Richmond Enquirer

LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.

Monday, Dec. 14.-Messrs. George, Harrison, Hytt, Davenport, and Johnson of Southampton, were added to the C. of P. and G.--and the last gentleman to the C. for C. of J.--and of Roads & I. N.

On Mr. Magill's motion, leave was given to the committee of revisal to sit during the session of this house.

On Mr. Leffler's motion, leave was given to bring in a bill to increase the wages of the members of the General Assembly.

Mr. Crump of Cumberland from the C. of P. & G. presented sundry resolutions; 1st, in favor of re-annexing a part of Lewis county to the county of Randolph; 2d, for authorizing commissioners to be appointed to Nicholas county to celebrate the rites of matrimony; 3d, for granting the petition of Prince George for repealing the act of the last session removing the superior court to Blandford.--The two first resolutions were agreed to by the house; the 3d laid on the table.

On Mr. White's motion, so much of the governor's communication as relates to the Monditia, was referred to a select committee.

On Mr. White's motion, the committee respecting the increase of the wages of the members, were instructed to extend their enquiries into the expediency of increasing the salaries of the governor, members of the council, and judges of the superior courts.

Mr. Anderson, from the committee of claims, presented a report, declaring reasonable the petition of John Cronck, who prays for the remission of certain costs and damages, &c. Agreed to by the house.

On motion of Mr. Borland, the committee of roads and Internal navigation were instructed to inquire into the expediency of enacting a law in aid of the laws for the improvement of the navigable waters of this commonwealth.

Mr. Magill from the C. for C. of J. reported sundry resolutions--1st, in favor of the petition of Elizabeth Lewis for a sale of real estate; 2d, rejecting the petition of D. Horton, relating to the heirs of Abner Vance; 3d, in favor of H. Hines's retaining a slave in this commonwealth: 4th, to exonerate Polly B. Glover from the penalties attached to bringing certain slaves into the state; 5th, to exonerate H. Fitzgerald of Patrick, from any penalties incurred by reason of his appointment as commissioner to celebrate the rites of marriage which appointment was in fact illegal, &c. These resolutions were all agreed to by the house, except the 2d, which was ordered to lie on the table.

Various petitions were presented, and referred, which we have not time to detail, but which will be noticed at the subsequent stages of legislation; viz from Maria Brown for a divorce; --Thomas Heals, for the sale of land: John Ferguson, for submitting to the Chancellor of Fredericksburg the expediency of selling certain real estate; of the Lancastrian school at Staunton for an act of incorporation; for the establishment of a Bank at Clarksville in Mecklenburg county: from Miller Woodson, to reverse a judgment of the General Court: from P. Rochelle and B. W. Johnson for authority to lay off into lots 50 acres contiguous to the town of Monroe in Southampton; from trustees of Charlottesville praying an extension of its jurisdiction; from John Clark of Halifax for a town and inspection; from the town of Luray: from certain inhabitants of Wood, Harrison and Lewis counties for a new county; a counter petition to the same; from Charles town in Jefferson county; from sundry citizens of Petersburg to open a street according to the original plan of the town; from the stockholders of the Bank of the Valley, and others, citizens of Shepherdstown and neighbourhood &c. praying for a branch at that town with a capital of $150,000: from R. Bolling and others, owners of tobacco warehouses in Petersburg, for an increase of storage in warehouses built of brick or stone, and covered with slate or tile; from Halifax and Pittsylvania for changing the times of holding the superior court for these counties; from the county of Russell praying for means to improve the navigation of Clinch river; from the Leesburg Turnpike Road Company: from the Shepherdstown and Winchester Turnpike Road Company, for certain amendments in the act of incorporation; from citizens of Caroline, King William, and King and Queen, for incorporating a company to open the Mattapony river; from D. Tichnell et al Harrison county.--All which were referred to appropriate committees.

TUESDAY, DEC 15.--Mr. Armstrong was added to the Committee of Courts of Justice; and Mr. Beale to that of Roads and Internal Navigation.

A communication was received from the Senate, that they had passed the bill, entitled "An act concerning the North Western Bank of Virginia."

Mr. Yancey, from the joint committee appointed to announce to James P. Preston Esq. his re-election to the office of Governor of this Commonwealth informed the House, that in pursuance of the duty assigned to them they had presented to the Governor the following address:

Richmond, December 14th, 1818.

Sir--We are instructed by the two Houses of the General Assembly, to bring to you the intelligence of your election, for the third time, to the office of chief magistrate of this commonwealth. We congratulate you, sir, on this additional proof of the continued confidence and regard of your fellow citizens, and request you to be assured of our high personal respect and esteem.

To which the Governor had returned the following reply:

GENTLEMEN--I received the notification of my third appointment to the office of chief magistrate of the state, with all those feelings of sensibility which the occasion so naturally inspires. In my humble efforts to advance the public weal, I derive great consolation from the "continued confidence and regard" of my native state, expressed by the present Legislature.

