Richmond Enquirer

VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.

EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES

Tuesday, January 4.—A communication from the Senate stated, that they had passed the bill "authorizing the judge of the superior court of law for the county of Frederick to hold an extra term for the same."

On motion of Mr. Crump of C. the C. of P. and G. were discharged from the further consideration of the petition of sundry inhabitants of Buckingham county; and leave was given to withdraw the petition.

A variety of bills were read the 1st or 2d times.

An engrossed bill "making further provision to aid the magistrates of this Commonwealth in the execution of the duties of their office," (purchasing 3500 copies of the last edition of Hening's Virginia Justice for distribution among the magistrates,) was on Mr. Otey's motion laid upon the table : and, on the motion of that gentleman, a committee was appointed to compare the present and former editions of the work, and make a report upon their comparative value as a guide to the magistrates in the discharge of their duties

Two resolutions from the C. of P and G. were read and adopted—1. for amending the act concerning harbor masters, in conformity with the petition from Norfolk—and 2 acceding to the petition of sundry inhabitants of Morgan county for erecting its public buildings at the intersection of Fairfax and Washington streets in the town of Bath.

Also a resolution from the C. for C. of J. in favor of granting leave to Charles W. J. Mercer to hold certain lands in this state

Also three resolutions from the C. of P. and G.—1st, acceding to the petition of Elizabeth Prince, requesting to have designated in which of the counties of Southampton or Sussex she is to list her taxable property, &c.—2d. rejecting the petition of sundry inhabitants of Patrick county, for a removal of the seat of justice, &c.—3d, declaring reasonable the counter petition on that subject.—Agreed to by the House,

Wednesday, Jan 5.—Several bills and reports were presented by the chairmen of committees, and laid upon the table.

On Mr. Loyall's motion, leave was given to bring in a bill "to authorize the storage of flour in the tobacco warehouses, on the corporation lands, in the borough of Norfolk."

A motion of Mr. Doddridge for bringing in a bill to repeal all the laws heretofore passed for allowing separate district elections in any county, was rejected

On Mr. Sherrard's motion, the Committee of Schools and Colleges were instructed to enquire whether any amendments were necessary in that part of the act concerning the Literary Fund, which relates to the incorporation of the President and Directors :—And on Mr. Kincheloe's motion, the C. of R. and I. N. were directed to enquire into the expediency of reducing or abolishing the Board of Public Works; and to devise other means to effect the object for which said Board was created, on a less expensive plan.

Several bills were ordered to be engrossed.

Engrossed bills—"appointing commissioners to ascertain the most proper place for holding courts in the county of Preston and for other purposes"—"releasing to John Ferguson the Commonwealth's right to certain lands therein mentioned, and for other purposes"—" changing the time of holding the hustings court for the corporation of Lynchburg"—were read the 3d time and passed.

A resolution from the C. of C. was read and agreed to: which rejects the petition of Aaron Foreman for payment on account of beef furnished to the army under Gen. G. R. Clarke.

Also a resolution from the C. for C. of J. rejecting the petition of W. Creize and W. Keaton, Sr for legalizing a contract entered into by them.

Several resolutions were read from the C. of P. and G.—1st. acceding to the petition from Morgan county, for establishing a point called Mitchell's Rock, in the Potomac river—2d. for permitting George Carter to erect a toll bridge across Goose Creek—3d, for allowing Joseph Murdaugh, late sheriff of Nansemond county, to collect the arrearages of taxes for 1813 and 1814—The 1st resolution was laid upon the table ; the 2d and 3d were agreed to.

A resolution from the C. of R. and I. N. was read and agreed to; which declares reasonable the petition of sundry inhabitants of Ohio and Tyler counties, praying that the bonus to be paid by the North Western Bank of Virginia, amounting to $22,500, may be appropriated to a road between Parkersburg and Wheeling, to the completion of the state road from Clarksburg to Sistersville; and of the state road from the mouth of Fishing Creek to the intersection of the old state road in the neighborhood of Morgantown.

Two resolutions from the C. for C. of J. were read and agreed to; 1, for releasing to Mourning Robertson the Commonwealth's right to two tracts of land in Pittsylvania ; 2, for granting a release also to Francis Towler and others, of land escheated in 1814.

