this commonwealth to enter into any cartel for the exchange of prisoners with the government of the United States?

On motion of Mr. BUFORD,

Resolved, that the committee on agriculture and manufactures be instructed to enquire into the expediency of establishing an additional inspection of tobacco in the town of Danville.

On motion of Mr. DUNN,

Resolved, that the committee on military affairs enquire into the expediency of enrolling all free negroes in this commonwealth, both male and female, between the ages of 16 and 40 years, to be employed as teamsters, laborers, cooks, &c. in the military departments of the state.

On motion of Mr. HOPKINS of Petersburg,

Resolved, that the committee for courts of justice enquire into the expediency of imposing penalties on justices, when summoned to attend and act as members of courts, for failing or neglecting to do so. On motion of Mr. GILMER,

Resolved, that the special committee on the distribution of salt enquire into the expediency of reporting a bill providing for the appointment of one or more inspectors of salt.

The following engrossed bill was read a third time and passed: No. 51. An engrossed bill to provide for the discharge from active military service, of persons who have furnished substitutes.

Ordered, that Mr. TREDWAY carry the same to the senate, and respectfully request their concurrence.

The following engrossed bills were read a third time and passed: No. 39. An engrossed bill amending and re-enacting the first and second sections of an act entitled an act to repeal the fence law of Virginia as to certain counties, and to authorize the county courts to dispense with enclosures in other counties, passed October 3, 1862, and to legalize the action of county courts held under said law.

No. 43. An engrossed bill to amend certain provisions of an act entitled an act incorporating a company to establish a turnpike road from the town of Manchester to the city of Petersburg, and to amend certain provisions of subsequent acts relating to the same company. Ordered, that the clerk communicate the same to the senate, and request their concurrence therein.

The following senate bills were read a third time and passed: No. 24. A senate bill entitled an act allowing Sarah T. Thornton to remove certain slaves from this state to the state of North Carolina.

No. 28. A senate bill entitled an act to amend the twelfth section of chapter ten of the Code of Virginia, so as to extend the time for filing complaint in cases of contested elections.

Ordered, that the clerk inform the senate thereof.

A message was received from the senate by Mr. QUESENBERRY, who informed the house of delegates that the senate had adopted a resolution to authorize the governor to suspend the law of the 3d of October 1862, to further provide for the public defence, so far as it applies to those counties whose loss of slaves has been so great as to interfere with the agricultural products of said counties.

On motion of Mr. HUNTER, the resolution was taken up and concurred in.

Ordered, that the clerk inform the senate thereof.

On motion of Mr. KAUFMAN, the special committee on free negrogs was enlarged, by the addition of four members.

The SPEAKER announced the following gentlemen as added to the committee: Messrs. Grattan, Baskervill, Rives and Orgain.

The following bills were read a second time, and on motions severally made, laid on the table:

No. 47. A bill to amend and re-enact an act passed October 3, 1862, entitled an act to further provide for the public defence.

No. 49. A bill authorizing the issue of treasury notes of a less denomination than one dollar.

Mr. BARBOUR presented the memorial of the Orange and Alexandria rail road, relating to the connection of their road between Gordonsville and Charlottesville; which was ordered to be referred to the committee of roads and internal navigation.

Mr. HOPKINS of Petersburg presented the petition of the mayor and other citizens of the city of Petersburg, praying the incorporation of a joint stock company, to be called the Submarine battery joint stock company (the said battery being an invention of Jabez Smith); which was ordered to be referred to the committee of propositions and grievances.

The SPEAKER laid before the house a communication from the governor in response to a resolution of the house adopted on yesterday, "relative to the number of militia brought into active service under the proclamation of the spring of 1862; whether they have received pay for said service; and if not, whether any arrangement has been made with the confederate government for that purpose;" which was read, and on motion of Mr. STAPLES, referred to the committee on military affairs.

No. 46. A bill to provide hospital accommodations for the sick and wounded soldiers of this state, and depots for clothing for the troops in the field, was taken up, on motion of Mr. ANDERSON of Botetourt, and on motion of Mr. BUFORD, laid on the table, and made the order of the day for Friday next at 1 o'clock.