I beg the General Assembly, through you to be assured that I shall again enter upon the duties of my office, with renewed ardour to promote the general good: in short which, I shall always be governed by a solemn determination inflexibly to adhere to the principles of impartial justice.

I trust that it is unnecessary for me to renew my protestations of attachment to my country, and the principles that I have undeviatingly advocated. I hope that I have afforded a satisfactory proof of both. But I may be permitted to declare that I am very sensible, that in the benevolent feelings of public sympathy I have been rewarded far beyond my deserts.

Accept my sincere thanks for the very friendly manner in which you have communicated my re-appointment.

Mr. Crawford of Caroline from the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, reported sundry resolutions:--1st, in favor of acceding to the petition of sundry citizens of Warren county for an act of incorporation: 2d, in favor of a petition from Berkeley and Hampshire counties, for forming a new county out of parts of each; 3d, in favor of a petition for establishing a new judicial district from a portion of the 11th and 12th districts: 4th, in favor of the petition of the Agricultural Society of Virginia for a lottery, the profits of which are to be applied to the purposes of agriculture: 5th, in favor of the petition for amending and explaining the act, establishing the town of Middleburg: 6th, in favor of the petition for changing the time for holding the superior court of law for Culpeper county: 7th, for granting an inspection of tobacco to the town of Clarksville, Mecklenburg county.

The 1st, 3d, 5th, 6th, and 7th resolutions were adopted by the House: the 2d, was disagreed to, and the petition rejected; the 4th, laid upon the table.

Mr. Magill, from the committee for Courts of Justice, reported several resolutions: 1st, rejecting the petition for Aggai, an emancipated woman of colour, to remain as a free person in the state; 2d, favorable to the petition of Henry Dupree who asks permission to retain certain slaves in the state; 3d, favorable to the petition of John M. Resau of Petersburg, who prays for authority to acquire and hold certain real estate: 4th, favorable also to the petition of Thomas Mc Connell, of the same town, to a similar purpose; 5th, in favor of granting the petition of W. B. Cowan and others for disposing of certain real estate, lately belonging to Lucy Anne Eppes.

All these resolutions were agreed to, except the 1st, which was amended, so as to declare the petition reasonable.

An engrossed bill, 'reducing into one act all acts, and parts of acts, concerning the Superior Courts of Chancery' was read a third time, and (several blanks being filled up) was passed.

This, it is to be remarked, is the first Revised Bill, which has passed the House of Delegates during this session.

Mr. Anderson of Augusta, from the committee of claims, presented sundry resolutions: 1st, in favor of granting to Elijah Walden and others an indemnity for the sale of certain property improperly escheated; 2d for remitting to Rezin Wilcoxen a fine of $120; 3d, acceding to the petition of William Payne, who prays for an act to pass appropriating a sum of money for the purpose of satisfying a decree of the Court of Appeals, and directing the payment thereof to him. 4th, for raising the pension of Edward Houchins of Louisa: 5th for granting a pension to A. Scidmore of Nicholas county, who served as a soldier at Point Pleasant in 1774: 6th rejecting the petition of Thomas Withers to be released from a fine for being concerned in an assault on one Gerard Paizee; 7th, rejecting the petition of John Tabb Smith for the remission of a fine imposed on him for retailing spirituous liquors without license. These several resolutions were agreed to by the House.

Mr. Yancey, from the C. of R. and I. Navigation presented sundry resolutions. 1st, in favor of granting the petition of sundry citizens for appropriating the profits of a lottery to the improvement of the navigation of the Cowpasture river; 2d, granting the petition from Charles City county respecting the erection of gates across roads leading to ferries and public landings; 3d, declaring it expedient to pass a law granting similar power to the several county courts to that contained in the preceding resolution. All which resolutions were agreed to by the House.

On motion of Mr. Davis of Hanover, leave was given to bring in a bill, "To provide a public library for the use of the members of the General Assembly, and others the officers of government."

On motion of Mr. Batte, the resolution of the C. of P. and G. was taken up in favor of the petition of the citizens of Prince George, for repealing the act of the last Assembly removing the superior court of that county to Blandford, town of Petersburg. Mr. Alexander of Mecklenburg, moved to amend the resolution, so as to reject the prayer of the petition--on which motion a debate ensued, in which Messrs. Johnson (of Petersburg) and Crump of Cumberland, supported the amendment; Messrs. Batte and Colly (the Prince George members) Mayo and Leffler opposed it. The spirit which of old agitates town & country was brought into full play, Mr. Johnson of Petersburg, and the county members vindicated with much earnestness the pretensions of their respective constituents. After considerable debate, the amendment was lost, and the original resolution adopted.