, civil, military, or judicial, under the
Government of the
United States, or under any usurped Government of this State, organized at
Wheeling, or elsewhere in
Virginia; and also all persons who have voluntarily, since the period referred to, or may hereafter, enlist in the military service of the
United States, or of any such usurped Government or Governments.
By
Mr. McCue, that the committee proposed to be appointed on the subject of salt, be authorized to inquire on what census
Jno. N. Clarkson, as agent, has based his distribution of salt, and whether injustice may not have been done certain counties by the data upon which he has acted.
By
Mr. Cowan, that the Committee of Courts of Justice inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the punishment and prevention of smuggling.
By
Mr. Ambers, that a special committee be appointed to inquire into the cause of delay in delivering the supply of salt heretofore contracted for with
Stuart,
Buchanan & Co., to be delivered to the counties of the
State; also, to inquire into the manner in which the Board of Public Works have facilitated or delayed its delivery; also, that said committee be authorized to send for persons and papers, and directed to report at as early a day as practicable.
