Alexandria Gazette

A WAR CLAIM DISALLOWED.—In the House of Delegates on Saturday the Committee on Courts of Justice, on a claim referred to it from the Committee on Claims, reported substantially as follows:

In the year 1861 Mr. Archibald Fleming, of Alexandria, had certain goods on board the steamer George Page, which were seized by Col. C. E. Stuart, under an order from Governor Letcher, on the 26th of April, 1861. The State Convention on the 17th of April had passed what is known as the secession ordinance and on the 25th of April ratified the alliance formed with the 'Confederate States.' This was an act of war on the part of the State of Virginia against the authority of the Government of the United States, and your committee are of opinion that the claimant has no legal demand upon the State for the value of property so taken. The Legislature is prohibited by section 10 of article 10 of the Constitution from making any appropriation for the 'payment of any debt or obligation created in the name of the State of Virginia by the usurped and pretended authorities at Richmond during the late war.'

On motion of Mr. Neale, of Alexandria, the report was passed by.