House of Delegates.
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1862.The House met at 11 o'clock. Prayer by Rev. Dr. Burrows.
Mr. Collier, from the Committee on Finance, reported a bill compensating Norman C. Smoot and James Candy, Commissioners of Revenue for Hampshire county, for services performed.
Mr. Rives, presented a report from the Committee on Lunatic Asylums, recommending the passage of a resolution that a joint committee or five on the part of the House, and three on the part of the Senate, be appointed to visit the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, and report to the General Assembly the condition of said Asylum.
Objection being made to the resolutions, they were ordered to lie over one day, under the rule.
On motion of Mr. Ward, the House took up the bill to construct a railroad connection, for military purposes, from the Manassas Gap Railroad, at or near Strasburg, to the Winchester Railroad, at or near Winchester.
Mr. Ward addressed the House in earnest advocacy of the passage of the bill, urging its importance as a military aid to the successful prosecution of the war.
Messrs. Hunter, Lynn, Anderson of Botetourt, Steger, and Forbes, also spoke in favor of the bill, and urged immediate action.
Messrs. Collier and Barbour opposed some of the provisions of the bill, and gave reasons why they should feel constrained to vote against it.
Mr. Cazenove said that his predecessors from Alexandria in the Legislature and always opposed this bill. He explained now injuriously it affected the interests of Alexandria. While under ordinary circumstances he should oppose it, yet, he could not hesitate to support it now, in view of its importance as a military necessity. He would forget the local interests of Alexandria in the general interests of the Confederacy, and he hoped that this sacrifice on the part of Alexandria would be remembered by the General Assembly when in the future the city he represented should seek the aid of the State to relieve her from some or the intolerable burdens under which she now labored.
The previous question having been ordered, the bill was put on its passage, with the following result:
Ayes--Messrs. John T. Anderson, Francis P. Anderson, Baker, Baskerville, Bass, Blue, Bouldin, Bradford, Burke, Carter, Carpenter, Cazenove, Cecil, J. J. Coleman, Crockett, Curtis, Dabney, Daniel, John D., Davis, R. J. Davis, Dice, Eggleston, Ewing, Fleming, Fletcher, Forbes, Friend, Garrison, Gatewood, George, Gillespie, Gilmer, Grattan, Green, Hopkins, Hunter, Kerby, James, Johnson, Jordan, Kaufman, Kyle, Lively, Lockridge, Lynn, Mallory, Matthews, McCamant, A. W. McDonald, McKinney, McLaughlin, Minor, Montague, R. E. Nelson, Newton, Noland, Orgald, Payne, Pitman, Reid, Richardson, Riddick, Rives, Robertson, Robert C. Sanders, Sheffey, Sady, Steger, Tate, Taylor, Thomas, Thrash, Tredway, Walker, Ward, Williams, S. Wilson, Woodson, Woottorn Worsham, Wright, Wynne, and Mr. Speaker.--Total 83.
Nays.--Messrs. Brooks, Clark, Collier, Franklin, Lundy, Prince, Peter C. Saunders, Staples, Veden, and West.--Total 10.
So the bill was passed by a vote of $3 to 10.
On motion of Mr. Robertson, of Richmond, the House then went into secret session on the bill to organize the Virginia forces.
