Richmond Enquirer

When our reporter a friend whose character seems to have been so formed upon the model of that Fabricius whom no dangers could alarm, no artifice delude—no corruptions seduce, he felt himself entitled to ask from the members of this body, the tribute of their respect. He therefore offered for consideration the following resolution:

Resolved unanimously, As a testimony of the respect entertained by the members of this House, for the memory of William A. Burnell, Esq. late a member of Congress from Virginia, and of their high sense of his worth as a man, and of his fidelity and ability as a representative, that they will wear a crape on their left arms for one month.

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

Monday, February 19—A communication was received from the Senate, stating that they had passed the bill enabling Murray, Fairman & Co. to dispose of by lottery certain copies of Reese's Cyclopedia, with the maps, plates, &c.—(This bill passed the Senate unanimously.)—Also that they had agreed to the preamble and resolutions on the subject of the Citation of the Commonwealth, with amendments in which they requested the concurrence of the House.

As soon as these were read, Mr. Barbour moved to lay them upon the table—This motion was lost.

A motion was then made by Mr. Barbour to postpone the farther consideration of them until the 31st day of March. This proposition failed, ayes 38, noes 122.

The new preamble and resolutions, added by the Senate by way of amendment, were then read and agreed to.

When the amendment of the Senate to the 1st resolution from this House was read. (proposing merely to strike out the word "therefore" after the word "resolved")— Mr. Chamberlayne moved to amend this amendment by inserting after the word "Resolved" this very important proposition, "that if the Supreme Court shall sustain the writ of error, the Executive take all steps to sustain the officers of this state in executing its laws or the decisions of its courts, and"—This amendment of Mr. C. was rejected.

All the remaining amendments of the Senate were then adopted.

Engrossed bills—"concerning Judith Kenner"— "To amend the act, entitled, an act reducing into one act the several acts providing for the poor, and declaring who shall be deemed vagrants"—"to amend the act, entitled, an act incorporating the Trustees of Northumberland academy in the County of Northumberland, and for the endowment of the same" "concerning the county jail of Fauquier, and for other purposes" "concerning Nicholas Harrison" authorising the court of Norfolk County to sell and convey their lot, old courthouse and jail in the town of Washington in said county" "concerning the Monongalia Navigation Company" "concerning John K. Cary"— "to amend the act, entitled. an act authorising the board of public works to subscribe for one hundred and fifty shares of the Upper Appomattox Company, and for other purposes"—"to revive the inspection of tobacco in the town of York" "concerning marshals of chancery courts" "to amend the act, entitled, an act to authorise Alexander Kitchen to erect a toll gate across the road leading over Peters' mountain to Fincastle at the Sweet Springs" "an act to amend the act, entitled, 'an act reducing into one the several acts concerning slaves, free negroes and mulattoes'"—"authorising the county court of Greenbrier to appoint one or more fit persons to celebrate the rites of matrimony therein"—were severally read a 3d time and passed.

An engrossed bill "fixing the place for erecting the public buildings in the county of Morgan," was read a third time and rejected.

On motion of Mr. Otev, the following preamble and resolution were agreed to by the House unanimously, viz:

It being announced to the House of Delegates, that Wm A. Burwell, Esq late a Representative from the State of Va. in the Congress of the U. States, has departed this life at the city of Washington: Resolved therefore. unanimously, that the members of this House in testimony of the high respect which they entertain for the memory of the deceased. will wear crape on the left arm, for 30 days.

During the day Mr. Thompson of Fairfax, from the select committee to which the subject of the Militia was referred, presented an interesting bill "to amend the Militia Laws of this Commonwealth" which was moved to be printed The 1st section provides that there shall be but two musters in each year, one a company and the other a regimental muster. &c. &c. —Ordered to be committed to a committee of the whole.

Tuesday, February 20.....A communication from the Senate, stating that they had passed the bill—"placing George McCoy on the pension list, and for his present relief"—also with amendments. the bills—"incorporating the town of Clarksville in the county of Mecklenburg"—and "providing for the payment of the services of Bressie Lewis, deceased, one of the late assessors of Norfolk county."....In these amendments, the H. of D. now concurred

Mr. Breckenridge called up the bill "concerning the appropriation of the Literary Fund; its object as we have already stated being to allow to such counties as have failed to draw the quotas of the Primary Schools Fund two years for receiving their arrears:)

Mr Breckenridge also called up the bill— "concerning the University of Virginia " (its object being to raise by loan or otherwise, a further sum of $60,000 for completing the buildings.) Mr Degraff now moved to postpone this bill to the 31st of March; which motion was lost. ayes 65, noes 75....This, as well as the other bill, was read a 2d time, and then committed to a committee of the whole.

