Alexandria Gazette

LEGISLATIVE.

Richmond, March 31.- In the Senate, to-day, bills were passed to constitute conductors and agents of railroads, conservators of the peace; to secure advances for agricultural purposes; to provide for the placing on the commissioners books the lands in the Commonwealth; and to amend the code in relation to the sales of forfeited and delinquent lands, and for other purposes; to authorize the board of supervisors of the several counties to appoint a physician and nurse to attend the poor and to regulate their compensation; to regulate the imposition, assessment and collection of taxes for the support of public schools by counties and school districts, &c.; to print memoir of Houdon's statue: appropriating a sum of money to replace Houdon's statue of Washington in the Capitol; and amending the acts of 1871-'72, as to duties and compensation of certain township officers.

The Senate refused to suspend the rules to consider a joint resolution relative to the discharge from any further duty of the commissioners appointed on the part of this State to settle the boundary line between this State and the State of Maryland.

On motion of Mr. Taylor, of Loudoun, the committee on courts of justice was discharged from the further consideration of House bill entitled an act providing for the pay of city corporation judges.

Two thousand copies of the act to regulate and define the jurisdiction of the circuit and county courts, and the act amendatory thereof, the act in reference to certain bonds and recognizances, and the act in reference to criminal proceedings in certain cases, were ordered to be printed for distribution.

A joint resolution appropriating $15,000 to the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, to be expended under the direction of the board of visitors of said college, in making additional buildings, &c., was lost for want of a constitutional majority- ayes 14, noes 9.

The report of the special committee to investigate the charges against the officers of the Central Lunatic asylum was agreed to.

The Senate bill to impose a stamp tax on wholesale dealers in distilled spirits was laid on the table— ayes 19, noes 14.

In the House of Delegates the report of the second conference committee on the House bill in relation to interest, providing substantially that the general rate of interest shall be six per centum per annum, but allowing a rate not exceeding eight per cent. by contract in writing, with a forfeiture of all interest exceeding six per cent. where a greater rate is contracted for than is allowed by the bill, was after considerable debate adopted— ayes 52, noes 49. Messrs. Neale and Pearce voting in the affirmative.

A motion to reconsider this vote was lost— ayes 50, noes 50.

A number of amendments to the Senate appropriation bill were rejected.