No. 309. Senate bill entitled an act authorizing the auditor of public accounts to sell the three steam tug-boats used in collecting the oyster revenue of the State, was read twice and placed on the calendar, the rules having been suspended (on motion of Mr. Taliaferro) requiring its reference to a committee. No. 267. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the James river coal company, was read twice and placed on the calendar, the rules having been suspended (on motion of Mr. Hoenniger) requiring its reference to a committee. No. 302. Senate bill entitled an act incorporating the Masonic college of Virginia, was read twice and referred to the committee on propositions and grievances. No. 381. House bill to amend an act entitled an act to provide a charter for the city of Winchester, approved April 2d, 1874, reported from the committee on counties, cities and towns, was read a first time. No. 314. Senate bill entitled an act to authorize the townships of Christiansville, Blue Stone, Clarksville and Boydton to subscribe to the stock of the Roanoke valley railroad, was read twice and referred to the committee on roads and internal navigation. No. 319. Senate bill entitled an act to provide for a new registration in the city of Manchester, was read twice and referred to the committee on privileges and elections. The following senate bills were reported from the committee on finance: No. 242. Senate bill entitled an act for the relief of William C. Moncure, William McGruder and others, with a recommendation that it do not pass. No. 73. Senate bill entitled an act amending section 5, chapter 84, Code of Virginia (edition of 1873), entitled an act establishing a State board of health. No. 380. House bill appropriating $1,000 for repairing and refitting Margaret academy, in the county of Accomac. The following report was agreed to: The committee for courts of justice have, according to order, had under consideration a resolution instructing "them to report whether or not existing contracts, or any of them, for the hire of penitentiary convicts can be legally revoked," and have adopted the following resolution: It appears to the committee that one of the contracts now existing, executed on the 17th October, 1871, contains a clause "that in case of any violation of any of the terms and provisions of said contracts, he same may be declared null and void at the option of the governor," and the other, executed on the 15th September, 1873, the following clause: "But it is an express condition of this contract that the present governor, or his successors, shall have the right, at any time they may see fit so to do, to revoke and annul this contract as to the whole num ber of convicts, or any part thereof, to be furnished as aforesaid, without prejudice to the State." It also appears that there are no other contracts now existing: therefore, Resolved (as the opinion of this committee), That such contracts may be revoked by the governor, as respectively prescribed therein. The unfinished business of the morning hour being the question on agreeing to the resolution of Mr. Graves (as amended), On motion of Mr. Critz, the resolution was dismissed. Messrs. Gilman, Beaton and B. W. Lacy stated that had they been present when the vote was taken on the passage of No. 133, senate bill entitled an act for the encouragement of land purchasers and actual settlers in Virginia, and to repeal an act approved March 29, 1873, entitled an act for the encouragement of immigration, they would have voted in the affirmative. Messrs. Strother, Wharton and R. S. Jones stated that they would have voted in the negative. Leave of absence was granted Messrs. Spratt and Brady three days each, and an indefinite leave for Mr. Hale. The following report was presented: The committee on enrolled bills have the honor to report that the following bills were approved April 22, 1874: An act to provide for the payment of interest on the public debt. An act giving the consent of the State to the purchase by the United States of a tract of land in the county of Henrico, and of two parcels of land in the town of Danville, to be used for military cemeteries. An act to amend and re-enact sections 28 and 42 of an act entitled an act providing a charter for the city of Staunton. An act for the relief of the sureties of A. S. Modesitt, late treasurer of Page county. An act to authorize the Lynchburg and Campbell courthouse turnpike company to transfer to the city of Lynchburg the portion of said turnpike road which lies within the limits of said city. An act to authorize the town council of Marion, in Smyth county, to borrow money. An act to provide counsel to appear before the arbitrators on the boundary between this State and Maryland, and making an appropriation to pay the expenses of said arbitration. An act to incorporate the Virginia turnpike company. An act to require western tobacco coming into the State to be inspected before it can be sold or offered for sale. An act to repeal section 3 of an act passed in 1801, entitled an act concerning the docks and wharves in the borough of Norfolk. On motion of Mr. Round, Resolved, That on and after April 23d the house meet at 10 o'clock A. M. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. P. K. Jones: Joint resolution appropriating $15,000 to the sufferers by the recent floods in Louisiana. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. Hoenniger: Resolved, That the committee on public property inquire into the expediency of removing the gates around the capital square, and providing a fine for stock trespassing thereon. The morning hour having expired No. 198. House engrossed joint resolution in relation to payment of interest on bonds held by the literary fund (unfinished business); came up. The hour of 12 o'clock M. having arrived, special order No. 311. House bill for the assessment, levy and collection of taxes on railroad, canal and other companies, came up. On motion of Mr. Hoenniger, the special order was postponed for fifteen minutes, and subsequently, on motion of Mr. Critz, the special order was postponed until 1 o'clock P. M. No. 198. House engrossed joint resolution in relation to payment of interest on bonds held by the literary fund (unfinished business), again came up. On motion of Mr. Loving, the joint resolution was laid on the table. The motion by Mr. B. W. Lacy to reconsider the vote by which house engrossed bill No. 341, authorizing the boards of supervisors of the counties of Prince George and