By Mr. Williams: Petition of Dr. Tiffany, for compensation for professional services in the matter of the Commonwealth vs. Mrs. Lloyd. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Banks: Petition of the resident members of the bar of Madison county, asking an increase of the compensation of sheriffs. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Crank: Petition of citizens of Albemarle, for restoring former jurisdiction of county courts, &c. Referred to committee for courts of justice. By Mr. Strother: A bill to destroy the Canada thistle. Referred to committee on agriculture and mining. By Mr. Jordan Petition of the members of the bar of Isle of Wight county, in relation to the increase of sheriffs' fees. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Harrison: A bill for protection of crops. committee on counties, cities and towns. The morning hour having expired, special order Referred to the No. 105. House bill to amend and re-enact sections 3, 4, 6 and 12 of chapter 154 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the jurisdiction of county courts, came up. On motions (severally made) the special order was postponed, and the following house bills were taken up out of their order on the calendar, read a second time, and ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time: No. 116. House bill incorporating Pamplin city, Virginia. No. 215. House bill to authorize the vestry of Grace Protestant Episcopal Church, Lexington, to borrow money. No. 223. House bill to amend first section of an act approved March 29, 1871, concerning the town of Columbia, Fluvanna county. No. 227. House bill to amend the first, third and fourth sections of the charter of the town of Ashland. No. 103. House engrossed joint resolution asking the government of the United States for public lands, to be devoted to public free schools, was, On motion of Mr. Williams, taken up out of its order on the calendar. The joint resolution was read a third time and agreed to. Mr. Williams moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the joint resolution was agreed to, which was rejected. The hour of one o'clock P. M. having arrived, special order— No. 61. House bill in relation to the interest on money, came up. On motion of Mr. Neeley, the special order (house bill No. 61) was postponed until to-morrow. Special order No. 105. House bill to amend and re-enact sections 3, 4, 6 and 12 of chapter 154 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the jurisdiction of county courts, again came up. On motion of Mr. Morris, the house adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock A. M. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1874. Mr. Marshall Hanger, speaker, in the chair. Prayer by Rev. Dr. C. H. Read, of the Presbyterian church. A communication from the senate, by their clerk, was read as follows: In Senate, March 3, 1874. The senate have rejected house bill entitled An act incorporating the Virginia relief association; No. 35. An act to provide for a general registration of the voters of the city of Petersburg; No. 6. In which bill they respectfully request the concurrence of the house of delegates. No. 6. Senate bill, was read twice and referred to the committee on privileges and elections. The following senate bills were reported from the committee on finance : No. 128. Senate bill entitled an act for the relief of the sureties of W. R. Millan, late sheriff of Fairfax county. No. 66. Senate bill entitled an act for the relief of George W. Eldridge, R. C. Motley and George W. Johnston, securities of John A. Graves, late collector of Giles township, in the county of Amelia. No. 127. Senate bill entitled an act for the relief of the sureties of Charles Short, late sheriff of Culpeper county. The following senate bills were reported from the committee on schools and colleges: No. 181. Senate bill entitled an act to provide for aiding in the erection of additional buildings for the Virginia agricultural and mechanical college. No. 138. Senate bill entitled an act to amend the charter of Randolph Macon college, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. No. 99. Senate bill entitled an act to authorize the school trustees of Stonewall township, in the county of Richmond, out of the dog tax of 1872, to build one or more school houses in said township, with an amendment. No. 253. House bill to amend and re-enact the 13th and 59th sections of chapter 78 of the Code of 1873, in relation to public free schools, reported