General Assembly of Virginia.
The roll being called, and a sufficient number of Senators ascertained to be present to form a quorum, the Senate was declared ready for business.
John E. Seruggs was, on motion of Mr. Nash, of Chesterfield, elected temporary Sergeant-at-Arms, in place of John A Jordan, detained at home by indisposition. The salary of Mr. Seruggs was fixed at $30 per week.
The Message of the Governor having been sent in, its reading was dispensed with. On motion of Mr. Christian, of Augusta, 500 extra copies were ordered to be printed.
A communication was received from the House of Delegates, transmitting the joint resolution adopted by that body for the election of a Senator to succeed Hon. William Ballard Preston on Tuesday, January 13th. The resolution was agreed to.
A communication was read from E Hunter Tallaferro, resigning his position as Doorkeeper of the Senate on account of a desire to enter the army, and a banking the Senate for the unanimous vote by which he was elected. The communication was laid on the table.
An application for increased pay was received and read from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, First and Second Auditors, Treasurer, Adjutant-General. Register of the Land Office, and Board of Public Works, on behalf of themselves and clerks. The matter was referred to a committee of five.
Francia V. Sutton, of Henrico, was elected Doorkeeper, vice E. Hunter Tallaferro resigned.
Resolutions of inquiry into expediency were offered as follows: By Mr. Wiley, of the assumption on the part of Virginia of a portion of the public debt of the Confederate States in proportion to the State's interest therein; by Mr. Quesenberry, of relieving the citizens of Fredericksburg of taxation for the year 1862, and of refunding the taxes that may have been paid for the same time; by Mr. Newman, referring so much of the Governor's Message as relates to the State Line to the Military Committee; by Mr. Hart, of providing that no person who has left this State and gone beyond the limits of the Confederate States since the war, and who shall not return before the — day of — shall thereafter exercise the elective privilege and shall be taxed annually $1,000 for each member of his family, including himself, during the period of his residence in this Commonwealth.
On motion of Mr. Hart.
Resolved, That inasmuch as Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, has issued a proclamation for the purpose of inciting the slaves of this State to revolt and insurrection; and as this proclamation is designed to be enforced by the citizens of the United States, the Committee for Courts of Justice be instructed to inquire into the expediency of amending the penal laws of this Commonwealth so as to provide that any citizen of the United States who shall after the — day of--,be found within the limits of this Commonwealth, shall be guilty of a high crime, and on conviction shall suffer death.
On motion of Mr. Pennybacker, the Senate adjourned to meet at 11 o'clock Friday.
House of Delegates.--The House met at 12 o'clock. Prayer by Rev. Dr. Moore.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the second Auditor with reference to the pay of the Clerks in the several departments of the State Government, and asking an increase of salaries; which, after being read, on motion of Mr. Jones, of Gloucester, was referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. McDonald, of Hampshire, offered a resolution proposing to refer to the Committee on Finance so much of the Message of the Governor as relates to an equitable distribution of the burdens of the war, by a tax upon extortioners; and also that the said committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the act of March 27, 1862, as to regulate the tax upon incomes.
The resolution was discussed by Messrs, McDonald, Anderson of Botetourt, Worsham, Hopkins of Petersburg, and Robertson of Richmond; after which, the resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Magruder, of Albemarle, offered a resolution for reference to the Committee on Finance, to take under consideration the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the — day of May last, declaring that the States should guarantee, in proper proportions, the Confederate debt, and that they report by bill or otherwise such further legislation as may be deemed necessary for pledging the faith of this State for her fair proportion of the same.
Mr. Mallory offered a joint resolution, as follows:
Resolved, by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the funding of the public debt will be one of the most effective means to reduce the amount of our circulating medium, and to secure for our currency the confidence of the people; and that it is the duty as well as the interest of the citizens of the Confederacy, to invest their surplus funds in the bonds of the Confederate Government.
Resolved 2. That the State of Virginia will agree to guarantee the debt of the Confederate Government in proportion to its representation in the Congress of the Confederate States: Provided, that each of the other States shad accept this proposition, in which event these resolutions shall be the guarantee of this State for her proportion of said debt.
Resolved, 3. That our Senators be instructed, and our Representatives in Congress requested to bring this subject to the attention of the approaching session of Congress, and urge the adoption of such measures as will carry the object of these resolutions into effect.
Objection being made to their present consideration, the resolutions were laid over.
Mr. Staples offered a resolution, which was agreed to, that the Governor be requested to inform the House of the number of troops in the Virginia State Line what proportion of them are liable to the conscription law, and the expenses of the line up to the 1st of January, 1863.
A number of other resolutions were offered and appropriately referred.
Mr. Harrison, of Londoun, offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Congress of the Confederate States should have power, in their discretion, to make the notes issued by the Confederate States in time of war, in payment of the expenses thereof, a legal tender in payment of debts, and to that end that the Committee of Courts of Justice be instructed to report an amendment to the Confederate Constitution for adoption by the General Assembly of Virginia, and to be presented to the other States of the Confederacy.
Objection being made to its present consideration, the resolution was laid over.
On motion of Mr. Woolfolk, the House adjourned.
