The Enquirer

Legislature of Virginia.
EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Thursday, December 6th, 1804.
Communication from the Senate by their clerk;
The Senate have agreed to the resolution of the house of delegates, to proceed on Thursday next, by joint ballot, to the appointment of a public printer to this commonwealth for one year.
The order of the day on the state of the commonwealth being read;
Ordered, that the same be put off 'till to-morrow.
The order of the day for the house to proceed on this day by joint ballot with the Senate to the choice of a public printer, for one year, being read;
On motion,
Ordered, That the said order be postponed until Monday, the 17th inst.
Ordered, That Mr. Johnston do acquaint the Senate therewith, and desire their concurrence thereto.
On motion:
Resolved, That this house will to-morrow, proceed by joint ballot with the Senate, to the choice of a Governor or Chief Magistrate of this commonwealth for one year.
Ordered, That Mr. Barbour do carry the said resolution to the Senate, and desire their concurrence thereto.
On motion,
Resolved, That this house will to-morrow proceed by joint ballot with the Senate, to elect a Senator to represent this state in the Senate of the United States, to supply the vacancy which will be occasioned by the expiration of the term of service of William B. Giles, on the third of March next.
Ordered, That Mr. Barbour do carry the said resolution to the Senate, and desire their concurrence thereto.
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a bill, "To abolish the office of public printer, and for other purposes," and that Messrs. Johnston, Woo-ding, Smyth, (Wythe) E. Harrison, Edwards, Miller, (Powhatan) and Dixon, do prepare and bring in the same.
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a bill, "To lay off the several counties within this Commonwealth into hundreds or districts, for the more convenient holding elections, and for other purposes, and that Messieurs Hening, Ker, Fleming, Coleman (Caroline) Byrd, Kinney, Dashiell, Callaway, Prunty and Cabell, do prepare and bring in the same.
On motion:
Resolved, That so much of the standing rule of this house, as confines the number of a select committee to seven, be rescinded, and that such committees be composed of some number not less than five nor more than thirteen.
On motion:
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to enquire into the present state of the navigation of James river above tide water; whether the James river company have complied with the conditions on which they hold their charter; whether any, and if any, what provisions are necessary to compel them to comply with those conditions; and whether it is expedient to compel them at this time, to make a communication by locks or otherwise, between the upper navigation and tide water, and that they be directed to report by bill or otherwise.
And a committee was appointed of Messieurs Cabell, Perrow, Otey, Leftwich, Baker, Hatcher, Du-Val, Yancey, (Campbell) Grigsby, Garland, Miller, (Powhatan) Smyth, (Wythe) and Burwell.
A petition from the Library Company of Prince-Edward, praying that they may be incorporated under certain regulations and conditions in the said petition stated:
Also a petition from the trustees of Abingdon Academy, in the county of Washington, praying that certain lands in the said county may be vested in them and their successors for the benefit of the said Academy;
Also a petition from a number of the inhabitants of the city of Richmond, praying an extension of the limits of the said city according to certain boundaries in the said petition stated
Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee for courts of justice.
A memorial and petition from a number of the inhabitants of the counties of Montgomery, Wythe, Washington, and Russell, was presented and read, praying the passage of a law, which may repeal all acts or parts of acts, passed since the year 1776, which sanction, or appear to sanction, the revival of the order of Council, to the Loyal Company, in the year 1749, for reasons stated in the said memorial and petition.
Ordered, That the said memorial and petition be referred to Messrs. Dixon, Smith,(Wythe) M-Farran, Edmiston, E. Harrison, Ellington and McFarlane: that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the house, by bill or otherwise.
Petitions from the counties of Chesterfield and Powhatan, were received, on the subject of the James river navigation, above and through the great falls and its communication with tide water, being completed by the James river company, according to the original design of the law incorporating that company.
Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee appointed to examine into and report upon that subject.
Petitions from a number of the inhabitants of the Counties of Monongalia, Ohio, Harrison and Randolph, on the subject of the claim of the Indiana Company, were received.
Ordered that the said petitions be referred to the committee to whom was referred the memorial of George Jackson, on the same subject.
Friday Dec. 7.
A communication from the Senate by their clerk.
The senate have appointed a committee on the part of their House, to examine, jointly with a committee appointed on the part of the House of Delegates, the expenditure of the executive department, during the last year.
They have also agreed to the several resolutions of the House of Delegates, to proceed on to-morrow, by joint Ballot with the Senate, to the choice of a Governor of this commonwealth, for one year, next ensuing, and to the election of a Senator to represent. this state, in the Senate of the U. States, to supply the vacancy which will be occasioned by the expiration of the term of service of Wm. B. Giles on the 3d March next.
The house according to the order of the day, proceeded by joint ballot with the Senate, to the choice of a Governor or Chief Magistrate, of this commonwealth, for one year; and the members having prepared tickets, and deposited the same in the ballot boxes, Messrs. Johnston, Downing, Baytop, Miller, (Goochland) Clarke, Mills, Simons, Walker, (Charles City) Perrow, Upshaw, and Taylor, (New-Kent) were named a committee to meet a committee from the Senate, and jointly with them, examine the ballots and report to the house, on whom a majority of votes should fall; the committee then withdrew, and after some time returned into the house, and Mr. Johnston reported, that the committee had, according to order, met a committee from the Senate, and jointly with them, examined the ballots, and had found a majority of the whole number of votes in favor of John Page, Esq.
