Making, in the aggregate, for fees and other charges received into the office from the 10th day of October 1845, to the 10th day of October 1846, inclusive, five thousand two hundred and forty-nine dollars and eighteen cents. Upon examination they find that there have been paid into the treasury, for waste and unappropriated lands sold, the following sums of money, to wit: Making the total sum arrising from the operations of the office from the 10th October 1845, to the 10th October 1846, ten thousand five hundred and ninety-nine dollars and forty-nine cents; exceeding the receipts of the preceding year by $3211 193 cents. In closing this report, your committee are gratified with having it in their power to say, from their examination of the register's office, that all the duties required by law of the register, have been by the present incumbent, discharged in a manner highly creditable to him as a public officer, and, so far as your committee are advised, to the entire satisfaction of all who have had business to transact in said office. All of which is respectfully submitted. Ordered, That said report be laid upon the table. The following report was read and laid upon the table, viz: JAS. BENNETT, The committee on executive expenditures for the past fiscal year have performed that duty and respectfully submit the following report: They have examined with care the various items of expenditure authorized by the executive department, and find them all to be such as are usual and proper, and sustained by satisfactory vouchers. The whole amount of expenditures is The amount of appropriation to civil contingent fund, by act of February 28th, 1846, 7,144 55 8,000 00 Richmond post office, public postage for September last, Annexed is a list of the various expenditures, containing a brief explanation of the nature of the claims paid. LIST OF WARRANTS drawn by order of the Executive on the Civil Contingent Fund during the year ending the 30th of September 1846, viz: 1845-Oct. 1, To F. W. R. Danforth, for cleaning library, &c. Ritchie & Heiss, advertising Va. delinquent lands, J. W. Randolph & Co. stationery for public offices, 20 67 21 25 31 38 1 50 67 57 121 78 20 00 10, Ritchie & Heiss, executive subscription Washington Union, 10 00 10 00 16, J. Leonard and Ro. Brown, reward for arrest of Hunter Hill, 200 00 55 00 Jas. Davis, coal for executive, 5 00 Isham A. King, lightwood, Banks Wade, do. 12.00 R. & Sam. Morien, repairing grates in the capitol, 15 50 58 95 Rd. Mathews, putting away coal for public offices, 5 25 18 00 Richmond post office, postage for October 1845, 67 27 Shepherd & Colin, sundry copies acts, &c. 1844-45, library, &c. 277 25 1845-Nov. 19, To James Gordon, bringing convict from Prince George to penitentiary, 19 17 23 50 26 00 Isham A. King, lightwood, 5 00 29, 31, A. S. Billings, repairing culvert at armory, J. M. Patton, fee as counsel employed by the governor to assist the attorney 10 00 500 00 this state and of Ohio is involved, A. Bargamin, stove pike for bellhouse, &c. J. C. Gunnell, bringing fugitive from District Columbia to Fairfax, Thos. G. Broughton & Co. executive subscription to Norf. and Port. Herald, 7 00 18 86 28 29 12 92 28 00 13, Capt. C. Dimmock, materials for repairs at armory, 18, 19, 21, 26, City of Richmond, water rent for capitol, C. Cumberson, locks for water closets at capitol, Richmond post office, postage of executive and auditor in January, 37 75 16 75 8 50 50 00 17 25 Geo. W. Munford, keeper of rolls, copies sundry acts of assembly for public officers, 27 25 12, 19, Shepherd & Colin, sundry copies Acts of Ass. &c. Geo. W. Carpenter, reward for apprehending Phillips, a convict escaped from pen'ty, 150 00 491 63 Mr. TUNSTALL presented a report from the same committee, upon so much of the governor's message as relates to the expenditures upon the governor's house. The following reports of the committee of schools and colleges were read and agreed to: The committee of schools and colleges have considered the petition referred to them, of the trustees of the Northumberland academy and others, praying that a poll may be opened at the next spring election, and that if a majority of the voters shall be opposed to the continuance of that institution, the trustees may make sale thereof, and the committee have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved, That the prayer of the petition be rejected for want of the notice required by the 23d rule of the house. The committee of schools and colleges have considered the petition referred to them, of the school commissioners of Patrick county, praying that their treasurer be allowed to retain the sum of $45 79, paid by him in 1845, on account of claims of 1843 and previous years, for which sum the second auditor has refused to allow credit to said treasurer, and the committee have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved, That the prayer of said petition be rejected. The committee of schools and colleges have considered the petition to them referred, of the school commissioners of Henrico county, praying that their treasurer may be allowed credit (which has been refused by the second auditor) for the sum of $128 89, erroneously paid from the quota of 1845, on account of claims of previous years, and the committee have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved, That the prayer of said petition be rejected. The committee of schools and colleges have considered the petition to them referred, of D. P. Gregg, asking payment for the tuition of poor children by his wife, who was a teacher in the county of Prince Edward during part of the years 1842 and 1843, and the committee have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved, That the prayer of said petition be rejected. The following reports of the committee on agriculture and manufactures were read and agreed to: The committee on agriculture and manufactures have, according to order, had under consideration the memorial of John Timberlake and other citizens of the county of Albemarle, to them referred, asking the repeal of the act, entitled "an act constituting a part of the Rivanna river a lawful fence," passed January the twenty-second, eighteen hundred and forty-six, so far as respects that part of the river which is between Meriwether's bridge and Stapleton C. Sneed's milldam, together with the petition of M. L. Anderson and others, against the repeal of the said law, and have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved as the opinion of this committee, That the prayer of the said petition be rejected. The committee on agriculture and manufactures have, according to order, had under consideration the petition of sundry citizens of Lunenburg county, to them referred, praying for the passage of a law declaring the Meherrin river a lawful fence from Love's bridge on the north (or large) branch of the Meherrin down to the