The Enquirer

Virginia Legislature.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES.

Thursday, December 10.

A petition from a number of the inhabitants of Ohio county (which was yesterday laid upon the table) praying the removal of the seat of justice of the said county from the town of Wheeling, was taken up and read;

Also a petition of a number of the inhabitants of the town of Petersburg, and the adjacent counties, praying that John Wilder may be authorised to erect a warehouse for the inspection of tobacco on his land, in the town of Petersburg;

Also, a petition from a number of persons, praying that the order of Rockbridge county may be authorised to clear a small parcel of ground on the road leading from Lexington to the said county, through Amherst county, to the eastern parts of the state, for the purpose of keeping the said road in repair;

Also, a petition of a number of the inhabitants of Monroe county, praying that a small part of said county may be annexed to the county of Giles;

Also a petition to some other inhabitants of Monroe county opposing the same;

Also, petition from a number of the inhabitants of Wythe county, praying that a part of the said county may be annexed to the county of Giles;

Also, petition of a number of the inhabitants of the county of Giles, praying that certain lands which have been sold by George Peers, to the justices, for the purpose of erecting public buildings on may be resold as town, there same being divided since once and various;

Also, a petition from a number of the inhabitants of Cumberland, Powhatan and Goochland counties, praying the passage of a law she more effectual restrictions to the passage of fish in James river;

Also, petition from a number of the inhabitants of Lincoln county, praying for the removal of the district court from Nottingham and courthouse, where it is at present held, to a more central part of the district.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of propositions and grievances.

A petition was submitted and read from sundry inhabitants of Hardy county, praying the passage of a law, vesting in the certain land in the county of Hardy, which John Shoemaker, late of the said county died seized:

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to the committee for courts of justice, that they do examine the testimony and report thereon to the house.

A petition was received and read from a number of the inhabitants of Albemarle county, praying for the remission of damages decreed by judgment against Isaac Webster, inhabitant of said county, which was obtained in the district court of Staunton, in April 1807, in the suit of the commonwealth, for an assault upon a certain Hugh Williams;

Ordered, that leave be given to bring in a bill concerning the same, and that Messrs. Kinney and Smith (of Wythe) be added to the motion.

Mr. Smith (of Wythe) and Mr. Smyth (of Wythe) from the committee for courts of justice, made the following report:

The committee for courts of justice have, according to order, had under their consideration the memorial of the judges of the Court of Appeals to them referred, and have come to the following resolution thereupon;

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the said memorial, proposing that the terms of the said court may hereafter be held at the following times, viz.--the first commencing on the first day of March in each year, and continue twenty-seven judicial days; the second on the 15th day of April and continued twenty-four days; and the third on the first day of October and continue fifty-five days, or at such other times as to the Legislature may seem proper. is reasonable.

The said resolution being read a second time was on the question put thereupon agreed to by the house.

FRIDAY, December 11.

Mr. Johnson (of Prince Edward,) from the committee appointed to inform Wm. H. Cabell, Esq. of his re-appointment to the office of governor or chief magistrate of this commonwealth for one year, reported, that the committee had, according to order, performed that duty, and to the information communicated by the committee, the governor was pleased to make the following reply:

Gentlemen,

I receive your communication with much sensibility--I too well know the imperfection of human nature, I too deeply feel my own, to entertain the vain hope, that every act of my administration will stand the test, when brought to the standard of strict propriety.--But, the notification which you now do me the honor to make, gives me the sincerest pleasure, because, it affords the strongest proof that the general scope of my conduct has received the approbation of my fellow-citizens, the highest, the richest, the most exquisite reward which a public servant can receive; and that those measures, which they might wish had not been adopted, have been ascribed, as I feel they ought, to errors of judgment only. I pray you to bear to the two houses of the general Assembly which you respectively represent, my unfeigned acknowledgements for the honor they have been pleased in conferred on me, and my assurances, that devoting myself to the public service, I shall, in all things, endeavor to consult the public interests.

Accept for yourselves, gentlemen, my thanks for the polite and friendly manner in which you have communicated to me the will of the Legislature, and my warmest wishes for your individual happiness.

On motion, Resolved, that a committee be appointed to enquire whether any, and if any, what alterations are necessary to be made in the militia law, and that they have leave to report thereupon to the house by bill or otherwise--and a committee was appointed of Messrs. Robertson (of Amelia,) Johnston (of Prince Edward,) Breckenridge, Barbour, Mercer, Coleman, Smyth (of Wythe,) Madison, Brooke and Congleton.

A petition was presented and read from Robert Leftwich of Pittsylvania county, praying that he may be authorised to bring into this state from North-Carolina, certain slaves which he holds in right of his wife.

Ordered, That the said petition be referred to a committee of the whole house, on the state of the Commonwealth, to which is referred certain other petitions on the same subject.

A petition was presented and read from the freeholders and house-keepers of Hanover parish in King George county, praying the passage of a law incorporating a body of trustees and visitors with proper powers to manage a free school or schools in the said parish, to the support of which they wish to appropriate the money arising from the sale of the glebe land in the said parish;

Also, a petition from a number of the inhabitants of the town of Centerville, praying the passage of a law to incorporate trustees of an academy in the said town;

Also, a petition of Ambrose Walden, praying the passage of a law to divorce him from his wife Betsy.

Also, a petition of Sarah Hewlett, adm'x. of Wm. Hewlett, late of Caroline county, dec'd. praying the passage of a law authorising her to sell a certain tract of land of which her husband died seized, for the purpose of discharging his debts.

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee for courts of justice.

A petition of a number of the white inhabitants of Orange county was presented and read, praying that the road leading from Swift-run gap to Fredericksburg may be converted into a turnpike road upon such terms as the Legislature may think proper; and that a lottery may be authorised in case of a deficiency of funds for completing said road, the prizes in which to consist in shares in said company and not in money;

Also, a petition of John Wimbish and a number of the inhabitants of Halifax county, praying the passage of a law authorising said John Wimbish to erect a dam across Banister river for the purpose of working a water grist mill;

Ordered, That the said petitions be referred to the committee of propositions and grievances.

A petition was presented and read from a number of the inhabitants of Culpeper county, praying that they may be authorised to raise a certain sum of money by way of lottery, for purposes in the said petition stated;

Also, a petition from a number of the inhabitants of the town of Berryville and its vicinity in the county of Frederick, praying that they may be authorised to raise by lottery a sum of money for purposes in the said petition stated;

Also, a petition of Francis Gaines, Wm. S. Gaines and Thomas L. Gaines of Culpeper county, praying that they may be authorised by an act passed for that purpose, to sell a tract of land in the said county, in which land certain children, brothers to the petitioners, who are minors, are interested;

And the question being put on the reference of the said petitions, it passed in the negative.