The house, according to the further order of the day, proceeded by joint ballot with the Senate, to the choice of a Senator, to represent this state, in the Senate of the United States, to supply the vacancy which will be occasioned by the expiration of the term of service of William B. Giles, on the third of March next; and the members having prepared tickets and depo-
sited the same in the ballot boxes, Messrs. Barbour, Edwards, Coleman, (Pittsylvania) E. Jones, Southall, Hudgins, Ingles, Leake and Cheatham, were named a committee to meet a committee from the Senate, and jointly with them, examine the ballots, and report to the house, on whom a majority of votes should fall. The committee then withdrew, and after some time returned into the house, and Mr. Barbour reported, that the committee had, according to order, met a committee from the Senate, and jointly with them, examined the ballots, and found a majority of the whole number of votes in favor of William B. Giles, Esq.
Leave has been given to bring in bills--to prevent slaves being brought into this state; further to amend the penal laws of this Commonwealth: to extend the jurisdiction of the justices of the peace; to amend the act to prevent the circulation of private bank notes; for the relief of special bail in certain cases; for the relief of insolvent debtors and for other purposes.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of Botetourt, Monroe, Greenbrier and Bath counties, praying that a new county may be formed out of certain parts of the said counties, was presented and read.--Also a petition from a number of the inhabitants of Montgomery county, praying that a new county may be formed out of the western end of the said county, including a small part of the counties of Monroe and Tazewell. Referred to the committee of propositions and grievances.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier Hampshire, Culpeper and Prince William, was presented and read, praying for an augmentation of the capital stock of the bank of Virginia, and the establishment of an office of deposit and discount of the said bank in that part of the county of Fairfax immediately adjacent to the town of Alexandria. Referred to a select committee.
Saturday, December 8.
A motion was made, that the house come to the following resolution:
Resolved, That agreeably to the present laws relative to contested elections, the individual against whom the complaint in undue election is lodged, is entitled to notice by the speaker, if he be absent, before the subject can be investigated by the committee of privileges and elections.
A motion was then made to amend the said resolution, by inserting the word, "not," before the word, "entitled," so as to make it read, "is not entitled," &c. which passed in the affirmative:
And the question being put upon the resolution as amended, it passed in the affirmative.
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a bill, "To amend the several laws concerning appeals, and to extend the power of the superior courts in granting writs of supersedeas;" and that Messrs. Davidson, Hening, Mallory, Campbell, Johnston, Burwell and Cabell, do prepare and bring in the same.
Ordered, That the committee to whom was referred the memorial of George Jackson & others, on the subject of the claim of the Indiana Company, be discharged from the further consideration of the said memorial, and that the same be referred to a committee of the whole house, on Monday next.
Petitions on the subject of extending the capital stock of the bank of Virginia, from the counties of Westmoreland and Augusta, were received and referred to the committee to whom was referred the petition on the same subject from Fairfax and other counties.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of the town of Lynchburg, was presented and read, praying that the said town may be incorporated:
Also a petition from John Lynch and others, inhabitants of the town of Lynchburg, praying that certain lots adjoining the said town which have been laid off by said John Lynch may be annexed to the said town, and that there may be no time limited for the improvement of the said lots;
A petition of Louis A. Paully was presented and read, stating that he has obtained a Judgment against the Commonwealth of Virginia in the court of appeals, and praying that an appropriation may be made to discharge the same;
Also a petition of Edward Burgess, stating that he was committed to the Penitentiary for four years, which term of confinement he has undergone; and under the then existing law, created a debt against the Commonwealth of one hundred and seventy seven dollars; but that on his discharge he received only thirty dollars, the sum allowed by the law of the last session of Assembly, repealing the former law on that subject, and praying that he may be allowed the balance of the sum of 177 dollars, deducting the thirty dollars, as the debt was actually created, before the repeal of the law.
Monday, December 10.
On motion--Resolved, That a committee be appointed whose duty it shall be to enquire into the revenue and expenditure of the last year; to ascertain how much of the public debt has been redeemed since the first of October, 1803; and to prepare an estimate of the expenses and resources of the ensuing year; and a committee was appointed of Messrs. Miller, (Powhatan) E. Harrison, Dillard, Barbour, Madison, Simons, E. Boyd, Ker, Lightfoot, Mercer and Semple.
On motion--Resolved, That the Executive be requested to lay their Journal before the General Assembly.
On motion--Resolved, That a committee be appointed whose duty it shall be to enquire whether the salary or compensation, allowed by law to the physician for attending the public guard, and the convicts in the penitentiary, is adequate to his services, and that they report thereupon to this house by bill or otherwise; and a committee was appointed of Messrs. Semple, Peake, Blake, Jones, (Nottoway) Sowder, Purdie, Delaney, Ker, Hawes and Daft.
Ordered, That leave be given to bring in bills--To amend an act, entitled an act: reducing into one the several acts of assembly for the inspection of tobacco; Concerning Jailors, their fees and duties; For making allowance to witnesses attending on the part of the Commonwealth in civil suits; To amend the several laws concerning proceedings in chancery, in the county and other inferior courts, and for other purposes; To amend the act, entitled, an act concerning the high court of Chancery; To authorise widows in the counties of Nansemond, Isle of Wight and Southampton, to get tar and turpentine on their dower lands; To amend the act, entitled an act, reducing into one the several acts concerning wills, the distribution of intestates' estates, and the duty of executors and administrators.