FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1879. Mr. ROBINSON of Norfolk city in the chair. The Journal was read by the clerk. A communication from the Senate by their clerk, was read as follows: In Senate, December 20, 1878. The Senate have passed House bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act to regulate the working of the public roads in the counties of Prince William, Montgomery, Chesterfield and Lancaster, approved February 25, 1878, No. 26. The SPEAKER laid before the House a communication from the anditor of public accounts in reference to a resolution of the House in relation to the amount of tax received under the operations of the Moffett register liquor law, from its commencement to first day of November, 1878. On motion of Mr. STEVENS, the communication was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. Doc. No. 4. Senate joint resolution returning thanks to W. W. Corcoran, Esq., of Washington city, for the gift of a valuable painting, was on motion of Mr. GRAVES, passed by. Leave of absence was granted Messrs. SPESSARD one day, HARVIE, HUNTER, COGHILL, PARRISH, and Bocock two days each, MCCAULL and ALLEN three days each, MICHIE six days, PITTS seven days, and CURLETT fifteen days. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. TALLAFERRO of Norfolk city: A bill authorizing the classification of the stock of the Norfolk library association. Referred to committee on propositions and grievances. By Mr. MCCABE: A bill to incorporate the Good Templars' relief association of Loudoun county. Referred to committee on propositions and grievances. By Mr. GOODE: A bill for the relief of the sureties of Peyton R. Ford, late collector of Madison township, of the county of Charlotte. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. MCCABE: A bill to amend and re-enact section six, chapter 104, of Code of 1873, in regard to marriages. Referred to committee for courts of justice. On motion of Mr. STEVENS, the House adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock M. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1879. Mr. HANGER in the chair. The Journal was read by the clerk. A communication from the Senate by their clerk, was read as follows: In Senate, January 3, 1879. The Senate have passed House bill entitled an act to incorporate the Marion reading club, of the town of Marion, Smyth county, No. 10. Senate joint resolution returning thanks to W. W. Corcoran, Esq., of Washington city, for the gift of a valuable painting, was, on motion of Mr GRAVES, postponed until Monday, January 13, 1879. Mr. MUSHBACH, under a suspension of the rule, presented No. 49. House bill, to amend and re-enact sections 4, 8, 11, and 34 of an act entitled an act to amend the charter of the city of Alexandria, approved February 20, 1871, as amended by an act approved March 22, 1871, and by an act approved March 17, 1876, and by an act approved March 20, 1877, which was read a first time. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. LUCK: Resolved, That the joint committee on constitutional amendments inquire into and report as to the expediency of fixing the capitation tax at two dollars for free school support. By Mr. SHELBURNE: Resolved, That the committee on roads and internal navigation be requested to report a bill repealing the law creating the office of railroad commissioner. By Mr. SHELBURNE: Resolved, That the committee on agriculture and mining be requested to report a bill abolishing the office of commissioner of agriculture. By Mr. MCCABE: A bill to provide for the payment of the public debt. Referred to committee on finance. By Mr. EDWARDS: A bill authorizing the board of supervisors of Southampton county to increase the salary of the county judge. Referred to the committee on counties, cities and towns. By Mr. STEVENS: Resolved, That the joint committee on constitutional amendments be instructed to inquire into the propriety and expediency of so amending the law in respect to the appointment of county superintendents of schools as to authorize their appointment by the school boards of the several counties, cities and towns respectively. 1 By Mr. TALIAFERRO of Norfolk city: A bill to amend and re-enact the first section of an act approved March 12, 1878, incorporating the Vance manufacturing company of the city of Norfolk. Referred to committee on propositions and grievances. By Mr. CARTER of Loudoun: A bill to incorporate the Solone cem etery company near Middleburg, Loudoun county, Va. Referred to committee on propositions and grievances. By Mr. ROBINSON of Norfolk city: Resolved, That the committee on constitutional amendments be and are hereby instructed to inquire into and report as to the expediency of so amending the constitution as to legalize a state lottery, with a view to payment of the interest upon the state debt. By Mr. MUSHBACH: Petition of citizens of Alexandria in relation to House bill No.-, proposing an amendment to section 17, chapter 7, of the revision of the criminal laws. Referred to committee for courts of justice. By Mr. GRAVES: Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice inquire into the expediency of providing by law that suits shall be instituted against representatives of deceased parties within a limited time on pain of forfeiture of all right to sue upon failure to do so. The morning hour having expired, the House proceeded to the busi ness on the calendar. No. 22. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the Clover masonic building association was read a third time and passed Mr. EDMUNDS moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was passed, which motion was rejected. No. 17. Senate bill entitled an act to amend section 2, chapter 171, Code of 1873, and the acts amendatory thereto, in regard to commissioners of courts, was, on motion of Mr. KEYSER, passed by. No. 41. