House of Delegates.
Monday, Jan. 28th, 1861.The House was called to order at 12 o'clock M., by Mr. Hopkins, of Washington county.
Prayer by Rev. M. D. Hoge, of the Second Presbyterian Church.
A communication was received from the Senate, announcing the passage of a number of bills.
The House referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances Senate bill for the relief of Ro. Y. Overby, of Mecklenburg county, from an erroneous assessment of land.
Senate Bills Passed.--To amend an act entitled an act incorporating the Princess Anne Savings Bank, passed Feb. 27th, 1860: to incorporate the Virginia Steam Sugar Refinery Company.
Bills Referred.--The Senate bill "to incorporate the Richmond City Insurance Company of Richmond" was referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances, on motion of Mr. Keen. He said that some days since the gentleman from Petersburg had submitted a bill of a similar character to the Committee on Banks, and the committee had determined to report a general bill as to the guarantee of paper by those Insurance Companies, and he requested that this bill be referred. The company proposed to be incorporated would be nothing more than a legalized shaving shop. The motion was carried.
Opening the House with Prayer.--Mr. Robertson, of Richmond, offered the following.
Resolved, That the Speaker be requested to invite the Clergy of all the religious denominations of this city to open the sessions of this House daily with prayer.
Mr. Robertson said, if he were called on to designate that act of Virginia which confers on her highest honor, and an honor all her own, he would designate her act of Religious Freedom. It proclaimed the great principle that every man's religion was between him and his God, free from Government interference, and denied to her Legislature the right to confer peculiar privileges upon any sect or denomination of religion. It marked a distinct step forward in the mighty march of civilization. Of all the nations of the world she was the first to take it. Madison dedicated the first labors of his great and illustrious public life to the support of it, and Jefferson desired it should stand for his epitaph that he was Founder of the University of Virginia, author of the Declaration of Independence, and of the act of Religious Freedom. The resolution in which he asked the concurrence of the House is in the spirit of that great act. It is the same that the House has heretofore sanctioned, but he presumed, by inadvertence, was substituted by the one under which you are acting, which confines your invitation to the clergy of particular sects of religion.--I offer it at the instance of the Pastor of the Israelites in this city. He earnestly and humbly begs to be permitted to invoke before us, and upon us, the blessings of God in our labors. Is there one here who would deny him? I understand his walk of life is humble, pious and benevolent. The Jew as well as the Gentile is equally part of our political system, and affected by our legislation. He comes to ask equality of religious privileges, and it is fit, at a time when we are standing on our rights of equality in other respects, we should be careful not to refuse lightly the benefit of that principle to others. Nor perhaps is it inappropriate to remember here a late powerful and eloquent voice that has been raised by a learned Israelite in New York in vindication of that social institution in which our peace and welfare are vitally involved, and in defence of which we are now engaged in a struggle before (I might almost say against) the world.
He might add, what he hoped would be felt a persuasive argument by every gentleman in the House — if any other were necessary — the fact that we have now our equal in all respects, on this floor, in the person of his respected colleague, (Mr. Myers,) a member of the Jewish denomination, and the House, he was sure, would not reject the petition, and repel from our desk the pastor of his choice.
The motion was carried in the affirmative.
Indebtedness of Railroads to the State.--The Second Auditor returned a statement showing the amount of dividends paid by the several railroad companies in which the State is a stockholder, during the last year, and also the amount of interest paid upon the debts due the Commonwealth by each of these railroad companies, the amount unpaid, and for what years.
For the fiscal year ending Sept. 20, 1860, the Richmond and Petersburg R. R. Co. paid the State $80,408 interest on dividend scrip; but no dividends or interest on loans. The Virginia Central Railroad paid $94,252 96 dividends, but no interest on loans; also, $6,969 80 interest on dividend scrip. The Richmond and P. Railroad paid $19,280.00 dividends — no interest on loans — and $2,004.48 interest on dividend scrip. The Richmond and Danville Road paid $47,543.94 dividends, $42,000 interest on loans, and no interest on dividend scrip. The Va. and Tennessee Road paid $70,000 interest on loans, no dividends or interest on scrip dividend. The Orange and Alexandria Railroad paid $14,000 interest on loan, but no dividends or interest on dividend scrip. The Va. Central Road paid $7,218 44 as tolls for use of Blue Ridge Road. The Winchester and Potomac Railroad Company paid an annuity of $5,000 due to the State.
From the statement ‘"showing amount of interest unpaid, and for what years,"’ it appears that the Virginia Central Railroad owes for '54, '55, '56 and '57, $29,140.56. The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad owes for '55, '56, '57 and '58, $245,000. The South-Side Railroad owes for '55, '56, '57 and '58, $180,500. The Norfolk and Petersburg Road owes for '59 and '60, $42,000. The Orange and Alexandria Road owes for '59 and 60, $28,000.
The Virginia and Tennessee Company still owes a balance of $30,475 of the temporary loan, the interest on which to 1st of January, 1861, amounts to $21,420.80.
The South-Side Company has paid nothing since July, 59. (See act passed) Feb. 28, 1860.
The Orange and Alexandria Company owes the State a dividend scrip for $31,600, with interest from 1st Oct., '54, which amounts on 1st Oct., 1860, to $11,376.
Ordered to be printed.
