House of Delegates.
Tuesday, March 25, 1862.The House of Delegates passed the following Senate bills: A bill providing for the collection of taxes and other public dues in the hands of defaulting, disloyal officers, and in the hands of other persons disloyal to the State; also, the bill to enforce payment of balances due from commissioners of forfeited and delinquent lands; also, Senate bill to relieve the sureties of Robert Chambers, late Sheriff of Boone county.
On motion of Mr. Orgain, it was
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be instructed to inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill amending and re-enacting an act entitled, ‘"An act to prevent the unnecessary consumption of grain by distillers,"’ with such provisions as may not conflict with the act imposing taxes for the support of Government, and that they also inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill requiring the courts of the cities, towns, and counties of this Commonwealth, in addition to the revenue tax payable to the State, to impose for city, town and county purchases, a tax not less than twenty cents per gallon, and above that sum any higher tax at the discretion of the said courts, even to prohibition, the proceeds of said tax to be applied exclusively to the payment of the interest and ultimate redemption of the debts contracted by said cities, towns and counties, for arming, equipping, &c., of volunteers, and the support of their families.
The bill to authorize certain corporations to issue notes under one dollar was taken up and lost by the following vote — yeas 39, nays 40.
Yeas.--Messrs. Francis T. Anderson, Baker, jr., Barbour, Baskerville, Bayse, Booten, Buford, Cazeuove, Crockett, Cuslis, Dabney, Robert J. Davis, Evans, Flood, Garrison, Gatewood, Glimer, Grattan, Hunt, Irby, James, Kaufman, Mathews, McLaughlin, Murdaugh, Robert E. Nelson, William G. T. Nelson, Pitman, Robertson, Rutherford, Peter Saunders, jr., Sheffey, Steger, Tate, Taylor, Ward, Williams, Woodhouse, and Wynne.--39.
Nays.--Messrs. Bass, Bradford, Burks, Carpenter, Cecil, Clarke, Dice, Edmunds, Eggleston, Ewing, Fleming, Franklin, Friend, George, Green, Hunter, Johnson, Jones, Kyle, Lundy, Lynn, McCamant, A. W. McDonald, Isaac E. McDonald, McKinney. Montague, Newton, Orgain, jr., Prince, Reld, Riddick, Robinson, Shannon, Small, Sherrard, Spady, Staples, Thomas, Thrash, Tyler, Vermillion, West, James L. Wilson, Woolfolk, Wootten, Wright.--40.
Not voting--39.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. James L. Kemper, was granted leave of absence for the rest of the session, on motion of Mr. Edmunds. At the instance of the same gentleman, a resolution of thanks was unanimously voted Mr. Kemper for the able, impartial and dignified manner in which he has discharged the duties devolved upon him.
Mr. Kember replied with much feeling and considerable success.
Mr. H. W. Sheffey was elected Speaker protem, with unanimity.
The House then went into consideration of the bill to carry out the contract of the State with the lessees of Washington and Smythe Salt Works for the purchase of 400,000 bushels of salt. The bill provides for the location of an agent at the salt works to distribute the salt, and to sell it at prime cost to the people. The depositories named are Lynchburg, Farmville, Petersburg, Richmond, Charlottesville. Liberty, Staunton, Norfolk, Danville, and Christiansburg. The quantity sent to each of these places shall be regulated according to the population contiguous. No person can purchase more than one-third of a bushel. The bill, after a lengthy debate, was indefinitely postponed.
