The committee of claims have, according to order, had under consideration the petition of Samuel B. T. Caldwell, "praying that the sum of one hundred dollars paid by him as tax for license to keep a tavern for the years 1839-40, '41, 42, '43, he being the owner of a ferry, be refunded to him," and have come to the following resolution thereupon:

Resolved, That the prayer of said petition be rejected.

The committee of claims have, according to order, had under consideration the following resolution : "Resolved, That the committee of claims be instructed to report bill No. 200 of last session concerning the sheriff of Middlesex county, with such amendments as they may deem proper;" and in obedience to said instruction have reported the bill aforesaid, not deeming it proper to add any amendments thereto.

The following report of the committee on the militia laws was read and agreed to:

The committee on the militia laws have, according to order, had under consideration the petition of John George Heist to them referred, praying that he may be exempted from the payment of certain militia fines, and that agents employed in the management of railroads may be exempt from ordinary militia duty, 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 following bills were read the first and ordered to be read a second time, viz:

No. 99. A bill authorizing the Masonic society of lodge No. 1, in the City of Norfolk, to sell and convey a certain lot owned by them in said city, and for other purposes.

No. 100. A bill incorporating the Franklin lodge No. 13, of the Independent order of Odd Fellows of the City of Wheeling.

No. 101. A bill changing the time of holding the circuit superior courts of the counties of Clarke and Hampshire.

No. 102. A bill changing the time of holding the circuit superior courts of the counties of Randolph, Barbour, Taylor and Harrison.

No. 103. A bill divorcing Stephen Odell from his wife Eleanor.

No. 106. A bill to incorporate the Richmond male orphan society.

No. 107. A bill to amend an act, entitled "an act to reduce into one the several acts now in force concerning the inspection of tobacco," passed March 6th, 1819.

No. 108. A bill investing part of the Literary fund in buildings, &c. for the Medical college in the Valley of Virginia.

No. 109. A bill authorizing a separate election at Rileysville in the county of Page.

No. 110. A bill refunding to David Rawls a certain sum of money.

No. 111. A bill to authorize a lease of the Seaboard and Roanoke railroad to the trustees of Portsmouth and the city councils of Norfolk jointly, and to authorize a subsequent sale of the road to the same parties. No. 112. A bill to incorporate the Little falls railroad company.

No. 113. A bill to incorporate the Clarksburg and Weston turnpike company.

No. 114. A bill to incorporate the Mount Vernon cotton manufacturing company in the town of Alexandria. No. 115. A bill divorcing Mary Margaret Sims from her husband Robert Sims.

No. 116. A bill to incorporate the Weston and Lewisport turnpike company.

No. 117. A bill to facilitate the construction of an Electric telegraph line on the great northern and southern mail route.

No. 118. A bill authorizing the governor to grant conditional pardons.

No. 119. A bill to suspend on certain conditions the payment of interest on the loan to Emory and Henry college.

No. 120. A bill to increase the annuity to the Virginia institution for the education of the deaf and dumb and of the blind, and for other purposes.

No. 121. A bill concerning Franklin Tavenner.

No. 122. A bill concerning Thomas Brown and James Saunders of the county of Lancaster.

No. 123. A bill to amend an act, entitled "an act concerning William M. Atkinson."

No. 124. A bill to authorize a separate election at Faber's mills in the county of Nelson.

No. 125. A bill incorporating the Monongahela navigation company.

No. 126. A bill to authorize the Farmers Bank of Virginia to establish a branch of said bank in the town of Alexandria.

No. 128. A bill authorizing the circuit superior courts of law and chancery to make allowances to keepers of courthouses.

No. 129. A bill authorizing jailors to receive into their jails slaves taken under attachment.

No. 130. A bill concerning Charles W. and Helen M. Coleman.

No. 131. A bill to amend an act, entitled "an act concerning certain chancery proceedings, and for other purposes," passed February 17th, 1823; and

No. 136. A bill concerning the Virginia military institute.

No. 127. A bill to incorporate the Bank of Potomac in Alexandria, was read the first, and the rules of the house having been suspended for the purpose on motion of Mr. TYLER, the second time, and ordered to be committed to the committee which brought it in.

No. 135. A bill amending the act, entitled "an act regulating the tolls of the Manchester turnpike company," passed March 12th, 1834, was read the first, and the rule of the house having been suspended in like manner on motion of Mr. STOVALL, the second time, and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time.

The following bills composing part of the Criminal Code were read the first and ordered to be read a second time, viz:

No. 96. A bill concerning offences against the sovereignty of the state.

No. 97. A bill concerning offences against the lives and persons of individuals.

No. 98. A bill concerning offences against private property.

No. 104. A bill concerning offences against public justice.

No. 105. A bill concerning forgery.

No. 132. A bill concerning offences against chastity, morality and decency.