from the committee on schools and colleges, with a recommendation that it do not pass, was read a first time. No. 254. House bill for the preservation of oysters, and to obtain revenue for the privilege of taking them within the waters of the Commonwealth, reported from the committee on Chesapeake and its tributaries, was read a first time. No. 255. House bill to destroy the Canada thistle, reported from the committee on agriculture and mining, with a recommendation that it do not pass, was read a first time. No. 256. House bill to amend and re-enact the 9th section of chapter 40 of the Code of 1873, relative to service of executions in cases for the Commonwealth, reported from the committee for courts of justice, was read a first time. No. 257. House bill for the relief of the township collector of Caroline county, reported from the committee on finance, was read a first time. The following reports were agreed to: The committee on schools and colleges have had under consideration a resolution as to the expediency of instructing our representatives in congress to urge the passage of a bill now pending before congress "to establish an educational fund, and to apply the proceeds of the public lands to the education of the people," and report that substantially the object of the resolution has been attained by joint resolution No. 103, which has passed the house, and they therefore ask to be discharged from its further consideration.. The committee on finance having under consideration petitions from citizens of Fauquier, Culpeper, Amelia, Roanoke, Isle of Wight, Montgomery, Page, Floyd and Madison counties, praying for an increase of the fees of sheriffs, report that it is inexpedient to grant the prayer of the petitioners, and ask to be relieved from their further consideration. Leave of absence was granted Messrs. Foster and Stovall three days each. Mr. Graves offered the following resolution: Resolved, That on and after Monday next the chair be vacated at half-past two o'clock P. M., and resumed again at half-past seven 7 o'clock P. M. Which was rejected. Mr. Massey offered the following resolution: Resolved, That no new business shall be introduced into the house of delegates after the 15th of the present month. The house referred the resolution to the committee on rules. Mr. McMullan offered the following joint resolution: Resolved (the senate concurring), That the joint investigating committee on the late defalcation be instructed to inquire and report what amounts, and kind of bonds, issued under the provisions of an act to provide for the funding and payment of the public debt, approved March 30, 1871, have been exchanged for each other, and what disposition has been made of the bonds for which others, if any, have been issued in exchange, and whether or not said bonds and coupons attached (if any are coupon bonds) have been so defaced or cancelled as to protect the State against fraud in any event. The house refused to refer the joint resolution to a committee. Mr. McMullan moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the joint resolution was agreed to, which was rejected. Mr. Stuart (under a suspension of the rules) offered the following joint resolution : Resolved by the general assembly of Virginia, That all bills, resolutions and other business which may be pending and undisposed of in the senate or house of delegates at the close of the present session of the general assembly, shall not fail in consequence of the adjournment, but shall retain the places which they respectively held on the calendars, tables or before the committees of the senate and house at the time of adjournment, and at the commencement of the next session shall be proceeded in in like manner as if the senate and house had merely taken a recess. The joint resolution was agreed to. Mr. Critz moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the joint resolution was agreed to, which was rejected. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. Lybrook: A bill to incorporate the Giles county iron company. Referred to committee on propositions and grievances. By Mr. Morris: A bill to incorporate the New river and Piedmont narrow gauge railroad company. Referred to committee on roads and internal navigation. By Mr. Brooks: A bill to incorporate the Mecklenburg agricultural society. Referred to committee on agriculture and mining. By Mr. Beaton: Petition of the bar of Southampton county, asking for an increase of sheriffs' fees. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Lovell: Petition from Warren county, asking additional compensation to sheriffs. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Loving: Petition of the members of the bar of Amherst county, asking for an increase of pay of the judge of the court of appeal. Referred to committee for courts of justice. By Mr. McMullan: Petition of the bar of Greene county, asking for an increase of sheriffs' fees. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Cecil: Petition of the bar of Tazewell county, asking for an increase of sheriffs' fees. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Brooks: Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice be instructed to inquire as to the expediency of a rearrangement of the first, second, third and fifth judicial circuits, and the formation of an additional circuit, to be composed of the counties of Chesterfield, Powhatan, Amelia, Cumberland and Buckingham. By Mr. Hanger: Petition of trustees of Mount Tabor church to sell parsonage. Referred to committee for courts of justice. The morning hour having expired, special order— No. 105. House bill to amend and re-enact sections 3, 4, 6 and 12 of chapter 154 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the jurisdiction of county courts, came up. The question being on agreeing to the substitute offered by Mr. Riddlebarger, Mr. Powell moved the pending question, which was not ordered— yeas 35; nays 64. On motion of Mr. A. J. Clark, the vote was recorded as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Alexander, Armentrout, Bagwell, Banks, Blair, J. A. Carter, Cockerille, Critz, Davis, Graves, Henderson, Howard, Jordan, Lee, Lipps, Longley, Lucas, Lybrook, Montague, Moore, Morris, Morrison, Pannill, Pendleton, Powell, Richmond, Round, Sellers, Shumate, Taylor, Van Auken, Wallace, Webb, Williams, and Yager-35. NAYS-Messrs. Anderson, Armstrong, Bohannon, Boykin, Brown, Campbell, P. J. Carter, A. J. Clark, Coghill, Cox, Crank, Dooley, Flood, Franklin, Gardner, P. Gibson, T. S. Gibson, Gilman, Goodwyn, Haden, Hale, Hamilton, Harris, Harrison, Hoenniger, Hudgin, Hunter, P. K. Jones, R. S. Jones, Koiner, B. W. Lacy, J. H. Lacy, Lamkin, Lightner, Lovell, Lovenstein, Loving, Magruder, Massey, McGonigal, McMullan, Moss, J. L. Nash, W. A. Nash, Neeley, Nickens, Norton, Popham, Riddlebarger, Rogers, Scruggs, Spratt, Strother, Stuart, Swann, Syphax, Taliaferro, Thomas, Turner, Wharton, Whittaker, Withers, Young, and Mr. Speaker-64. The substitute offered by Mr. Riddlebarger was amended, on motion by Mr. A. J. Clark, by inserting in the thirteenth line the words "may grant letters of administration, admit wills to probate, appoint guardians, curators and committees, and." The substitute was rejected-yeas 39; nays 64. On motion of Mr. Boykin, the vote was recorded as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Beaton, Boykin, Peter J. Carter, A. J. Clark, Crank, Davis, Franklin, Gardner, P. Gibson, Goodwyn, Harris, Hill, Hoenniger, Jett, R. S. Jones, Jordan, Koiner, J. H. Lacy, Lamkin, Lightner, Lucas, McGonigal, McMullan, Moore, Moss, J. L. Nash, Nickens, Norton, Riddlebarger, Round, Scruggs, Stuart, Swann, Thomas, Van Auken, Wallace, Whittaker, Withers, and Mr. Speaker-39. NAYS-Messrs. Alexander, Anderson, Armentrout, Armstrong, Banks, Blair, Brooks, Brown, Campbell, J. A. Carter, Jack Carter, Cecil, Cockerille, Coghill, Critz, Dooley, Fitzpatrick, Flood, Fulkerson, T. S. Gibson, Gilman, Graves, Grayson, Haden, Hale, Hamilton, Harrison, Henderson, Howard, Hunter, P. K. Jones, B. W. Lacy, Lee, Lewis, Lipps, Longley, Lovell, Lovenstein, Loving, Lybrook, Magruder, Massey, Montague, Morris, Morrison, W. A. Nash, Neeley, O'Neal, Pannill, Pendleton, Popham, Powell, Richmond, Rogers, Sellers, Shumate, Spratt, Syphax, Taliaferro, Turner, Webb, Wharton, Williams, and Yager-64. The hour of one o'clock P. M. having arrived, special order— No. 61. House bill in relation to the interest on money, came up. On motion of Mr. Harrison, the special order was postponed for one hour. Special order No. 105. House bill to amend and re-enact sections 3, 4, 6 and 12 of chapter 154 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the jurisdiction of county courts, again came up. Mr. Riddlebarger moved to amend the bill by inserting the following: "Sec. 5. The county court shall likewise have jurisdiction of all presentments, informations and indictments for felonies, misdemeanors, and other criminal offences;" which was rejected. |