A resolution from the same committee was agreed to, rejecting the petition of Elizabeth Granger for a divorce.

Two resolutions were read from the C. of P and G.—1st, declaring reasonable the petition of sundry inhabitants of Bath, Randolph and Pendleton, praying for a new county to be formed out of certain parts of each; 2d, declaring also reasonable the petition from sundry inhabitants of Frederick, praying that a specified part of that county may be attached to Shenandoah—The 1st was agreed to; and the 2d laid upon the table.

A resolution from the C. of C. was agreed to ; which reports in favor of refunding to Thomas O. Williams $20

A resolution from the C. for C. of J. for releasing to Joseph Gray and wife the Commonwealth's right to certain land was agreed to. Another resolution from the same committee refusing to divorce Elisha McComas, jr. from his wife, was laid upon the table.

Thursday, Jan 6.—A communication from the Senate stated, that they had passed the bills—" incorporating the trustees of the Clarksviile male and female academies," &c. Concerning William Ghen—Also the bill amending the act " concerning the land office. ascertaining the terms and manner of granting waste and unappropriated lands," &c. with amendments in which they requested the concurrence of the House The said amendments were agreed to by the House.

On motion of Mr. Logan, leave was given to bring in a bill, " to increase the salaries of the inspectors at Winbush's and Anderson's warehouses in the county of Halifax"—of Mr. Hudgins, "appropriating monies arising from sales of Glebe lands and church plate in the county of Mathews,"&c. and of Mr. Herring, the Committee of Finance were instructed to enquire into the expediency of reducing the tax on law process.

On Mr. Robertson s motion, the C. for C. of J. were instructed to enquire into the expediency of so amending the act of the last session, relating to sales of property under execution, as to make it the sheriff's duty to commence such sale within the hours of 10 and 3 o'clock—and also to enquire further into the expediency of continuing in force the sections of the same act relating to judgment on forthcoming bonds, and the returns of process to the rules in the county courts, which severally expire on the first day of March next.

On Mr. Macon's motion, the preamble and resolution proposed by him, respecting the forfeiture of the charter of the Potomac Company, &c.&c. were taken up; and the same being amended by prefixing to the preamble the word "Whereas" were agreed to by the House; and a select committee accordingly appointed.

A communication was received from the Governor, giving the information called for about Fort Powhatan. The Governor details the steps which have been taken by the Executive to occupy the fort since its surrender by the government of the U S.—and concludes with observing that 'these papers afford means for a near estimate of the annual expense of guarding the fort upon the plan adopted by the Executive until the sense of the Legislature could be made known; and also for judging of its value for any other purpose than protection of the navigation during war, for which it is rendered useless by the great works erecting below by the U. States.'

Papers laid upon the table

Engrossed bills—" concerning John Nelson" (with a rider,)—" repealing so much of every act as requires the owners of lots in towns to build thereon within a limited time"—"releasing to Robert and Wm. Shanks the Commonwealth's right to certain real estate therein mentioned"—"concerning Judith Hope, a woman of color"—" establishing a ferry from the land of Christian Brenneman in the county of Brooke across the Ohio river"—"changing the time of the annual meeting of the Dismal Swamp Land Company""placing Wm. Pound on the pension list, and for his present 1 net"—" divorcing Nancy Rowland from her husband Washington Rowland"—were severally read a third time and passed.

Sundry resolutions from the C. of R. and I. N. were taken up and read—1 rejecting the petition of B J. Brice and others praying for an appropriation to complete the road from Monongalia Glades to Fishing Creek—2 rejecting the petition of sundry inhabitants of Fairfax praying certain acts to be done by the Little River and 3 other incorporated companies—3 declaring reasonable the memorial of the Little River Turnpike Company in opposition to the last mentioned petition—4, declaring it inexpedient to make any appropriation for the improvement of so much of the road from Winchester, through Clarksburg to Marietta as lies on the west side of the Alleghany mountain—The first resolution was agreed to ; the second and third re committed to the said committee; and the fourth laid upon the table.

Yesterday the Retrenchment bill was taken up in the House of Delegates—and was made the order of the day for Wednesday next