On motion of Mr. WYNNE,

Resolved, that leave be given to withdraw from the files of the house, bills 186 and 187 of the session of 1861-62.

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

No. 48. A bill to incorporate the Prospect tan-yard company in the county of Prince Edward.

No. 50. A bill to authorize the board of public works to transfer the Southwestern turnpike to the counties in which it lies.

On motion of Mr. FLEMING, the house adjourned until to-morrow, 12 o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1863.

Prayer by Rev. Dr. Burrows of the Baptist church.

Mr. BAKER, from the committee of privileges and elections, presented the following resolution; which was agreed to:

Resolved, that the committee of privileges and elections be enlarged, by the addition of five members.

The SPEAKER announced the following members as added to the committee under the resolution: Messrs. Magruder, Green, Robinson, McKinney, and Saunders of Franklin.

Mr. ANDERSON, from the committee on military airs, to whom had been referred the joint resolution in relation to Lieut. E. S. Gay of the public guard, reported the same as it came from the senate, and without the amendment heretofore adopted by the house.

Mr. ANDERSON, from the same committee, presented the following bill:

No. 58. A bill appropriating money to finish and repair the road from Tazewell courthouse to Chapmansville in Logan County.

Mr. BARBOUR, from the committee on finance, presented the following bill:

No. 59. A bill authorizing the payment of a sum of money to B. B. & J. W. Cooley, for a slave condemned to be hung.

Which said last mentioned bills were subsequently read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time.

Mr. FLEMING submitted the following preamble and resolution : Whereas a large number of the counties of the commonwealth are, in whole or in part, and others may hereafter be overrun by the public enemy, so that elections cannot be held in the manner and at the time now prescribed by law: Therefore,

Be it resolved, that a select committee, consisting of seven members, be appointed to revise and amend the election laws of the commonwealth, so as to provide for such exigencies as may arise; which, on motion, were referred to the committee of privileges and elections. On motion of Mr. REID,

Resolved, that the committee of propositions and grievances enquire into the expediency of amending the act of the general assembly, passed March 1861, incorporating an insurance company in the county of Rockbridge.

On motion of Mr. STAPLES,

Resolved, that the committee of schools and colleges enquire into the expediency of passing an act authorizing the county court of Henry county to direct the sale of the district schoolhouses which were built under the act of assembly authorizing the establishment of free schools in said county; and that the proceeds of said sale be applied to the education of poor children.

On motion of Mr. CUSTIS,

Resolved, that the committee of claims enquire into the expediency of paying Samuel C. White the sum of fifty dollars and eighteen cents, for carrying the mail under a contract made by the governor of the commonwealth.

On motion of Mr. MALLORY,

Resolved, that the committee for courts of justice enquire into the expediency of so amending an act passed October 3, 1862, entitled an act to further provide for the public defence, as to provide that the sheriff or sergeant of the county, city or town, who shall attend the sessions of the court, as provided by said act, shall be paid by the confederate authorities.

The SPEAKER laid before the house the following letter from FRANKLIN MINOR, Esquire, resigning his seat as a member of the house of delegates from the county of Albemarle :

RIDGWAY, Jan. 25, 1863.

DEAR SIR: I hereby tender to you the resignation of my office as one of the members of the house of delegates from the county of Albemarle.

I am impelled to this course by the advice of my family physicians, who have been in attendance on me since my return home. They confidently express their opinion that I cannot hope to return to my post of duty any short time-certainly not so soon as my place can be supplied by a new election. Under such circumstances, I think it is my duty to resign.

Very respectfully,

Your friend and humble servant,

FRANKLIN MINOR.

HON. H. W. SHEFFEY,

Speaker House of Delegates of Va.

On motion of Mr. MAGRUDER,

Resolved, that the SPEAKER be requested to issue a writ of election to supply the vacancy in the representation of Albemarle county, occasioned by the resignation of Franklin Minor.