Engrossed bills—"for straightening or altering the course of Brickhouse run, in the town of Petersburg"—"to amend the act entitled an act to amend an act appointing commissioners to collect certain monies due the county of Stafford. and for other purposes"—"concerning the sheriff of Grayson county" "placing William West on the pension list"—"concerning persons confined in jails under certain circumstances"—"concerning the legal representatives of Commodore James Barron, deceased"—"concerning the estate of Captain Christopher Roane deceased" (another brave revolutionary officer, to whose family this compensation is about to be made for his services)—"authorising the President and Directors of the Board of Public Works to subscribe for a part of the stock of the Cartersville Bridge Company"—authorising the Auditor to grant to John Slaughter the duplicate of a lost military certificate." (to which bill was annexed a rider submitted by Mr. Guita,)—"to amend an act entitled an act reducing into one the several acts concerning the fees of certain officers, and declaring the mode of discharging the said fees"—"transferring to the Board of Public Works certain shares held by the commonwealth in the Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company"—all these engrossed bills were severally read a 3d time, and passed,

(it seems that 62 acts have been passed by both Houses. As the session draws nearer to a close, more business will be consummated, and the number of acts will increase faster upon the statute book. Thus, on the two last days, 25 bills have been sent up by the House to the Senate.)

The following engrossed bills were this day read a 3d time and rejected, viz. a bill "concerning Henry E. Coleman sheriff of Halifax county"—"concerning James Hoge"—"placing Alexander McDonald on the pension list, and for his present relief"—and a bill "for extending the jurisdiction of justices of the peace," (the object of which was, to give them jurisdiction in all trespasses on lands where the damages were not to exceed $20.)

A bill "regulating the mode of granting divorces" (a bill brought in by Mr. Mayo, for the purpose of making some general provisions for the better adjudication of these troublesome and difficult cases) was laid upon the table, with an understanding that it is to sleep there—Mr. M. contends that there is not time enough at this stage of the session to act upon it with the attention due to its importance.

A variety of other bills had their 1st or 2d reading—among these a bill "ceding to the United States the land at Old Point Comfort, and the shoal called the Rip Raps"

A report was received from the Committee of Claims. for allowing to John H. Wallace compensation for medical services rendered to a prisoner in the jail of Fredericksburg: Agreed to by the House—A further resolution from the same committee (remitting to James Brown jr. a fine of more than $100 under the gaming act,) was taken up on Mr. Fletcher's motion. and agreed to.

Mr. Morris of G called up the following Report from the Armory committee: The committee appointed on the part of the House of Delegates, jointly with a committee of the Senate, to enquire into the operations of the manufactory of arms, beg leave further to report the following resolution: Resolved as the opinion of this committee, that the operations of the Manufactory of arms do cease from and after the day of —"—(On Mr. Stevenson's motion, this report was laid upon the table.)

Two Reports of the Penitentiary committee were taken up and ordered to be spread upon the journal. The first furnishes an inventory of the stock on hand in that institution. On the first January last— The amount of raw materials on hand was.......... $28,040 07 Do of Manufactures.................. 23,003 41 $56,013 43

The committee state, that by a resolution of the Board of Directors. the Superintendent was appointed purchasing agent, and a commission of 2 per cent. allowed him on such purchases, subject to a deduction of $100 to be paid to the clerk for his additional trouble; that this commission for the last three years averaged $819 47, making an actual compensation per year of $2,919 47. They conclude with a resolution, that the Superintendent be hereafter ex-officio purchasing agent; but that his compensation as such shall not exceed $ —The other Report confirms the accuracy of the inventory of raw materials and manufactured articles on hand;—states that from the accounts in the Auditor's office of the actual receipts and disbursements for any number of years together (and particularly of late years,) there appears to be a large deficit between the receipts and disbursements, while within the same periods the annual reports from that institution have been generally of a flattering character; they add, that they have felt considerable solicitude upon this subject, and did hope that they would be able to account to the Legislature satisfactorily for this strange state of things; but in making this effort, they meet with insurmountable obstacles growing out of the irregular and imperfect manner of keeping the accounts of that institution" They therefore "recommend the propriety of a change in the organization of its fiscal concerns" With which view, they report a bill, for regulating the sales and purchases of articles, the keeping of the accounts, &c. The bill directs the Superintendent, and the store keeper or general agent, to be annually elected by the Legislature...It was ordered to be printed, and to be referred to a committee of the whole House.

Mr. John Burfoot has resigned the clerkship of the Council of State.

Yesterday, the H. of Delegates were occupied the most of the day, by the University Bill. Important amendments were proposed by Messrs. Barbour and Chamberlayne in committee of the whole, and rejected.—When the Speaker resumed the chair the bill was laid upon the table—The bill concerning the appropriation of the Literary fund was also before the committee, but not amended— The House ordered it to be engrossed for a 3d reading.

Mr. Eppes from the committee, to which the Governor's communication concerning Fort Powhatan was referred, presented a Report with two resolutions, the 1st declaring it expedient to occupy the blockhouse as an Arsenal; the 2d authorizing the Executive to continue the Guard now employed for the preservation of the public property at Fort Powhatan, upon the same terms on which they are now engaged.