Surry, Charles City and New Kent to increase the pay of the judge of the county courts of said counties, was rejected, was put and decided in the negative. The hour of 1 o'clock P. M. having arrived, Ordered, That Mr. Taliaferro inform the senate that the house is ready on its part to proceed to the execution of the joint order, which has for its object the election of a county judge for Gloucester. A message was received from the senate by Mr. Bland, who informed the house that the senate was ready on its part to proceed to the execution of the joint order. Mr. Taliaferro nominated Warner T. Jones. Ordered, That Mr. Taliaferro inform the senate that Warner T. Jones is the only person in nomination before the house. A message was received from the senate by Mr. Bland, who informed the house that Warner T. Jones is the only person in nomination before the senate. The roll was called with the following result: For Warner T. Jones, The vote was recorded as follows: 101 For WARNER T. JONES-Messrs. Allen, Anderson, Armentrout, Armstrong, Bagwell, Beaton, Bickings, Blair, Branch, Brooks, Brown, Campbell, J. A. Carter, Jack Carter, Cecil, A. J. Clark, Matt Clark, Cockerille, Coghill, Critz, Davis, Dooley, Finney, Fitzpatrick, Flood, Foster, Franklin, Friend, Gaines, Gardner, P. Gibson, T. S. Gibson, Gilman, Goodwyn, Graves, Grayson, Haden, Hale, Hamilton, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Hill, Hoenniger, J. T. Hoskins, Howard, Hudgin, Hunter, James, Jett, P. K. Jones, Jordan, Koiner, B. W. Lacy, J. H. Lacy, Lamkin, Lewis, Lightner, Lipps, Longley, Lovell, Lovenstein, Loving, Lucas, Lybrook, Magruder, Massey, May, McGonigal, McMullan, Montague, John L. Nash, W. A. Nash, Nickens, Norton, O'Neal, Ould, Pannill, Pendleton, Popham, Powell, Rogers, Scruggs, Sellers, Shumate, Stovall, Strother, Stuart, Swann, Taliaferro, Taylor, Turner, Wallace, Webb, Wharton, Whittaker, Winn, Withers, Yager, Young, and Mr. Speaker-101. The speaker appointed Messrs. Lovenstein, Hoenniger and John T. Hoskins the committee on the part of the house to count and report the joint vote. The committee subsequently, by their chairman, reported as follows: Warner T. Jones having received a majority of all the votes cast, was declared duly elected county judge for Gloucester, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Wyndham Kemp. Special order No. 311. House bill for the assessment, levy and collection of taxes on railroad, canal and other companies, again came up. The bill was amended. The hour of 3 o'clock P. M. having arrived, the chair was vacated until 8 o'clock P. M. EVENING SESSION. The chair was resumed at 8 o'clock P. M. No. 311. House bill, was, on motion of Mr. Critz, postponed until to-morrow at 11 o'clock A. M. No. 260. House joint resolution directing the president and directors of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad company to commence the work on the road to Cumberland gap (unfinished business), came up. Mr. Coghill offered a substitute to 4th section of the substitute proposed by the committee on roads and internal navigation (as amended). Mr. Koiner moved to lay the joint resolution on the table, which was rejected. On motion of Mr. Longley, the substitute offered by Mr. Coghill was passed by and ordered to be printed. No. 290. House bill to incorporate the Giles county iron company, was read a second time and ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time. No. 336. House bill to allow the voters of Mecklenburg county to vote upon the question of establishing a fence law for the protection of crops, was read a second time and ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time. No. 235. House bill to exempt additional property from levy or distress upon contracts hereafter made, was, on motion of Mr. Howard, dismissed. No. 333. House engrossed bill to amend and re-enact sections 17 and 23 of an act entitled an act to provide a new charter for the town of Charlottesville, approved March 28th, 1871, was read a third time and passed. On motion of Mr. Magruder, the title was amended by striking out "sections 17 and 23," and inserting "sections 4, 17, 23 and 24." No. 144. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the Alleghany improvement company. The amendment proposed by the committee on propositions and grievances, as follows: strike out "ten per centum per annum" and insert "the rate allowed by the laws of this State," was rejected. The bill was read a third time and passed. No. 331. House engrossed bill to provide for aiding in the erection of additional buildings for the Hampton normal and agricultural institute, was read a third time and rejected-yeas 58; nays 33. The vote required by the constitution was recorded as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Armentrout, Blair, Branch, Brooks, Cecil, Matt Clark, Cox, Crank, Critz, Finney, Flood, P. Gibson, T. S. Gibson, Goodwyn, Grayson, Hale, Hamilton, Harris, Hill, Holbrook, Wm. Hoskins, J. T. Hoskins, Howard, James, Jett, P. K. Jones, R. S. Jones, B. W. Lacy, Lamkin, Lipps, Lipscomb, Longley, Lybrook, Magruder, Massey, May, McGonigal, Morris, Morrison, Moss, Nickens, Norton, O'Neal, Popham, Powell, Richmond, Round, Scruggs, Stovall, Strother, Syphax, Taliaferro, Turner, Van Auken, Wharton, Whittaker, Williams, and Young-58. NAYS-Messrs. Armstrong, Beaton, Brown, P. J. Carter, A. J. Clark, Cockerille, Coghill, Fitzpatrick, Fulkerson, Gilman, Graves, Haden, Harrison, Henderson, Hoenniger, Hudgin, Hunter, Jordan, Koiner, J. H. Lacy, Lewis, Loving, McMullan, Montague, Ould, Pannill, Rogers, Shumate, Stuart, Swann, Webb, Yager, and Mr. Speaker-33. Mr. P. J. Carter moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was rejected. On motion of Mr. Popham, the motion to reconsider was passed by. No. 158. House engrossed bill to amend and re-enact the 16th section of chapter 128 of the Code of 1873, in reference to commissioners in chancery, was read a third time and passed. Mr. Harrison moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was passed, which was rejected. No. 323. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact the 11th section of an act entitled an act to prescribe the times for holding the terms of the circuit courts of this Commonwealth, and to repeal the 15th section of the 155th chapter of the Code of 1873, which authorizes the judges of said courts to fix said terms, approved March 27th, 1874, was read a third time and passed. No. 346. House bill to authorize the county of Halifax to vote on |