No. 133. A bill concerning offences against the public peace; and

No. 134. A bill concerning offences against the public health.

On motion of Mr. DORMAN the house adjourned until Monday 11 o'clock.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1847.

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

IN SENATE, FEBRUARY 13, 1847.

The senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act releasing to William S. Griffith a certain fine imposed by the circuit superior court of law and chancery for Harrison county." (No. 76.)

They have also passed the bill, entitled

"An act incorporating the Odd Fellows male and female institute of Petersburg," (No. 31,) with amendments, in which they request the concurrence of the house of delegates.

And they have agreed to the preamble and resolutions for the prosecution of the war with Mexico and voting thanks to the president of the United States for the manner in which the war has been conducted.

The said amendments being twice read were severally agreed to, and it was ordered that the clerk inform the senate thereof.

The SPEAKER laid before the house a communication from the auditor of public accounts enclosing a statement of the amount disbursed out of the appropriation of ten thousand dollars for the Virginia regiment of volunteers called for by resolution of the 11th instant, which being read, on motion of Mr. LEAKE was ordered to be referred to the committee on the militia laws and be printed. [Doc. No. 45.]

Mr. BANKS, from the committee of propositions and grievances, presented a report upon the resolution for establishing a precinct election in the county of Clarke; and the following bill:

No. 260. A bill repealing the act, entitled "an act authorizing a separate election at the house of Mrs. Prudence Perkinson in the county of Prince Edward.”

Mr. FLOYD, from the committee of roads and internal navigation, presented the following bill:

No. 261. A bill to incorporate the Alexandria and Harper's Ferry railroad company.

On motion of Mr. FLOYD the committee of roads and internal navigation was discharged from the consideration of the petition of Richard Despard and others, and the same was ordered to be laid upon the table.

On motion of Mr. POINDEXTER, Resolved, That the memorial of the president and directors of the Louisa railroad company and accompanying documents and other papers connected with the subject be withdrawn from the joint committee of the two houses to which they have been referred, and that the same be referred to the committee of roads and internal navigation with power to send for persons and papers.

On motion of Mr. SHEFFEY, Resolved, That leave be given to bring in a bill to incorporate the Virginia hotel company in the town of Staunton.

The SPEAKER deferred announcing the committee to bring in said bill until to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. MAYO, Resolved, That the use of this hall be granted to the friends of Ireland to hold a relief meeting on Wednesday night next.

On motion of Mr. CUSTIS, Resolved by the general assembly, That it shall be the duty of the county court of Accomac to lay off the island of Tangier as a separate school district of said county and to assign to the same its just share of the school quota of said county according to the number of the said children in said district compared with the aggregate number in the county.

Ordered, That the clerk communicate the same to the senate and request their concurrence.

Mr. BURWELL, from the committee of schools and colleges, presented a report upon the petition of citizens of Northumberland county for repeal of the charter of Northumberland academy; and the following bill:

No. 262. A bill to encourage the education of teachers by endowing certain colleges.

Mr. BoAK presented a petition of citizens of the county of Berkeley, asking the guarantee of the state for a portion of the bonds of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal company for the purpose of completing the canal of said company, which was ordered to be referred to the committee of roads and internal navigation.

Mr. BURWELL presented a petition of James L. R. Adkins, asking payment of a claim for tuition of poor children in the county of Bedford, which was ordered to be referred to the committee of schools and colleges.

Mr. MAYO presented a petition of William Mitchell, jr. and others, praying to be incorporated as a company for manufacturing iron and nails in the City of Richmond, which was ordered to be referred to the committee on agriculture and manufactures.

On motion of Mr. PATRICK the following report of the committee of propositions and grievances was taken up and read:

The committee of propositions and grievances have, according to order, had under consideration the petition and accompanying documents of sundry citizens of the counties of Mason, Cabell and Kanawha, to them referred, praying that in consideration of the facts of their case as in said petition stated, and numerous grievances thereupon, with the reasons adduced in that behalf, that an act may pass forming a new county of part of each of said counties within certain boundary lines in said petition described, with the courthouse thereof at Red house shoals on the Kanawha river:" Whereupon,

Resolved as the opinion of this committee, That the chairman thereof be instructed to ask a discharge from the further consideration of said petition and accompanying documents for failure to designate and describe therein with sufficient certainty and exactness the point or place for the seat of justice for the contemplated new county as required by the act, entitled "an act concerning the formation of new counties," passed April the seventh, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight; and that said petition and documents be laid on the table for the residue of the session.

A motion was made by Mr. PATRICK that the said report be recommitted, with instructions to the committee to report a bill conformably with the prayer of the petitioners, and the question being put thereupon was determined in the negative.

The said resolution was then agreed to and the petition was ordered to be laid upon the table for the balance of the session.