The SPEAKER laid before the house a communication from the governor, enclosing a communication from M. L. Bonham, governor of South Carolina, transmitting an act to provide for a guarantee by the state, of the bonds of the Confederate States, passed by the legislature of that state; which were referred to the committee on finance.

The SPEAKER laid before the house a further communication from the governor, transmitting, in response to a resolution of this house, a report from the adjutant general of the state, furnishing the names of regimental, company and staff officers in commission in the state line; which were referred to the committee on military affairs, and ordered to be printed. Doc. No. 19.

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

No. 41. A bill authorizing the branch of the Exchange Bank of Virginia at Richmond to declare a dividend.

No. 52. A bill for the relief of Thomas Littleton, jailor of Loudoun county.

No. 53. A bill authorizing the payment of interest on bonds given for the Confederate States war tax, after the day of payment.

The following engrossed bills were read a third time and passed: No. 48. An engrossed bill to incorporate the Prospect tan-yard company in the county of Prince Edward.

No. 57. An engrossed bill to authorize the Bank of Rockingham to increase its contingent fund.

No. 20. An engrossed bill for the relief of the securities of Wm. Paris, late sheriff of Appomattox county, was taken up, on motion of Mr. FLOOD, read a third time and passed-Ayes 86, no 1

AYES-Messrs. Sheffey (speaker), Ambers, J. T. Anderson, F. T. Anderson, Baker, Barbour, Bass, Bayse, Bigger, Bradford, Buford, Carpenter, Carter, Cazenove, Clarke, Coffman, Crockett, Custis, Daniel, Edmunds, Eggleston, Evans, Fleming, Fletcher, Flood, Forbes, Fry, Fulton, Gatewood, George, Gilmer, Grattan, Green, Harrison, J. H. Hopkins, H. L. Hopkins, Hunter, Huntt, James, Kaufman, Kyle, Lively, Lynn, Magruder, Mallory, Marye, Mathews, Mayo, McCamant, A. W. McDonald, I. E. McDonald, McKinney, McLaughlin, Montague, R. E. Nelson, Newton, Noland, Pitman, Prince, Reid, Richardson, Rives, Robinson, Rowan, Rutherfoord, P. Saunders, Shannon, Sherrard, Staples, R. F. Taylor, Thomas, Thra-h, Tredway, Tyler, Vaden, Vermillion, Ward, West, Williams, J. L. Wilson, S. M. Wilson, Woodhouse, Woolfolk, Worsham, Wright and Wynne—86. No-Mr. Jones-1.

Ordered, that the clerk communicate the said bills to the senate, and respectfully request their concurrence therein.

On motion of Mr. HOPKINS of Petersburg,

Resolved, that the senate be requested to return to this house No.. 43, a bill entitled an act to amend certain provisions of an act entitled an act incorporating a company to establish a turnpike road from the town of Manchester to the city of Petersburg, and to amend certain provisions of subsequent acts relating to the same company. Ordered, that Mr. HOPKINS carry the same to the senate.

Subsequently, a message was received from the senate by Mr. COLLIER, returning the bill.

A message was received from the senate by Mr. PENNYBACKER, Who informed the house of delegates that the senate had passed a senate bill entitled an act amending and re-enacting the 4th section of chapter 33 of the Code of Virginia, No. 36: in which they requested the concurrence of the house of delegates.

Mr. WORSHAM presented the following preamble and resolution; which were agreed to:

Whereas in a letter, addressed by Major General John B. Floyd, on the 21st instant, to John T. Anderson, Esquire, chairman of the house committee on military affairs [see Doc. 16], there occur the following paragraphs:

"I attempted in vain to procure a train of only a hundred pack mules, and we were almost entirely without axes and picks. We were also without tents, except a few, and without one-third of the necessary cooking utensils for the men. For want of the necessary clothing, which neither order nor entreaty could procure, many of the men were frostbitten during the severe cold weather which prevailed up to the first of January, when we went into camp near the salt works; but the men bore every hardship without complaint"— p. 3, 4.

"The report of the expenditure for our troops is laid before the