COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, January 16th, 1874.

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Delegates:

In compliance with the wishes of the president and director-general of the United States centennial commission, I transmit herewith for your consideration several communications and documents relating to the proposed national celebration of the one hundredth_anniversary of the independence of the United States. JAMES L. KEMPER. Which communications were referred to the committee on propositions and grievances.

No. 30. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the Marion female college, was reported from the committee on schools and colleges.

No. 45. Senate bill entitled an act to extend the time in which Posey Whalen, elected superintendent of the poor for Rappahannock county, shall be permitted to qualify, was reported from the committee for courts of justice, with a recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 22. House bill to make valid the charter of the Virginia savings bank of Lynchburg, Virginia, granted by the Lynchburg circuit court, reported from the committee for courts of justice, was read a first time.

The following house bills, reported from the committee on agriculture and mining, were read a first time:

No. 23. House bill to repeal an act declaring a portion of Smith's creek and Cohoon's creek a lawful fence, approved 8th March, 1873. No. 24. House bill indemnifying owners of land against damages sustained from tenants upon adjoining farms.

No. 25. House bill to amend section 9 of chapter 188 of Code of 1873, in regard to setting fire to fences, &c.

Leave of absence was granted Messrs. Loving, McMullen, Wharton, Beaton, Henderson and Scruggs three days each, A. J. Clark two days, Lucas one day, and Branch an indefinite leave.

On motion of Mr. Stuart,

Resolved, That when this house adjourns this day it adjourn to meet hereafter at one o'clock P. M. for one week.

The following were presented and referred under rule 37:

By Mr. Anderson: A bill to incorporate the Virginia chemical and mining company. Referred to committee on manufactures and mechanic arts.

By Mr. Foster: A bill to amend and re-enact section 15 of chapter 155 of the Code of 1873, authorizing the judges of circuit courts to fix the time for holding their courts. Referred to committee for courts of justice.

By Mr. Hudgin: A bill to abolish the office of superintendent of public buildings, and devolve its duties on the adjutant-general. Referred to committee on public property.

By Mr. Foster: A bill to incorporate the Hampton and Fort Monroe

railroad company. Referred to committee on roads and internal navigation.

By Mr. Massey: A bill to authorize the voters of Scottsville township, in the county of Albemarle, to vote upon the question of continuing or repealing the present fence law. Referred to committee on agriculture and mining.

By Mr. Round: A bill to abolish the office of superintendent of public buildings, and to devolve the duties now performed by said officer upon the adjutant-general. Referred to committee on public property.

By Mr. Critz: A bill to amend and re-enact section 1, chapter 116 of Code of 1873, in relation to notaries public. Referred to committee for courts of justice.

By Mr. Cockerille: A bill to incorporate the Columbia, Fairfax and Prince William railroad company. Referred to committee on roads and ⚫ internal navigation.

By Mr. Gardner: A bill to incorporate the Richmond, Craigton and Hanover turnpike company, in the counties of Henrico and Hanover. Referred to committee on roads and internal navigation.

By Mr. Boykin: Petition of members of the bar of the first judicial circuit asking a restoration of the county court system to its former jurisdiction. Referred to committee for courts of justice.

By Mr. Critz:

Resolved, That the committee on library inquire into the expediency of purchasing for the State the great historical painting by E. B. D. Julio of the last meeting between Generals Lee and Jackson on the day before the battle of Chancellorsville.

By Mr. Howard:

Resolved, That the committee on finance inquire into the expedency of engrafting in the tax bill a provision imposing a license tax on merchants. Referred to committee on finance.

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

No. 45. Senate bill entitled an act to extend the time in which Posey Whalen, elected superintendent of the poor for Rappahannock county, shall be permitted to qualify, came up.

On motion of Mr. Coghill, the bill was dismissed.

Senate joint resolution requiring inspectors of tobacco to report the amount of insurance kept on their several warehouses during the year 1873, covering planters' tobacco, was read a third time and agreed to.

Mr. Swann moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the senate joint resolution was agreed to, which motion was rejected.

No. 6. House engrossed bill to release the securities of Joseph Charlton from the payment of a forfeited recognizance, was read a third time and passed-yeas 88; nays 18.

The vote required by the constitution was recorded as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Allen, Anderson, Armentrout, Bagwell, Boykin, Brady, Brooks, Brown, Campbell, Cecil, A. J. Clark, Matt Clark, Cockerille, Coghill, Crank, Critz, Davis, Dooley, Finney, Fitzpatrick, Flood, Franklin, Fulkerson, Gains, Gardner, T.

S. Gibson, Grayson, Griffith, Haden, Hale, Hamilton, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Hill, Holbrook, Howard, Hudgin, Hunter, James, Jett, Jordan, B. W. Lacy, J. Horace Lacy, Lamkin, Lewis, Lightner, Lipps, Longley, Lovell, Lovenstein, Loving, Lucas, Lybrook, Magruder, Massey, McGonigal, Montague, Morris, Morrison, John L. Nash, W. A. Nash, Neeley, Norton, O'Neal, Pannill, Pendleton, Popham, Powell, Richmond, Riddlebarger, Rogers, Round, Sellers, Spratt, Stovall, Swann, Syphax, Turner, Walke, Wallace, Webb, Wharton, Whittaker, Williams, Withers, Yager, and Young-88.

