Staunton Spectator

LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA

Monday, May 10th.—Senate.—The amendment of the House to the Senate's resolution in relation to the outrage at the Executive Mansion on Friday night was disagreed to. The House resolutions were laid on the table, to await the action of the citizens of Richmond, at the public meeting called for Monday evening. May 10. The amendment proposed that the Committee should enquire whether any Reporter for the Press, in either house, had participated in the mob last Friday night.

House.—A communication was received from the Senate by Mr Mason. that they had disagreed to the amendment of the House, to the resolution in relation to the recent outrage at the Governor's Mansion. The House receded from its amendment.

A communication was received from the Senate by Mr. Sheffey, that that body has passed a bill to add to and amend the provisions of the act passed April 24th, 1852, concerning Commissioners of the Revenue.

Mr. Imboden presented the petition of 600 voters of Augusta, for opening a poll for the purpose of recording the votes of the qualified voters for or against the granting licenses within the said county for the sale of intoxicating liquors.

A bill concerning divorces and amending the 7th, 8th and 14th sections of chapter 109, title 31 of the Code, was read a third time and passed.— The following are the provisions of the bill, as amended:

A divorce from the bond of matrimony may be decreed for adultery, for natural or incurable impotency of body, existing at the time of entering into the matrimonial contract, for cruelty, abandonment or desertion, or when either of the parties is sentenced to confinement in any penitentiary for life, or for seven years or more; and no pardon granted to the party so sentenced after a divorce for that cause, shall restore such party to his or her conjugal rights.

A divorce from bed and board may be decreed for any of the causes mentioned in the preceding section, for which a divorce from the marriage bond may be decreed. and for reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt.

And be it further enacted, That the 14th section of the same chapter shall be, and the same is hereby amended and re-enacted. so as to read as follows, to wit:

In granting a divorce from the marriage bond, the court may decree that the guilty party shall not marry again, in which case the bond of matrimony shall be deemed not to be dissolved as to any future marriage of such party, or in any prosecution on account thereof. But so much of any decree as prohibits a party from marrying again, may at any time after and upon the petition of such party. be set aside by the court and thenceforward the bond of matrimony shall be deemed to be dissolved as to such party also.

Tuesday.—House.—The Speaker announced the following as the committee on the part of the House. under the joint resolution directing an investigation into the recent outrage upon the Executive Mansion : Messrs. Goode of Bedford, Robinson of Richmond city. Lewis. Echols. and Taliaferro.

Mr. Brown. from the special committee on slaves and free negroes, presented a bill providing for the removal of free negroes and mulattoes from the Commonwealth.

(This bill provides for the appointment of overseers of free negroes and mulattoes"—their number and districts to correspond with that of the commissioners of the revenue in each county, &c. It shall be their duty to hire the free negroes and mulattoes of their districts to the highest bidder at public auction, the amount so raised to constitute a fund to defray the expenses of the gradual transportation of said free negroes, &c., to the place or country of their own selection. Between the free negro or mulatto and the owner or hirer of either under this act, the relation of master and servant is established. All free negroes and mulattoes above the age of — years shall have the privilege of remaining in the commonwealth. On the 1st January. 1858, such free negroes or mulattoes as remain in any of the said districts. shall be sold into slavery at public auction, unless they select their owners. The said overseers shall receive as compensation 5 per cent. on all amounts collected and accounted for by them.)

The resolution offered some days since by Mr Tomlin, proposing an adjournment sine die, and the substitute offered therefor by. Mr. Segar, modified so as to read as follows, were taken up for consideration:

Resolved. That when this House adjourns on Monday the 31st instant, it will with the consent of the Senate. stand adjourned to next.

The blank was filled with the fourth Monday in November, and the substitute was adopted, after a protracted debate, by a vote of 71 to 45.— Messrs. Walker and Tate voted in the affirmative. Mr. Imboden would have voted in the negative but had paired off with an absent member.

The Speaker communicated a message from the Governor giving the reasons according to law, for his having commuted the punishment of the slave Jordan. The reason stated is that the killing was not the result of design or malice.

Wednesday.—Senate.—The Senate by a vote of 23 to 17, refused to agree to the resolution from the House of Delegates, for an adjourned session of the Legislature. A motion to reconsider the vote rejecting the resolution (which proposed an adjournment from the 31st instant to the 22d November next.) was subsequently made and lost, and also a resolution proposing an adjournment sine die on the 10th of June.

House.—A large amount of business was transacted by the Clerk and the Speaker. A large number of bills were acted on. upon their first and second readings, which kept the Clerk reading and the Speaker submitting questions from 10 until 3 o'clock. No new business worthy of notice was introduced, and no business finally acted upon of general interest. Dispatch

Thursday.—Senate.—The bill from the House concerning officers elected by joint vote of the two Houses of the General Assembly, was taken up and passed.

The House bill providing for the election, &c. of various State officers in corporate towns having no circuit courts, was amended by substituting therefor a Senate bill and then passed.

A Senate bill in relation to divorces was also passed.

House.—Among other bills reported, was one to amend the act passed March 8th, '49, concerning the Staunton and James river turnpike company.

A bill authorizing the payment of the field officers of the Virginia regiment of volunteers, previous to their being mustered into the service of the United States, was rejected—yeas 32. nays 62.

"The party (Democratic) displayed its penchant for concentrating power in the hands of one man. by taking the appointment of Inspectors of Tobacco from the Magistrates, and giving it to the Governor. This is on the French idea of liberty—centralization, and in direct conflict with the American diffusion of power."—Whig.

Friday. Senate.—The resolution for a recess was amended, so as to read adjourn sine die on the 16th of June.

House. Mr. Bottom of Amelia submitted resolutions disapproving the reasons assigned by Gov. Johnson for his late exercise of the pardoning power. Messrs. Wallace and White did not think it a proper time to consider the resolutions,—wherefore we do not know;—and on motion of Mr Goode of M., they were laid on the table.

A vote was taken on the Southwestern Railroad bill, which was regarded as decisive of the determination of the majority to make no appropriations at this time. The adjourned session is the difficulty. If all the necessary appropriations were voted now there would be no pretext for taking a recess until next fall!

Mr. Robinson presented reports from the committee for Courts of Justice, adverse to petitions of citizens of the counties of Rockbridge and Augusta. praying for a modification of the laws relating to the sale of ardent spirits to slaves.

Mr. Jackson, of Doddridge and Tyler presented the petition of 232 citizens of Tyler county praying for the passage of a Law similar in its provisions to the "Maine Liquor Law."

Saturday.—Senate.—The resolutions concerning the election of Delegates to the Convention of Delegates from the Thirteen States of 1776, to meet in Philadelphia, on the 4th of July, to consider the subject of erecting a national monument in Independence Square, was adopted.

The resolution from the House proposing a final adjournment on the 31st May, was laid on the table.

House.—The resolution of the Senate, proposing a final adjournment on the 16th June was amended, and 31st May substituted.

The Senate resolutions providing for the appointment of Delegates to the Philadelphia Convention were debated and laid on the table.

A bill was passed concerning money paid into Court &c.