property of the State now used for the purposes of the said court of appeals and said library.

The morning hour having expired, the house proceeded to the business on the calendar.

No. 31. Senate bill entitled an act to define and declare the true intent and meaning of the act in force April 2, 1873, entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections 5 and 7 of an act to regulate and define the jurisdiction of the county and circuit courts, to prescribe the number of terms of the circuit court, and to fix the pay of county judges, came up. Mr. Blair moved to insist on the substitute of the house of delegates, which was agreed to.

No. 117. Senate bill entitled an act to release certain taxes and county levies in the county of Elizabeth City and other counties, was read a third time and passed-yeas 78; nays 4.

The vote required by the constitution was recorded as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Alexander, Anderson, Armentrout, Amstrong, Bagwell, Banks, Beaton, Bickings, Blair, Bohannon, Branch, Brown, Campbell, J. A. Carter, Jack Carter, A. J. Clark, Cockerille, Cox, Crank, Critz, Davis, Dooley, Finney, Fitzpatrick, Flood, Franklin, Fulkerson, Gaines, Gardner, P. Gibson, T. S. Gibson, Gilman, Goodwyn, Graves, Griffith, Haden, Hale, Hill, Holbrook, Jno. T. Hoskins, James, Jett, Jordan, Koiner, B. W. Lacy, J. Horace Lacy, Lee, Lightner, Lipps, Longley, Lovenstein, Magruder, McGonigal, McMullan, Montague, John L. Nash, Neeley, Nickens, Ould, Pannill, Pendleton, Powell, Rains. Richmond, Sellers, Shumate, Spratt, Stuart, Taliaferro, Taylor, Wallace, Webb, Wharton, Whittaker, Williams, Withers, Yager, and Mr. Speaker-78.

NAYS-Messrs. Peter J. Carter, Gilliam, Hamilton, and Harris-4.

Mr. Beaton moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was passed, which was rejected.

The following house engrossed bills were read a third time and passed:

No. 15. House engrossed bill authorizing D. A. Plecker to erect a toll-bridge across North river, at Mount Crawford, in Rockingham county.

No. 73. House engrossed bill, to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act authorizing certain commissioners to sell a certain lot of land in Winchester belonging to the Winchester academy.

No. 26. House joint resolution to amend and re-enact joint resolution directing a distribution of the Code when published, approved April 2, 1873, was,

On motion of Mr. Bagwell, recommitted to the committee on finance. No. 77. House bill to amend section 3 of chapter 184 of the Code of 1873, relative to the mode of enforcing recoveries of money on executions, was read a second time.

The question being on ordering the bill to be engrossed to be read a third time, was put and decided in the negative.

The following house bills were read a second time and dismissed: No. 79. House bill to arrest the sale of delinquent land on certain conditions, (on motion of Longley).

No. 84. House bill to repeal sections 21, 22, 23 and 24, chapter 172, Code of 1873, in relation to parties to suits testifying in their own behalf, (on motion of Mr. Dooley).

No. 85. House bill to amend section 16, chapter 52, Code of 1873, for the more efficient collection of fines for failure to work upon public roads, (on motion of Mr. Graves).

No. 86. House bill to abolish the office of aid-de-camp to the governor of Virginia, (on motion of Mr. McMullan).

No. 74. House bill to authorize the county of Albemarle to borrow money to improve its roads, and also to change the present road law in reference to said county, was,

On motion of Mr. Magruder, recommitted to the committee on counties, cities and towns.

No. 81. House bill to authorize townships to vote upon the question of continuing or repealing present fence law, was,

On motion of Mr. Brown, recommitted to the committee on agriculture and mining.

No. 90. House bill to amend and re-enact section 1, chapter 116 of the Code of 1873, in relation to notaries public, was read a second time. Mr. Armstrong moved that the bill be dismissed, which was rejected. The bill was amended and ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

Mr. P. J. Carter moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time, which motion was rejected.

No. 88. House bill to abolish the office of superintendent of public buildings, and to devolve the duties now performed by said officer upon the adjutant-general, was read a second time.

Mr. Lovenstein moved to dismiss the bill.

Mr. Davis offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

On motion of Mr. Brown, the bill was passed by.

The following house bills were read a second time, and ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time:

No. 33. House bill to amend the charter of the Female humane association of the city of Richmond.

No. 75. House bill to amend and re-enact section of chapter 158 of the Code of 1873, so as to increase the pay of grand juries.

No. 76. House bill to amend and re-enact section 4, chapter 6 of Code of Virginia (edition of 1873), in relation to the vacancies in offices of governor and lieutenant-governor.

No. 80. House bill to amend the 65th section of chapter 47 of the Code of 1873, in regard to the duty of township assessors to extend school tax.

No. 82. House bill to authorize the Richmond, York River and Chesapeake railroad company to subscribe to the stock of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Richmond steamboat company.

No. 83. House bill to amend an act entitled an act to authorize the board of supervisors for Craig county to contract for keeping in repair

so much of Price's turnpike road as lies in said county, approved March 28, 1873.

No. 87. House bill to amend and re-enact section 17, chapter 23, Code of 1873, in relation to aids to the governor.

No. 89. House bill to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to incorporate the town of Newbern, and to repeal act of 27th of May, 1852, entitled an act to incorporate the town of Newbern, in the county of Pulaski, in force March 4, 1872, (amended).

On motion of Mr. Griffith, the house adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock M.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1874.

Prayer by Rev. J. C. Granberry, of the Methodist church.