county line of Brunswick county, and have come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved as the opinion of this committee, That the prayer of the said petition be rejected for want of the notice required by the twenty-third rule of the house. The following report of the committee on banks was read and agreed to: The committee on banks have, according to order, had under consideration a resolution to them referred, "enquiring into the expediency of placing notes made negotiable and payable at the Hampton savings institution, on the same footing with notes made payable and negotiable at other banks in the commonwealth;" and come to the following resolution thereupon: Resolved as the opinion of this committee, That it is inexpedient to confer such power. The following report of the committee on lunatic asylums was read and agreed to: The committee on lunatic asylums, according to order, has had under consideration the various petitions of A. Waddell and others, praying for a repeal of the act of the 4th of March 1846, respecting the Western lunatic asylum, and has adopted the following resolution : Resolved, That it is inexpedient to repeal or modify the act passed the 4th of March 1846, respecting the Western lunatic asylum. On motion of Mr. M'PHERSON the house adjourned until to-morrow morning 10 o'clock. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1847. A communication was received from the senate by their clerk, which was read as follows: The senate have passed the bills, entitled IN SENATE, MARCH 8, 1847. "An act to amend the act passed 5th March 1846, incorporating the Hardy and Winchester turnpike company." (No. 65.) "An act to incorporate the directors of the Scientific and Eclectic medical institute." (No. 12.) "An act to provide for the construction of a road from Bath in Morgan county, to the mouth of St. John's run on the Potomac." (No. 87.) "An act to provide for the construction of a turnpike road from the Richlands in Tazewell to the Kentucky line;" (No. 89;) and "An act providing for the extension of the Louisa railroad to the eastern base of the Blue Ridge." They have also passed the bill, entitled "An act incorporating the Harrisville turnpike company," with an amendment to the title, in which they request the concurrence of the house of delegates. The said amendment being twice read was agreed to, and it was ordered that the clerk inform the senate thereof. Mr. HARVIE, from the committee of finance, presented the following bill, which was read the first and ordered to be read a second time, viz: No. 344. A bill appropriating the public revenue. Mr. HARVIE reported that said committee having finished the business before them, had no further use for the services of a clerk, and that officer was ordered to be discharged from further attendance on said committee. Mr. BANKS announced that the committee on the militia laws had finished the business before that committee and had no further use for their clerk, and that officer was ordered to be discharged in like manner. Mr. DAVIS, from the committee on agriculture and manufactures, presented the following bills: No. 345. A bill to establish an inspection of flour at the King William mills on Pamunkey river in King William county; and No. 346. A bill to extend the charters of the Virginia Fortsmouth iron company; the Virginia chlorine company; and the South Shenandoah copper company. On motion of Mr. DAVIS the committee on agriculture and manufactures were discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of citizens of the county of Loudoun relative to the protection of sheep in said county, and the same were ordered to be laid upon the table. Mr. DAVIS announced that the said committee had no further occasion for the services of a clerk, and that officer was ordered to be accordingly discharged. Mr. SHEFFEY presented a petition praying that a poll be opened at the next general election to take the sense of the freeholders of the county of Augusta on the question whether the county court of said county shall subscribe for stock in the Staunton and James river turnpike company, to an amount not exceeding $23,000, and for other purposes, which on his motion was ordered to be laid upon the table. On motion of Mr. SHEFFEY, Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a bill to authorize the county court of Augusta to subscribe a certain amount of the capital stock of the Staunton and James river turnpike company, and that Messrs. Sheffey, Leake, Mayo, Bare and Newman prepare and bring in the same. On motion of Mr. SYME the following report was taken up and read: The committee to whom was referred the memorial of judge James H. Gholson, and the memorial and specifications preferred against the said judge Gholson by R. R. Collier, have had the same under consideration, and after a protracted and laborious investigation, in which a latitude and freedom of enquiry has been allowed not justified by the well established rules of evidence, submit the following report and resolution: The committee deem it unnecessary to recapitulate the charges and specifications of R. R. Collier, they are to be found among the printed documents of the house, and the papers accompanying this report. The committee content themselves with stating, that they embrace judicial oppression and favouritism towards certain members of the bar practising in the courts in which judge Gholson presides; with judicial corruption in conniving at certain alleged (but wholly unsustained and unfounded) breaches of trust by Thomas S. Gholson, Esq. brother of the said judge Gholson; with negligence in the discharge of his official duties; and for a personal assault and battery made by the said judge upon the person of the said Collier. The official conduct and deportment of judge Gholson, as well as the special matters complained of by R. R. Collier, has elicited a mass of testimony, embracing nearly every member of a numerous bar, practising in the judicial circuit of judge Gholson. The whole of that testimony, whether summoned by the accuser or the accused, with the single exception of said Collier, furnishes a volume of irresistible and conclusive evidence of the eminent ability, mild and courteous demeanor, uniform diligence, and inflexible uprightness and integrity of judge Gholson. A remaining charge preferred by the said Collier, and not controverted by judge Gholson, remains to be briefly considered, viz: the personal assault made by judge Gholson upon the said R. R. Collier in the town of Petersburg on the day of January last. This assault grew out of a pamphlet published and circulated by the said R. R. Collier, and a copy of which was sent to judge Gholson by the said Collier; which pamphlet contained much matter which judge Gholson might well conclude was offensive, and aimed at him, and was so considered in the community in which the parties resided. |