NAYS-Messrs. Armstrong, J. Armistead Carter, Jack Carter, Peter J. Carter, Cox, Foster, Goodwyn, Graves, Hoeninger, Rufus S. Jones, Koiner, Lipscomb, Moss, Nickens, Stuart, Taylor, Winn, and Mr. Speaker-18.

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

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

No. 17. House bill to prevent obstructing with timber or rendering foul the water courses of this State.

No. 21. House bill to transfer the interest of the State in certain turnpike companies to the counties through which they pass.

The house resumed the business of the morning hour.

Mr. Stuart offered the following resolution.

Resolved, That the superintendent of public printing be directed to furnish one thousand extra copies of the second auditor's last report,' seven hundred and fifty copies for the use of the general assembly, and the balance for the second auditor's office.

The house refused to refer the resolution to a committee.

The resolution was agreed to.

Leave of absence was granted Messrs. Brown and Taylor three days each, and O'Neal one day.

Mr. Gilman (under a suspension of the rules) presented

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

On motion of Mr. Riddlebarger,

Resolved, That when this house adjourns to day it adjourn to meet again on Monday at one o'clock P. M.

On motion of Mr. Riddlebarger, the house adjourned until Monday next at 1 o'clock P. M.

MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1874.

The journal was read by the clerk.

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

In Senate, January 16, 1874.

The senate have passed house bills entitled

An act incorporating the Virginia porcelain and terracotta company, in the county of Augusta; No. 16.

An act to amend section 10, chapter 202, Code 1873, with reference to jurors in criminal cases; No. 7.

An act to change the name of the Augusta county fair to the Baldwin Augusta fair; No. 8. And

An act to authorize the common council of Winchester to borrow money; No. 12.

And they have passed bills entitled

An act to extend a credit of twelve and twenty-four months from the ratification of the sale of the State's interest in the upper Appomattox company to the board of superintendents of said company, and to ratify and confirm all acts done in pursuance of the provisions of the act approved March 20th, 1873; No. 19.

An act to define and declare the true intent and meaning of the act in force April second, eighteen hundred and seventy three, entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections five and seven 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; No. 31.

An act to constitute the secretary and superintendent of the Mount Vernon association a conservator of the peace for the limits of Mount Vernon estate; No. 40. And

An act to amend and re-enact section one of an act entitled an act to incorporate the Thonton's Gap turnpike company, passed January 19th, eighteen hundred and forty-eight; No. 42.

In which bills they respectfully request the concurrence of the house of deletrates.

No. 19. Senate bill to extend a credit of twelve and twenty-four months, from the ratification of the sale of the State's interest in the upper Appomattox company to the board of superintendents of said company, and to ratify and confirm all acts done in pursuance of the provisions of the act approved March twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, was read twice and referred to the committee on roads and internal navigation.

No. 31. Senate bill to define and declare the true intent and meaning of the act in force April 2d, 1873, entitled "an act to amend and re-enact sections five and seven 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," was read twice and referred to the committee for courts of justice.

No. 40. Senate bill to constitute the secretary and superintendent of the Mount Vernon association a conservator of the peace for the limits of Mount Vernon estate, was read twice and referred to the committee for courts of justice.

No. 42. Senate bill to amend and re-enact section one of an act entitled an act to incorporate the Thonton's Gap turnpike company, passed January 19th, 1848, was read twice and referred to committee on roads and internal navigation.

The following bills, reported from the committee for courts of justice, were read a first time:

No. 27. House bill giving the consent of this 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, and exempting the same from State or corporation taxes.

No. 28. House bill to amend and re-enact the 13th section, chapter 13, Code (edition of 1873), with reference to the salary of city and corporation judges, with the recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 29. House bill to amend and re-enact section 14, chapter 188 of the Code of 1873, in relation to larceny, with the recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 30. House bill to prevent pulling and leaving fences down, and of opening and leaving open gates, without permission of owner.

No. 31. House bill amending section 24 of chapter 196 of the Code of 1873, providing for organizing chain-gangs.

No. 21. Senate bill to allow further time for the judge of Norfolk county to qualify, was reported from the committee for courts of justice, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

The following report from the committee for courts of justice was agreed to:

The committee for courts of justice have had under consideration sundry resolutions to them referred, proposing to amend the constitution of the State relative to the qualification of voters, and to substitute viva voce voting for the ballot system; also, a petition of citizens of the county of Smyth, proposing sundry other amendments to the constitution, and a proposition to take a vote of the people on the propriety of calling a convention to amend the same; and ask to be discharged from the consideration thereof, and submit the following resolution:

Resolved by the general assembly, That a joint committee be appointed, to consist of five members of the senate and nine of the house of delegates, to whom all propositions on the subject of amendments to the constitution of the State shall be referred, with instructions to report thereon by bill or otherwise.

Mr. Williams moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the report was agreed to, which motion was rejected.

The following reports were agreed to:

The committee on finance have had under consideration a petition of the citizens of Strasburg, in Shenandoah county, praying for a special license law, and report that it is inexpedient to grant the recommendations of the petitioners, and ask to be relieved from its further consideration.

The committee on finance have had under consideration a resolution to them referred, to encourage and protect the rearing of sheep, and ask to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the same be referred to the committee on propositions and grievances.

The committee on finance have had under consideration a resolution in reference to the collection of delinquent county, corporation, road and