The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 179. House bill to provide a charter for the city of Fredericksburg, came up.

The bill was read a second time.

Mr. POWELL moved to amend the bill by inserting an independent section, as the 69th section, as follows:

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"§69. In order that the question of the adoption or rejection of• said charter be submitted to the people of the city of Fredericksburg, it shall be the duty of the several officers conducting the municipal election to be held in said city in May next for officers to be elected at that time, to prepare a separate box for each voting precinct, in which shall be deposited the ballots of the then qualified voters who shall desire to vote on the question. The said ballots shall be respectively as follows: For the charter,' Against the charter.' The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballots cast at said election for the charter, and the making returns and abstracts of the result thereof shall conform in all respect to the regulations prescribed by the general election laws of this state. The persons conducting the election at the different places of voting shall certify the number of votes cast for the charter and the number of votes cast against it to the mayor then in office, who shall lay the same before the council of said city at its first meeting thereafter; and if it shall appear from the returns and abstracts of votes so returned that the majority of the qualified voters voting are in favor of the law, it shall be the duty of said council so to declare and make record thereof; whereupon the government of said city shall be in accordance with the provisions of said charter, and all acts of assembly prior to that time in force and ordinances of said city inconsistent with the provisions of said charter shall thereupon be null and void. And if it shall appear that a majority of qualified voters voting are opposed to said charter, said council shall so declare and record, and the government of said city shall continue in accordance with the charter and laws theretofore in force."

The amenment was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. POWELL, the bill was further amended.

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 182. House bill to protect regularly-hauled fishing shores in the counties of Accomac and Northampton, came up.

On motion of Mr. FINNEY, the bill was amended.

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 183. House bill to amend and re-enact section 11, chapter 13 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the salary of county judges of Norfolk and Henrico, came up.

The substitute proposed by the committee for courts of justice was agreed to.

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

The following House bills were dismissed:

No. 192. House bill to legalize and make valid the vote of the qualified voters of the town of Danville, Virginia, favoring a subscription of fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Dan river coalfield railroad, and to make the same applicable to the Dan valley and Yadkin river narrow-gauge railroad company (on motion of Mr. WILKINSON).

No. 200. House bill for the relief of Richard Crenshaw and C. Pate, of Bedford county (on motion of Mr. GRAVES).

No. 202. House bill to authorize the board of directors of the Virginia female institute to borrow money to a limited amount, and to secure the same by trust deed or mortgage (on motion of Mr. ECHOLS). No. 207. House bill to confine the criminal jurisdiction of the hustings court of the city of Richmond to the corporate limits of said city (on motion of Mr. LOVELL).

No. 201. House bill to authorize the trustees of the parsonage of the society of United Brethren in Christ at Edinburg, Shenandoah Co., Va., to sell the same, came up.

The bill was read a second time.

On motion of Mr. HENKEL, the bill was amended by adding at the end of the 1st section the following proviso: "provided, however, that the purchaser shall not be required to secure the application of the purchase money paid for said property."

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 205. House bill to authorize the city of Alexandria to compromise the debt of the city, and to issue bonds in accordance with the terms of such compromise, and prescribing the mode in which the payment of the interest on such bonds may be enforced, came up. The bill was read a second time.

Mr. MUSHBACH moved to amend the bill by adding an independent section, to come in as the 11th section, as follows:

"Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to repeal an act approved February 20, 1878, entitled an act to authorize the city council of Alexandria to compromise the debt of the city and to issue bonds in accordance with the terms of such compromise, and prescribing the mode in which the payment of the interest on such bonds may be enforced"; which was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. MUSHBACH, the bill was further amended.

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 206. House bill to authorize the erection of a pier or wharf on Lyon's creek in the county of Surry, came up.

The bill was read a second time.

On motion of Mr. JORDAN, the bill was amended in the third line by striking out "Surry," and inserting "Isle of Wight."

On motion of Mr. JORDAN, the bill was further amended by striking out in the sixth line "Surry," and inserting "Isle of Wight.'

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 209. House bill to amend and re-enact the third section of an act entitled an act to incorporate the Fauquier White Sulphur Springs company, approved April 4, 1877, came up.

Mr. GREEN moved to strike out the first section of the bill, and insert in lieu thereof the following:

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'Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the third section of an act entitled an act to incorporate the Fauquier White Sulphur Springs company, approved April 4, 1877, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows"; which was agreed to.

Mr. GKEEN moved to further amend the bill by adding at the end of the amended section the following: "Provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize any such assessment on the stock of those who have paid the full amount of their subscription, nor shall any assessment be made against any stockholder beyond what he may owe at the time of such assessment on his subscription to said stock"; which was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. GREEN, the bill was further amended by adding an independent section, as follows: "This act shall be in force from its passage."

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed to be read a third time.

No. 215. House bill to annex a portion of the county of Craig to the county of Giles, and to repeal an act passed April 7th, 1858, entitled an act to annex a portion of the county of Giles to the county of Craig, came up.

Mr. JOHNSTON of Giles moved to pass by the bill-no quorum voting. Mr. HARDESTY moved that the House adjourn; which was rejectedno quorum voting.

Mr. KYLE moved a call of the House; which was rejected.

