And House bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 4 of an act approved January 8, 1875, entitled an act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal education society in Virginia, No. 81. They have passed, with amendments, House bill entitled an act to amend section 1092 of the Code of Virginia, in relation to railroad and canal companies providing wagon-ways for landowners, No. 86. They have passed Senate bill entitled an act to authorize the board of supervisors of Bland county to increase the salary of the county judge, No. 56. Senate bill entitled an act to authorize the board of supervisors of Wythe county to allow the sheriff of said county a sum not exceeding one hundred and twenty-five dollars for fuel used at the jail in said county, No. 64. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 8 of the act entitled an act to incorporate the Pittsburgh and Virginia railroad company, approved March 3, 1884, as amended by chapter 231 of the acts of the general assembly of Virginia passed at the session of 1887-'88, and as further amended by chapter 685 of the acts of the general assembly of Virginia passed at the session of 1891-'92, No. 91. Senate bill entitled an act amending and re-enacting an act incorporating the Richmond male orphan society, No. 92. Senate bill entitled an act for the relief of the sureties of A. R. Green, late treasurer of Halifax county, No. 96. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 14 of an act incorporating the Falls Church and Potomac railway company, approved January 24, 1888, as amended by an act approved January 24, 1890, and by an act approved January 22, 1892, entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 14 of an act incorporating the Falls Church and Potomac railway company, No. 69. Senate bill entitled an act allowing J. Winston Repass, treasurer, of Wythe county, further time for collection of taxes for the years 1887, 1888 and 1889, No. 112. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act providing a charter for the city of Staunton, in force March 22, 1872, as amended by sundry subsequent acts, No. 116. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 250 of the Code of Virginia, providing for donations to universities and colleges having law schools, No. 128. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the Hoover mercantile company, No. 130. Senate bill entitled an act to authorize the union of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company and the Buckingham railroad company by lease, purchase, consolidation, merger or otherwise, in accordance with the terms of any contract which may have been or may be entered into by and between said companies, No. 138. Senate bill entitled an act to prevent the escape of persons in the custody of the Prison association of Virginia, No. 140. And Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 3 of an act approved March 4, 1892, to incorporate the Rosemary library, No. 152. In which amendments and bills they respectfully request the concurrence of the House. No. 86, House bill, was referred to the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation. Senate bill No. 56 was read twice and referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice. Senate bills Nos. 64, 112 and 116 were read twice and referred to the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns. Senate bills Nos. 130, 152 and 92 were read twice and referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances. Senate bill No. 140 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Asylums and Prisons. Senate bills Nos. 69, 138 and 91 were read twice and referred. to the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation. Senate bill No. 96 was read twice and, on motion of Mr. DEJARNETTE, was placed on the calendar. Senate bill No. 128 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Schools and Colleges. The following Senate bills were reported from the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation, with amendments: No. 50, Senate bill to incorporate the Fredericksburg and Winchester railroad company. No. 52, Senate bill to incorporate the Fredericksburg and Lancaster railroad company. The following House bills, reported from the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation, were read a a first time: No. 144, House bill to authorize R. S. Mackan, Thomas Holmden and H. H. Rumble to establish a ferry on the Elizabeth river and western branch thereof. No. 145, House bill to incorporate the West Norfolk and Port Norfolk draw-bridge company. No. 146, House bill to incorporate the Roanoke mineral beltline railroad company. No. 147, House bill to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to allow the board of supervisors of Lee county to increase the salary of the county judge of Lee county, approved February 29, 1892, reported from the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns, with recommendation that it do not pass. No. 148, House bill to establish an additional court for the city of Norfolk and to define its jurisdicton, reported from the Committee for Courts of Justice, was read a first time. No. 149, House bill to amend and re-enact section 5 of an act to incorporate the Hampton normal and agricultural institute, approved January 4, 1870, was, on motion of Mr. LEE, placed on the calendar and was read a first time. The SPEAKER laid before the House a communication from the attorney-general (in response to a resolution of the House of Delegates) as follows: RICHMOND, VA., January 15, 1894. Speaker of the House of Delegates, Richmond, Va.: Mr. SPEAKER, I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the following resolution this day passed by your body: Resolved, That the attorney-general be requested to communicate in writing to this House if there is anything in the act approved March 3, 1892, entitled an act to further regulate and control common carriers doing business in this State, and further defining the duties of the railroad commissioner in relation thereto, which prevents railroad companies from issuing