Resolutions of Inquiry Offered.--By Mr. Miller, of passing a law providing for the valuation of property levied on under executions by two or more freeholders, and that such property be required to bring at the public sale at least two-thirds of the value so fixed; by Mr. Grattan, of vacating all the officers in the militia and ordering a new election; by Mr. Wood, of refunding to Mrs. Lucy Holland, of Fluvanna, taxes erroneously paid by her; by Mr. Riddick, of prohibiting the emancipation of slaves by will; by Mr. Frost, of granting the right of way to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company for the extension of their road to the mouth of Big Sandy River; by Mr. Bisbie, of further protecting and encouraging independent manufacturers in Virginia; by Mr. Woolfolk, of relieving George W. Davis from the payment of a certain fine imposed on him by the Circuit Court of Orange; by Mr. Lynn, of granting relief to the securities of Thos. K. Davis, late sheriff of Prince William county; by Mr. Cowan, of compensating the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate for extra service during the present session of the General Assembly; by Mr. Bisbie, of incorporating the American Agency; by Mr. Martin, of providing adequate compensation to the Commissioners appointed by Virginia to the Federal Government, and to the different States; by Mr. Garrett, of permitting the Board of Officers for the Regiment of King and Queen county, to have power to increase the number of regimental, battalion or company musters; by Mr. Crump, of referring so much of the report made by the Commissioners appointed under the act of Assembly of Jan. 20th, 1860, as refers to the sale of public arms, to the Committee on Military Affairs; by Mr. Randolph, of reporting a bill for the protection of sheep in the counties of Kanawha and Fayette; by Mr. Knotts, of incorporating a company to construct a railroad from some point on the Northwestern Virginia Railroad, by way of Kanawha Court-House, to the mouth of Big Sandy; by Mr. Myers, of authorizing the High Constable of the city of Richmond to sell slaves and other property levied upon, distrained or ordered to be sold under attachment, at the City Hall of said city, or any other public place in said city, upon notice thereof to be prescribed by law; by Mr. Dickinson, of establishing a branch of the Farmers' Bank of Virginia, the Bank of Virginia, the Bank of the Valley, or the Bank of the Commonwealth, at Lebanon, in Russell county; by Mr. Duckwall, of referring so much of the report of the Auditor of Public Accounts, accompanying the Governor's Message, as relates to the subject of Sheriff's bonds, to the Committee of Courts of Justice.
Adverse Reports, &c.--The following adverse reports were returned, viz: By the Committee on Finance, to petition of J. H. Cochran, late Sheriff of the county of Hancock, praying for an additional commission of 21-2 per cent.; by the Committee on Banks, on the resolution inquiring into the expediency of amending the charter of the Planters' Bank of Petersburg, (taken up, on motion of Mr.Collier, and referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances;) by the Committee of Courts of Justice, as to the inexpediency of legalizing certain acts of the Potomac Bridge Company; by the same, a report referring the petition of Wm. Stratton, Clerk of the County and Circuit Courts of Logan county, to the Committee on Finance.
Petition, &c.--Mr. Robertson presented the petition of Ro. H. Maury, R. M. T. Hunter, M. R. H. Garnett, and others, asking to have refunded to them $126.27, paid on an erroneous assessment of 32,097 acres of land in Nicholas county; Mr. Davis presented the memorial of Trustees of Lynchburg College, and citizens of that place, to the Legislature, with copies of catalogues and military regulations.
Bills Reported.--The following bills were reported from committees: To amend an act passed 31st March, 1860, entitled ‘"an act to restrict the catching of oysters in certain months;"’ to amend the charter of the town of Martinsburg: amending certain laws respecting the Militia of the Commonwealth, so as to render them more efficient: to compensate Ephraim B. Hall for services rendered in the Circuit Court of Marion county for the Commonwealth; refunding to Benj. Hoover, executor of Daniel Lowry, dec'd, of the county of Rockingham, a sum of money paid on an erroneous assessment of land; releasing the securities of Ro. O. Doss, late Sheriff of the county of Campbell, from the payment of damages; allowing John Staples a sum of money for services rendered as Attorney for the State in the Circuit Court of Patrick county; to amend the charter of the Bank of Ravenswood; to amend the charter of the Bank of Charleston.
Communication from the Governor.--A communication was received from Gov. Letcher, enclosing a letter from His Excellency Thomas H. Hicks, Governor of the State of Maryland, in response to the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the 19th inst.
Also, communications from Hon. Geo. W. Crawford, President of the Convention of the State of Georgia, transmitting the Ordinance of Secession, and resolutions adopted by that body on the 22d and 23d insts.
The Georgia Ordinance of Secession having already been published, is omitted. The letter of Gov. Hicks will be found in the Senate report.
The resolutions passed by the Convention of the State of Georgia, sitting at Milledgeville, on the 23d of January, read as follows:
‘ 1st. Resolved, That this Convention cordially unite in the invitation extended by the Convention of the Republic of Alabama, to those of the slaveholding States which may not have withdrawn from the Government of the United States of America by that time, to send Commissioners to represent them at a Congress of the States which have withdrawn, to be held at Montgomery, Ala., on the 4th day of February next.
2d. Be it further resolved, That the President of this Convention do send a certified copy of this resolution to the Governors of the States of Delware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, with the request that they lay them before the Legislatures and Conventions of their respective States.
’ On motion, the documents were laid on the table and ordered to be printed.
State Defence.--Mr. Smith, of Kanawha, called up the bill appropriating one million of dollars for the defence of the State, which had been returned from the Senate with amendments to which the House had agreed. The pending question was a proviso offered by Mr. Smith that $50,000 of the amount to be expended in fortifications, &c., should be devoted to building an arsenal for arms in the Kanawha Valley, or some locality adjacent.
Messrs. Smith, Boreman, Edgixoton, Haymond, Yerby, and Cowan, spoke in favor of the proviso, and Messrs. Bisbie, Crump, Gibson, Chapman, Anderson, and Jones of Gloucester, in opposition thereto. The previous question being demanded, the ayes and noes were called, and resulted in the adoption of the proviso by a vote of 64 ayes to 47 noes.
Pending a motion to take up bills on their second reading,
The House adjourned.
