General Assembly of Virginia.
A message from the House of Delegates transmitted certain bills and amendments passed by that body, asking concurrence. The Senate concurred in all the amendments except those adopted by the House to the bill authorizing secretaries to invest funds in their hands in Confederate bonds, and insisting on its own amendments. A committee of conference was appointed on the subject by the two Houses.
Resolutions.--By Mr. Ball, inquiring whether any further legislation is necessary in order to bring to trial persons charged with criminal offences in counties where the Courts cannot be held, or are obstructed by reason of the presence of the public enemy; by Mr. Whittle, inquiring into the expediency of reporting a law making it a penal offence for any one to maintain by speaking or writing the propriety of reconstructing the Union of the former United States. The resolutions were agreed to.
Disposition of Bills.--The bill incorporating the Submarine Battery Joint Stock Company was taken up and passed. The bill for the relief William M. Kelley, of Caroline, was defeated. On motion of Mr. Quesenbury, the vote by which the bill was defeated was reconsidered and the bill laid upon the table.
On motion of Mr. Nesson, the discussion of the tobacco bill, made the order of the day for 12 o'clock, was postponed, and the bill to secure representation in the General Assembly was taken up and discussed at some length. The bill met with some opposition, but was finally passed.
The tobacco bill was taken up and discussed up to the hour of adjournment. The amendment substituting two thousand five hundred plants for every hand employed in its cultivation was adopted.
Mr. Christian, of Middlesex, offered a substitute for the bill under consideration, prohibiting the cultivation of tobacco entirely, and affixing pains and penalties for its violation.
House of Delegates.--The House met at 11 o'clock. Prayer by Rev. Dr. Woodbridge.
Mr. Prince submitted a preamble and resolutions setting forth the importance of a general impressment law, so that the burdens of the war may to some extent be equalize between all the citizens of all the States of the Confederacy; that every day's delay in passing such a law is acting injuriously upon the people of this State, from the fact that their property is being seized, and the prices paid far below the market value; and that the House of Representatives, having passed an impressment bill which meets the approval of this House, it resolves that our Senators be instructed to urge the passage of the bill, so that it may become a law as soon as practicable. Laid over.
Mr. Saunders, of Franklin, submitted a resolution calling upon the Governor for information relative to the forcible taking of Robert Woodson from the jail of Franklin county by Confederate soldiers. Agreed to.
Mr. Reid called up the bill allowing the Monticello Bank, of Rockbridge, to increase its contingent fund. The bill was amended, extending the same privilege, under certain restrictions, to other banks of the State. The bill, as amended, was ordered to its engrossment.
The bill authorizing the County Court of Henrico to establish a public pound was taken up and passed.
A message was received from the Senate notifying the House that that that body had disagreed to their amendments to the bill authorizing fiduciaries to invest funds in their hands in certain cases and asking a committee of conference to consider the subject of disagreement.
The message was taken up and considered, and the committee appointed accordingly.
Mr. Newton, from the Committee on Confederate Relations, reported amendments to Senate resolution regarding C J. A. Collins, a citizen of Prince George county, now confined in a military prison in North Carolina. [The amendments authorize the Governor to request the Confederate authorities to turn over to the civil authorities of Virginia, for trial, the said Collina, and all others who may be in a like category.] The amendments were agreed to, and the resolutions, as amended, returned to the Senate.
Senate bill providing for paying the public printer for work done by him at the extra session of the Senate, was taken up and passed — ayes 74, noes 4.
On motion of Mr. Barbour, the tax bill was taken up on its third reading.
Mr. Robinson, of the city of Richmond, opposed its passage upon the ground of inequality of taxation.
Mr. Barbour replied in behalf of the bill.
Mr. Casenove did not favor all the features of the bill, but believing it to be the best that could be devised at this late day of the session, he should vote for it.
Mr. Anderson, of Rockbridge followed in behalf of the passage of the bill, and upon that question the vote was called, with the following result; ayes 71, noes 19.
Senate bill providing for securing representation in the General Assembly from counties now held by the public enemy, was taken up, read a second time, made the order of the day for Friday, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Newton, from the committee appointed to consider the Governor's message relative to his correspondence with Abraham Lincoln concerning the imprisonment of Col. Zarvona and others reported a bill transferring the matter to the Confederate authorities, having the assurance that they will do all in their power to secure their liberation as early as practicable; they also submit a resolution authorizing the Governor to turn over to the Confederate authorities all prisoners of war captured by Virginia troops, and now held by the State authorities.
Pending the consideration of the bill, the House went into secret session.