complimentary passes to members of the general assembly if said railroad companies and other corporations so desire. The act aforesaid I consider valid and constitutional. Sections 2 and 3 forbid common carriers to issue complimentary passes to members of the general assembly, and until the law is repealed, modified or altered must be enforced. Sections 2 and 3, above referred to, are literal copies of like numbered sections of the inter-State commerce law, approved February 4, 1887, and section 19 of our statute in substance section 22. The inter-State commerce commissioners have decided numerous and important cases contained in four volumes of reports, and more than once considered and construed said sections. In Slator v. North Pacific railroad company, 2 Inter-State Commerce Commissioners' Reports, p. 359, they held that it was illegal for the defendant corporation to issue an annual pass, and in their report say the object and purpose of said sections were to prohibit passes or free transportation of persons as one of the forms of unjust discrimination and favoritism, and misuse of corporate powers that had grown into an abuse of large proportions, and become demoralizing in its influence and detrimental to railroads both in loss of revenue and in provoking public hostility. 3 Inter-State Commissioners' Reports, 300; Id. 387. If brought before the courts, in all probability a like construction will be put upon Virginia's statute. By amending section 19 and placing therein members of the general assembly, these public servants will belong to the excepted class, and may be complimented with free passes by railroads and other common carriers at their pleasure. Very respectfully, R. TAYLOR SCOTT, Attorney-General of Virginia. Mr. GIBSON offered the following resolution: Resolved, That when this House adjourns to-morrow in memory of General R. E. Lee it shall adjourn to meet on Monday next Which was agreed to. Mr. FENTRESS moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was agreed to; which motion was rejected. The following were presented and referred under Rule 37: By Mr. FENTRESS: A bill for the relief of the Bank of Portsmouth, Virginia. To the Committee for Courts of Justice: By Mr. CRUMP: A bill to suppress drunkenness. By Mr. SAUNDERS: A bill to amend and re-enact section 126 of the Code of Virginia, in relation to what is necessary to be proved in order to recovery when the property of any person is injured on any part of a railroad track not enclosed as required by the provision of chapter 52 of said Code. By Mr. BRYANT: A bill to remove the political disabilities of Jefferson Wallace and Charles M. Wallace, Jr. By Mr. FENTRESS: A bill to amend and re-enact section 1163 of the Code of Virginia in relation to banks holding real estate. By Mr. COOKE: A bill to amend and re-enact section 3 of an act entitled an act to incorporate the Hospital of St. Vincent de Paul in the city of Norfolk, passed March 3, 1856. By Mr. FENTRESS: A bill allowing two years for the recovery of land, or its value, conveyed under certain circumstances under mistake of fact, and for other purposes. To the Committee on Finance: By Mr. PILCHER: A bill to pay John Scott, late Commonwealth's attorney of Fauquier, for services rendered in debt litigation in the United States circuit court. By Mr. MASON: A bill to require the payment of a license by guaranty, trust, indemnity, fidelity or other companies having for their purpose, or one of their purposes, to become security for the faithful performance of any duty, trust, contract, bonds or agreements, public or private, or official or otherwise. To the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation: By Mr. RYAN: A bill authorizing the purchasers of the Richmond and Danville railroad, their assigns and successors, to become and be a corporation, to adopt a name therefor, and to possess and exercise general powers, and authorizing the consolidation therewith of other corporations. By Mr. BOOKER: A bill to amend and re-enact section 1261 of the Code of Virginia, as to when it is unnecessary to prove the negligence of a railroad company. To the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns: By Mr. SEGAR: A bill to incorporate the town of Tappahannock, in the county of Essex. To the Committee on Chesapeake and its Tributaries: By Mr. HUNTON: A bill to encourage the oyster industry of the Commonwealth. By Mr. HUNTON: A bill to protect the oyster industry of the Commonwealth. On motions severally made by Messrs. BRUGH, SHEFFEY, PAXTON, THOMAS, BINFORD, SEGAR and EVANS, the following House bills were taken up out of their order on the calendar, read a second time and ordered to be engrossed. The bills being presently engrossed, on motions severally made by Messrs. BRUGH, SHEFFEY, PAXTON, THOMAS, BINFORD, SEGAR and EVANS, were read a second time this day, two-thirds in the House so determining in each case, and were read a third time and passed. No. 117, House engrossed bill to amend and re-enact sections. 2, 11 and 13 of an act entitled an act to provide for working and keeping in repair the public roads of Botetourt, approved February 20, 1892. No. 132, House engrossed bill to repeal an act entitled an act for the protection of sheep in Smyth county, approved February 29, 1892. No. 126, House engrossed bill to allow the late and the present treasurers of Rockbridge county and their deputies further time. in which to collect levies and taxes which have been already accounted for by said treasurers. No. 122, House engrossed bill to provide a new charter for the city of Roanoke. No. 134, House engrossed bill to authorize the condemnation of lands for public free school purposes within the space of one hundred yards of a dwelling-house. No. 118, House engrossed bill to amend chapter 152, acts of 1891-'92, in relation to a lawful fence for Essex county. No. 107, House engrossed bill to repeal an act approved February 25, 1890, entitled an act to establish boards of commissioners of excise and to define their duties and powers. Motions severally made by Messrs. BRUGH, THOMAS, BINFORD, |