On motion of Mr. SYME, Resolved, That the committee of claims enquire into the expediency of refunding to William T. Joynes the sum of one hundred and seventy dollars and ten cents, advanced by the said William T. Joynes to Capt. William M. Robinson of the second company of Petersburg volunteers for the purpose of enabling the said Robinson to pay certain expenses incurred by members of his company previous to their being mustered into the service of the United States.

On motion of Mr. Cook, Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice be instructed to enquire into the expediency of reporting a bill authorizing the present clerk of the county court of Roanoke to amend or correct certificates placed upon certain deeds by the former deputy clerk of said county, which deeds have been recorded.

On motion of Mr. HILL of Fayette and Nicholas, Resolved, That the committee on the militia laws enquire into the expediency of establishing a company of artillery in the county of Fayette.

No. 57. A bill establishing district courts was taken up on motion of Mr. SCOTT, read a second time and ordered to be engrossed and read a third time.

No. 59. An engrossed bill incorporating the Richmond and Danville railroad company was taken up on motion of Mr. TUNSTALL, and the same being under discussion,

On motion of Mr. TYLER the house adjourned until to-morrow 11 o'clock.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1847.

The SPEAKER laid before the house a communication from the governor, transmitting statements shewing the condition of the Bank of the Valley on the first Monday in December 1846, and the 1st of January 1847, and of the Merchants and Mechanics Bank of Wheeling at the date last mentioned, which being read, on motion of Mr. Fox was laid upon the table and ordered to be printed. [Doc. No. 46.]

36

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

The senate have passed the bill, entitled

IN SENATE, FEBRUARY 15, 1847.

"An act concerning the pay of members of the general assembly," with amendments, in which they request the concurrence of the house of delegates.

And their committee appointed to examine enrolled bills, have examined sundry other such bills, which being found truly enrolled, have been signed by their speaker, and are here with returned to the house of delegates.

The said amendments being read, on motion of Mr. YERBY the said bill and amendments were laid upon the table.

The SPEAKER announced the following as the committee to bring in the bill under the resolution submitted by Mr. CHISMAN on Saturday last, viz: Messrs. Chisman, Watts, Powell, Yerby, Tate, Godwin and Custis. On motion of Mr. HUNTER, Resolved, That leave be given to bring in a bill amending the law establishing district free schools in the counties of Jefferson and Frederick, and providing for a vote of the people thereupon at the next election of delegates for said county.

The SPEAKER deferred announcing the committee to bring in said bill until to-morrow.

On motion of Mr. THOMPSON of Jefferson, Resolved, That the committee of claims enquire into the expediency of authorizing the payment of expenses incurred by Capt. John W. Rowan, in the enlistment and organization of his company of volunteers up to the time of their acceptance into service by the United States.

On motion of Mr. MAJOR, Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice be instructed to enquire into the expediency of providing by law that the attorneys for the commonwealth in each of the counties, cities and towns of this commonwealth, shall have full power and authority whenever they have reason to apprehend either a total or partial loss of any debt now due, or which may hereafter become due to the commonwealth, to compromise with the debtor for the payment of such portion of said debt as they may deem advantageous under the circumstances of the case, and to grant a full discharge to the debtor for the balance.

On motion of Mr. POINDEXTER, Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice be instructed to enquire into the expediency of so amending the first section of the act passed at the last session, entitled "an act concerning proceedings at rules, and for other purposes," as to make the same available for all the courts therein mentioned.

On motion of Mr. OLDHAM, Resolved, That the committee of propositions and grievances enquire into the expediency of passing an act incorporating the town of Moundsville in the county of Marshall.

On motion of Mr. BROWNE of Mathews and Middlesex, Resolved, That the committee of schools and colleges be instructed to enquire into the expediency of providing for the payment of $35 17, the balance due to Leroy Dixon of Mathews county for the tuition of poor children entered by Mathias J. Davice, the school conmissioner for the years 1843, '44 and '45, and that they report by bill or otherwise.

On motion of Mr. FAIRFAX, Resolved, That the committee of schools and colleges be instructed to enquire into the expediency of incorporating the Evansville literary society in the county of Preston, and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise.

On motion of Mr. BEIRNE, Resolved, That the committee of finance be instructed to enquire into the expediency of reporting to this house bill No. 146 of last session, authorizing constables to collect the taxes, levies and poor rates returned by the sheriffs as due from insolvents.

On motion of Mr. Love, Resolved, That the committee of claims enquire into the expediency of authorizing the payment of sundry expenses incurred by Lewis M'Kenzie in transporting the Alexandria volunteers from Alexandria to the City of Richmond.

Mr. BROWN of Albemarle, from the committee of finance, presented reports upon resolutions relative to the condition of the Washington monument fund; and for defining more clearly the duties of commissioners of the revenue in assessing the amounts of sales of merchants; and upon the petition of Wesley Wright and Woodson Wright, deputies of Pichigrue Woolfolk, sheriff of Caroline county.