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact the 1st and 2d sections of chapter 170, Code of 1873, in relation to the re moval of causes pending in one court to another was, on motion of Mr. CoGHILL, passed by. the present fence law in the magisterial district of Rowanty, in the No. 32. House engrossed bill to extend the time for the repeal of County of Dinwiddie, was, on motion of Mr. GRAVES, passed by. No. 14. House bill to authorize the sale of certain church property belonging to the vestrymen of St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal to the same and to re-invest the proceeds of the sale, was, on motion church, Beckford parish, county of Shenandoah, to make a valid title of Mr. HENKEL, postponed until Monday, January 13, 1879. No. 22. House bill to amend and re-enact section 4 of an act approved April 2, 1874, in relation to the jurisdiction of county courts, was, on motion of Mr. ATKISSON, passed by. No. 31. House bill to secure to tax-payers in cities the rights of public education for their children, was, on motion of Mr. HENKEL, passed by. No. 33. House bill to make parties accused of rape and seduction competent witnesses, was, on motion of Mr. EDMUNDS, passed by. On motion of Mr. HENKEL, the House adjourned until Monday next at 12 o'clock M. MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1879. Prayer by Rev. II. A. Tupper, of the Baptist church. No. 24. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact the second section of an act approved March 15, 1375, entitled an act to amend and re-enact the charter of the Bank of Manchester, was reported from the committee on banks, currency and commerce. Leave of absence was granted Messrs. BERNARD one day, RYLAND and YOUNG two days each, and CARTER of Northampton five days from Friday last. The SPEAKER laid before the House a communication from the gov ernor informing the House of the resignation of the Hon. Garland Hale as judge of the county court of Carroll county, to take effect the 1st January, 1879; which communication was referred to the committee for courts of justice. The SPEAKER laid before the House a communication from the gov ernor transmitting the names and residences of the commissioners for deeds for the state of Virginia, out of the state and within the United States (will be printed with acts of assembly, in accordance with law). Mr. KEYSER, under a suspension of the rule, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the auditor of public accounts be and he is hereby instructed to report to this House what proportion or per cent. of the funds due for the past year to the public schools of the commonwealth, the Medical College of Virginia, the University of Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute, and the Agricultural and Mechanical College, has been paid during the last fiscal year. The resolution was agreed to. Mr. WILKINSON offered the following resolution: Whereas the state of Virginia, owning an immense wealth in her oyster beds, which are a part of her public domain, and from which she derives little or no. taxation, and owing to the present depressed financial condition of the state, it is right and proper that all of her available means within her reach should be made to contribute to the liquidation of her indebtedness; and whereas past experience in the legislation of the state shows that it is difficult, if not impossible, to impose and collect a fair and just tax from these oyster beds; and whereas a large proportion of her citizens are, on account of their location, denied any of the benefits arising from this great interest, while many of them, along with citizens belonging to other states get their chief support from them, without paying anything into the revenues of the state therefor; now, therofore, be it Resolved, That the committee on finance be instructed to report a bill dividing into sections all of the waters of this commonwealth where oysters are or can be raised, and renting or leasing the same. The House refused to refer the resolution to the committee on finance. Mr. FINNEY moved that the resolution be referred to the committee on Chesapeake and its tributaries; which was rejected. Mr. ROBINSON of Norfolk city, moved to pass by the resolution; which was rejected. Mr. JORDAN demanded the yeas and nays; which was not sustained. Mr. BOHANAN moved to postpone the resolution until Tuesday, 14th instant; which was agreed to. Mr. KYLE offered the following joint resolution: Resolved (the Senate concurring), That the two houses of the genetal assembly will proceed at half-past twelve o'clock on Monday, January 13, 1879, to elect a county judge for Carroll county, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Garland Hale. The House refused to refer the joint resolution to a committee. Mr. KYLE moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the joint resolution was agreed to; which motion was rejected. Ordered, That Mr. KYLE carry the joint resolution to the Senate and request their concurrence. Mr. ROBINSON of Portsmouth moved a suspension of the rule, in or der to enable him to introduce a bill to amend and re-enact section 41 of chapter 86, Code of 1873, in relation to inspections, as amended by act of April 2, 1874-no quorum voting MR. ATIKISSON moved that the House do now adjourn; which motion was rejected-a quorum voting. The question recurring on agreeing to the motion by Mr ROBINSON ot Portsmouth, was put and decided in the negative-yeas 41; nays 30- not two-thirds of those present voting in the affirmative. On motion of Mr. JORDAN, the vote was recorded as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Adams, Attkisson, Bohanan, Burnham, Curlett. Davis, DickenSon, Edwards, Ficklin. Finney, Fowler, Frazier. Fulkerson, Graves, Hall, Harson, Healy, Jordan, Kyle, Lacy, Luck, McDaniel, Moffett, Moneure, Moorman, Norton, Edmund C. Robinson, J. H. Robinson, Shriver, E. H. Smith, Southward, Andrew J. Taylor, William Taylor, Joseph Walker, Walsh, Whitacre, Smith J. R. White, Wilkinson, Witmer, Witten, and Wright-41. NAYS-Messrs, Anderson, Bland, Burger, John R. Carter, Chase, Coghill, Crutchf. Echols, Edmunds, Goode, Hanger, Henkel, Henry, Henson, Kelly, Keyser, Lovell, McCabe, McCraw, Pulliam. Ragland, Shelburne, Spessard, Stevens, WarLer, T. Taliaferro, Trout, Wallace, Watson, Thomas M. White, and Wingfield—30. Mr. JORDAN, under a suspension of the rule, offered the following resolution: |