The journal was read by the clerk.

A communication from the senate, by their clerk, was read as follows:

In Senate, February 9, 1874.

The senate have passed house bill entitled

An act to prevent obstructions to highways; No. 56.

And have passed, with amendments, house bill entitled

An act amending section 24 of chapter 196 of the Cole of 1873, providing for organizing chain-gangs; No. 31.

And they have agreed to

House joint resolution requiring the keeper of the rolls to retain house bill No. 51.

They have passed bills entitled

An act to regulate the granting of ordinary and other license in Bland and Giles counties; No. 35.

An act to prevent fraudulent conversions of money or property, and the fraudulent failure to comply with certain contracts or agreements, and to repeal sections 20 and 21 of chapter 188 of the Code of 1873, in relation to embezzlement; No. 11.

An act to amend an act to incorporate the Potomac land and improvement company, passed February 13th, 18:3; No. 20.

An act to incorporate the town of Boydton, in the county of Mecklenburg; No. 26.

An act to prevent dogs from running at large in the town of Winchester, in Frederick county, Virginia; No. 80.

An act providing for the submission of the repeal of the fence law in Mount Vernon township, Fairfax county, to the voters of said township; No. 85.

An act to incorporate the American and European land company;

No. 27.

An act to repeal chapter 89 of acts of assembly, session of 1872-'73, entitled an act to authorize the board of supervisors for Wythe county to contract for keeping in repair certain public roads in said county; No. 38.

An act declaring a portion of Chappawamsic creek a lawful fence; No. 72.

An act to re-enact and amend the 27th section of chapter 118 of the Code of 1873, in reference to the proof of wills where the witnesses thereto reside beyond the county where the will is offered for probate; No. 71.

An act to amend and re-enact section 12, chapter 187 of the Code of 1873, in relation to offences against the person; No. 76. And

An act to incorporate the town of Gladeville, in the county of Wise; No. 83.

In which amendments and bills they respectfully request the concurrence of the house of delegates.

No. 31. House bill, was referred to the committee for courts of justice.

Nos. 11, 35, 71 and 76. Senate bills, were read twice and referred to the committee for courts of justice.

Nos. 26, 3, 80 and 83. Senate bills, were read twice and referred to the committee on counties, cities and towns.

Nos. 20 and 27. Senate bills, were read twice and referred to the committee on propositions and grievances.

Nos. 72 and 85. Senate bills, were read twice and referred to the committee on agriculture and mining.

No. 122. House bill authorizing the chancery court of the city of Richmond to permit the last will of Charles Liston Brown to be withdrawn from the clerk's office of said court, reported from the committee for courts of justice, was read a first time.

No. 123. House bill to pay Henry A. Wise for his services as commissioner, and for his expenses on the commission to adjust the boundary line between Virginia and Maryland, reported from the committee on finance, was read a first time.

The following house bills, reported from the committee on roads and internal navigation, were read a first time:

No. 124. House bill to amend and re-enact sections six and nine, and to repeal section seven of an act entitled an act to incorporate the New York and Norfolk railroad company, approved March 15, 1872, and to make further provisions in regard to the charter of said company.

No. 125. House bill to extend the time for the organization of the Pittsylvania and Henry railroad company, and to extend the time for the commencement of said road.

The following reports were agreed to:

The committee on roads and internal navigation have had under consideration the petition of Michael Cassell and others to authorize the county court of Wythe to provide for the completion of the Black Liek

and Cove Plaster-Bank turnpike in said county, and as it is alleged that the said turnpike has been abandoned by the State to the county of Wythe, and is now a local road, they ask to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the same be referred to the committee on counties, cities and towns.

The committee, on finance have, according to order, had under consideration a petition to them referred, "asking that taxes improperly collected of John Hamilton be refunded to him," beg leave to report that the prayer of the petitioner be rejected.

The committee on finance have, according to order, had under consideration a petition for the relief of the sureties of J. D. Tatum, late collector of Templeton township, Prince George county, respectfully report that the prayer of the petitioner be rejected.

The committee on finance have, according to order, had under consideration a petition to them referred, asking that erroneous taxes be refunded to Robert Terrell, of Augusta county, report respectfully that the prayer of the petitioner be rejected.

Leave of absence was granted Messrs. Brady and Brown four days each, and Hamilton five days.

Mr. Critz (under a suspension of the rules) offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the committee on finance be instructed to report a bill to this house providing for the immediate cancellation of all State bonds purchased and retired by the commissioners of the sinking fund. The resolution was agreed to.

Mr. Bagwell (under a suspension of the rules) presented—

No. 126. House joint resolution authorizing and empowering the governor to institute such proceedings or suit as he may deem proper for the settlement of the boundary line between Virginia and Maryland, which was read a first time.

The report of the committee on privileges and elections in relation to the contested election case of Walker vs. Walke, of Chesterfield county (heretofore postponed to this day), came up.

Mr. Griffith presented a minority report of the committee on privileges and elections.

On motion of Mr. Brooks, the report was postponed until Thursday next, 12th instant.

The following were presented and referred under rule 37:

By Mr. Neeley: A bill in relation to proceedings at rules. Referred to committee for courts of justice.

By Mr. Armentrout: A bill to encourage intermediate grades of instruction in public schools. Referred to committee on schools and colleges.

By Mr. Montague: Petition of one hundred citizens of Middlesex, praying a modification of the oyster law. Referred to committee on the Chesapeake and its tributaries.

By Mr. Griffith: A bill to amend the second section of an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act to amend and re-enact