Mr. HENKEL moved that the House adjourn; which was rejectedno quorum voting-yeas 17; nays 38.

On motion of Mr. SPESSARD, the vote was recorded as follows:

YEAS.-Messrs. Bland, Burger, Coleman, Fry, Graves, Green, Hanger, Hardesty, Kelly, McCaull, Nelson, Ryland, Shelburne, Shumate, Spessard, Waring, and White-17.

NAYS.-Messrs. Akers, Bernard, Brown, John R. Carter, Chase, Dickerson, Echols, Finney, Fulton, Gray, Henkel, Henry, Hiner, Hunter, Waddy T. James, Johnson, Johnston, Jordan, Kyle, Lee, Lovell, Luck, Moorman, Mushbach, Myers, Powell, Pulliam, Ragland, Sandidge, J. Howard Smith, Warner T. Taliaferro, Andrew J. Taylor, Trout, George Walker, Walsh, Watson, Whitacre, and Wilkinson-38.

Mr. WILKINSON moved a call of the House; which was rejected. On motion of Mr. HENKEL, the House adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock A. M.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1879.

Speaker ALLEN in the chair.

Prayer by Rev. W. G. Starr cf the Broad Street Methodist church. On motion of Mr. MUSHBACH, the reading of the Journal was dispensed with.

No. 77. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section first of an act to incorporate the Lynchburg gas light company, passed March 31, 1851, was reported from the committee on propositions and grievances, with the recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 142. Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the Shenandoah seminary at Dayton, Rockingham county, was reported from the committee on propositions and grievances.

No. 151. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section 1 of chapter 105, Code of 1873, in reference to granting divorces, was reported from the committee for courts of justice.

No. 169. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact section first of an act approved March 31, 1877, entitled an act to create a railroad commissioner for the state of Virginia, and to define his duties, and to repeal section 5 of chapter 66 of the Code of 1873, was reported from the committee on roads and internal navigation, with the recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 122. Senate bill entitled an act to provide for the registration of the voters of the counties of Lee and Buchanan, was reported from the committee on privileges and elections.

No. 156. Senate bill entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act prescribing the duties, powers, liabilities and compensation of district officers, and to repeal chapter 47 and section 1 of chapter 48, Code of 1873, approved March 26, 1875, was reported from the committee on counties, cities and towns.

No. 68. 'Senate bill entitled an act to incorporate the West Point and Hanover Junction railroad, was reported from the committee on roads and internal navigation, with an amendment.

No. 142. Senate bill entitled an act to declare a portion of Rockfish river, between Nelson and Albemarle counties, a lawful fence, was reported from the committee on counties, cities and towns.

The following House bills, reported from the committee on roads and internal navigation, were read a first time:

No. 291. House bill to incorporate the Cumberland and Willis river railroad company.

No. 292. House bill to incorporate the Buckingham railroad company.

The following House bills, reported from the committee on printing, were read a first time:

No. 293. House bill to amend and re-enact section 4, chapter 18 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the duties of the secretary of the commonwealth, with a recommendation that it do not pass.

No. 294. House bill to amend and re-enact section 8 of chapter 19 of the Code of 1873, in relation to the duties of superintendent of public printing.

No. 295. House bill to economize and regulate the style of public printing, and concerning the duties of the superintendent thereof.

No. 236. House bill to incorporate the Harmony club of Richmond, reported from the committee on propositions and grievances, was read a first time.

No. 297. House bill to provide for a commissioner and bureau of immigration, reported from the committee on immigration, was read a first time.

No. 298. House bill relating to the custody of infants, reported from the committee for courts of justice, was read a first time.

No. 299. House bill to prohibit the board of supervisors of Highland county from levying a tax to pay subscriptions to the Washington city and St. Louis railroad company until certain conditions are complied with, and authorizing said board to levy a tax to defend suits on the same, reported from the committee on counties, cities, and towns, was read a first time.

Mr. MUSHBACH, under a suspension of the rules, presented

No. 300. House bill providing for submitting the question of liquor license or no liquor license to the qualified voters of the several magisterial districts of Alexandria county at the next ensuing election for district officers, and at every subsequent election for district officers; which was read a first time.

Leave of absence was granted Mr. ATTKISSON from attendance on evening sessions to-day and to-morrow.

Mr. FRAZIER offered the following resolution:

Whereas it appears from the auditor's report and other sources that a large sum of money, exceeding twelve hundred dollars, has been paid to certain officers and attaches of this House, by order of the committee on house expenses; and whereas the committee for courts of justice has reported to this body such payments to be without authority of law; and whereas this money then improperly paid ought to be refunded to the commonwealth: therefore,

Resolved, That the committee for courts of justice be instructed to report, without delay, who is pecuniarily responsible to the state-the party receiving or the party ordering such payment, and also the proper mode to proceed to cover the said money into the treasury.

The question being on reference, was put and decided in the negative.

The resolution was agreed to.

Mr. MCCABE moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was agreed to; which motion was agreed to.

Mr. FRAZIER demanded the yeas and nays on the motion to reconsider; which were not ordered.

The question recurring on agreeing to the resolution,

Mr. ANDERSON moved to dismiss the resolution.

Mr. MCCAULL moved to pass by the resolution; which was agreed to.