Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-28

RICHMOND. FRDRVTtlIv q.
Nirginia AeSislNt,sve.

RI - Rlka hIC eSlttS tSES.
......,...
On Thursday nicht, about s e'c.ock, the ie-
Sisia'nre having gone through its business,
closed ITS session
We wind np in this days paper. the Sketches
OF ITS dctS-giving in detai, three VI those pass
ed M the last stage at its session which ought
10 be Immediately promulgated 10 the people
VIZ. the act giving effect to an act OF Con-
greSs concerning field officers OF Tie Ni!itid-
an act, Tor asccriaining the taxable 'piopcrty
and rolecting Tic punlic revenue anil tie act
Tor regulating the solenHi,ksiiOn Of marriages,
prohibiting such as are incestuons, sc. which
grew ont at Tie celebrated case of a. lrOaiiuS,
ant establishes, as we are told, q now iuic "t
evidence for our courtS.-We subjOin asp Tie
resolution, touching the compliance ct the
James river company with the terms OF their
charter, which is again quoted verbatim, be-
cause II underwent considerable changes in
the Senate
The reader will see franz this list that their
ast> have reached TO the unexamrled number f
22v-o; these, 10 were Revised bills not one of
which l. 10 90 into effect ill january 1919,
with the exception CT the SGiqry 6iH-'i'he H.
OF ID. passed resolution To exclude these IA
bills from the pamphlet OF the sessions acts, as
being unnecessary 20 be rrinted--but the Sen.
ate Saw ht To reject it. Almost the whole of
the rcmhiun@ 2lO bills are limited to local or
personal matters. Indeed, we take upon us to
say, that no General Assembly has ever passed
so many laws-or SO few of general and actual
Importance.
This legislature might have proved of great
benefit to the Commoiv cath, if the Senate
had not, very injudiciousiy we conceive, sus-
pended the Rerisi0n of the laws. That fatal
step seems 70 have given a character of abor-
tiveness to lis session. Comparatively speak.
ing, there was little interesting Debate--little
scope for the display of great tslent. There
were two matters, iadeet. which impaired
some 2est TO their proceedings, from the per-
souai feelings which they called forth The
one was the case of MIR. G y. Page, which
sprung out OF the underlined doctrine of pa,lia
menta:y privilege, which by Il singular concur
renee OF circumstances, has nearly at the same
moment been asitated within the walls of Com
greSS, and in the slate legislatures of Virginia
maryland and Massachusetts. Our House OF
Delegates had the good sense 10 decide that
this doctrine of cOntenDfs had rs limits, and to
resist a bold encroachment which, was medi-
tdted upon the rights of the citizen.--The other
subject TO which we alluded, was brought No
a. IL were at the fiig end of the session-Necd
we name the investigation Into the cxpcnhi-
lures on the public square which certainlv
has the credit OF having given rise TO one OF
the most unique reports that ever was conceive
ed IN the bosom of d legislative committee. a
report, which for the asperity of its slyle,
The random insinuatioUs which il deals out
against Il coordinate branch Ofihe government,
us lliberal reflections upon individuals the
noiuhess OF ITS assertions, and it's haste to Goa
denim withcnt adcqGate inv eStigation iswe will
venture to say without aparailel at least in Vir-
GinIa. II will stand as monument ofihc pctu
lance and passion which dictatedit. We should
have scorned 10 have letit into the columns
even OF this paper, If the House of Delegates
had not done II the honor To have given il "A
place in their archives. Being printed for
their " use, aud spread upon their Journals it
was time for the world to see il as IL was: IL
WAS also time to investigate lis truth. and to
cali ont all the facts which the parties con.
cerneh lad II IN their power TO disclose Tie
more they are disclosed, the more strongly do
they show The raShnCss of the report We
regret IL the more, because ITS author is man
OF scuns coniessedy capable OF much better
things.
The most important act ofthe whole session
Is the school bill; measure, which tai es
; $1,000 ont OF the 10000, the revenue of the
! literary fund, for an experiment on the ,nDdc
OF educating the children of HE poor. We
| think the experiment begins on too large Il
! scale, and puts too much Of this coiIsecratcd
fund to The hazard OF being wasted We are
AFRAID, that an experiment Of two or three
years VIII verify this predictiOn.-iiu S 10 )30
are annually appropriated 10 those higher
branches OF science, which are TOO much
| neglected in Vrginia, and for whose at.
tdin,nent we pay 50 dear'y at present, By
sending our sons abroad or into other states
| The institution of this HnjrcFSity We hail with
ueilSh; IT Tedeems many errors which have
been committed III the course OF the session
IL IS for the benefit of the poor as well az the
r'ch TOR many an iHdigcnt boy will baSk in it's
beams and many OF those parents who are
moi absolutely INDECENT, but are unable to send
their sons abroad for education, YIN see them
| qualifying themselves IN Z" the University OF
virginia 10 act the higher parts in Tie drama
| ofite.
We hope our friow citizens will in the
| ensuing Sprinr elections. call our the hest
! tiisntN Which their respective counties can
Afford Tie nest session win probably be "a
| busy and important one. The rerisal, Scj.ools
ma ceSffin communication. ave among those
subjects thatmiy come before it.
On Thursday, the Iionse Of Delegates came
10 q resolution to Gdtere To their disagreement
TO the amendments proposed by the Senate TO
me bill, entitled" in act changing the time of
meeting OF the General Assembly "-The Sc
nate having refused To recede from their a.
| menCmentS, the bill was lost-and the next le-
gislatnre therefore meets as usual, OIL the LIST
Monday of Decemhcr
On motion OF MIR. Humphreys Resolved
that the thanks of this House are due to the
Speak er, for Tie ability and impariiality, with
Shich he has uniformly discharged the duties
OF his office during the present session of the
General Assembly.
On motion, the word" unanimously" was
inserted III The resolution.
TO THE EDITOR oF TIE ENQUIRER.
SIR member OF The committee of the
honAe OF Delegates, appointed Tor Tie purpose
OF enquiTiTg into the contracts and exuendi.
lures OF the Executive of this commonwealth
IN relation TO the repairing OF the capitol and
Tie Improvement of the public squdre in tie