Mr. FLOYD, from the committee of roads and internal navigation, presented reports upon the petitions of citizens of Randolph county for a change in the location of part of the Staunton and Parkersburg road; of John A. Garrett and others of Albemarle county for the connection of the Rivanna river at Columbia with the James river and Kanawha canal; and of the directors of the Salem and New Castle turnpike company, that Jacob Price be compelled to change the location of one of his tollgates; and the following bill:

No. 263. A bill to incorporate the Rappahannock steamboat company.

On motion of Mr. FLOYD, Ordered, That the committee of roads and internal navigation be discharged from the consideration of the petitions of citizens of Hampshire county for the incorporation of a company to construct a road from Romney to the Green spring in said county; of other citizens of said county for a change in the location of the Cacapon and North branch turnpike; and of H. J. M'Clean and other citizens of Marshall county, relative to a ferry across the Ohio river, and the remonstrances against the same; and of other citizens

of the county of Hampshire, for the incorporation of a company to construct a turnpike road from the mouth of Patterson's creek to Moorefield, in the county of Hardy; and from a resolution to provide for M'Adamizing the Northwestern turnpike; and that the said petitions and resolution be laid upon the table.

Mr. WATTS, from the committee on the militia laws, presented a report upon the resolution for defining specifically who are exempt from militia duty.

Mr. BENNETT, from the committee on the register's office, presented the following bill:

No. 264. A bill increasing the salary of the second clerk in the register's office.

Mr. Bоcock, from the committee for courts of justice, presented the following bills:

No. 265. A bill authorizing the sale of certain lands held by Howard F. Thornton; and

No. 266. A bill changing the time of holding the circuit superior courts of law and chancery for the counties of Wood, Ritchie and Gilmer.

Mr. SYME presented a letter from Col. William C. Knight, a witness summoned by the committee charged with the investigation of the charges made by R. R. Collier against judge James H. Gholson, which was ordered to be referred to the said committee.

Mr. HUNTER presented a petition of citizens of the town of Smithfield and its vicinity, asking for an enlargement of the charter of the Shepherdstown and Smithfield turnpike company so as to extend said road to Winchester.

Mr. THOMPSON of Jefferson a petition of citizens of the county of Jefferson praying for a guarantee of $300,000 of the bonds of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal company to enable said company to complete their canal to Cumberland.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of roads and internal navigation.

Mr. WATTS presented a memorial of citizens of the town of Portsmouth remonstrating against the incorporation of said town.

Mr. RICHMOND a petition of citizens of the county of Lee for the establishment of a separate election at the house of Vastine Stickley in said county.

Mr. CUSTIS a petition of citizens of the island of Chingoteague in the county of Accomac, asking to change the place of holding the separate election held on said island.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of propositions and grievances.

Mr. DUNCAN presented memorials of citizens of the county of Harrison, remonstrating against the formation of a new county out of parts of the counties of Harrison and Marion, which on his motion were ordered to be laid upon the table.

Mr. DUNCAN also presented a petition of citizens of the county of Doddridge, asking for the passage of a special act authorizing the county court of said county to district the county for establishing schools, which was ordered to be referred to the committee of schools and colleges.

Mr. NELMS presented a petition of T. O. Brent, asking remuneration for a horse lost in conveying a lunatic to the Eastern asylum, which was ordered to be referred to the committee of claims.

Mr. EDMUNDSON of Montgomery presented a petition of Eli Phegar and others, a committee on the part of a temperance convention held in the town of Christiansburg, for the passage of an act to prohibit the grant of licenses for the retail of ardent spirits, which was ordered to be referred to the committee of finance.

Mr. HOLLADAY presented a petition of J. B. Garland, praying for an amendment to the Criminal Code, which was ordered to be referred to the committee for courts of justice.

On motion of Mr. HARVIE a bill divorcing William R. Myers from his wife Virginia, (No. 71,) was taken up, read a second time, amended on motion of Mr. PERROW, and as amended ordered to be engrossed and read a third time.

No. 189. An engrossed bill imposing taxes for the support of government, was read a third time, and on motion of Mr. DUNCAN ordered to be laid upon the table.

The SPEAKER announced the following as the committee to bring in the bill under the resolution submitted by Mr. SHEFFEY on yesterday, viz: Messrs. Sheffey, Newman, Perrow, Major, Carson, Yerby and Harper.

No. 233. A bill to authorize the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company to construct the extension of their railroad through the territory of Virginia was taken up, and on motion of Mr. EDGINGTON the consideration thereof was postponed until Friday next at 1 o'clock, and made the order of the day for that day.

No. 59. An engrossed bill incorporating the Richmond and Danville railroad company was read a third time, and the same being under discussion,

On motion of Mr. HIETT the house adjourned until to-morrow 11 o'clock.