Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-08
IERAL ADsHMnLV OF VIRGINIA..
HOUSE OF DELEGATES

HOUSE OF DELE0ATES
SArvaDAy, Feb s. "a.
Resolutions were offered and referred. 40 followG
By Mr. Byrd-That the Committee on Finance
inquire how far. consistently With the public Ia
terest, such a system OF reform and economy in
ference to public expenditures, can be devised, as
will bring or tend to bring the same within the
| amount OF the annual revenue OF this Common
wealth. and thereby avoid diminish the necessity
OF increased taxation.
BY MIR Newkirk-'rhst the Committee OF COURTS
inquire into the expediency Of enacling law au.
thorisng the guardian OF the infant heirs OF John
French TO sell to Allan C. Hammond, the privilege
Of deepening the tail race Of the Mill Of said Ham
mond In Berkeley county as Tar rs the same passes
through the lands Of said heirs.
Pefifiens
Were presented: BY Mr. Scott Of F,-of Ade-
aide Frances Nichols praying FOR divorce from her
husband WIN. Nichols.
By Mr. Souihal-of VIM. H. Meriwether and
others relative TO amendments to the laws to protect
the rights Of widows; by Mr. Edgington-of the
trustees Of Bethany College, in the county Of Brooke
| praying an appropriation from the Commonwealth
| IN aid OF that Institution.
The unfinished business of yesterday. being n
motion to postpone indefinitely bill to increase the
penalties in the bonds of the LIST and 2d Auditors VI
| the State, was taken up-and
MIR Dorman rose and submitted to the House,
| without remarks, two commissioners from
James Brown, Jr. to MIR Hopkins chairman, &C;
the other from James f. Heath and James Brown,
Jr, conformity, in answer addressed 10 these
| gentlemen by MIR ID.
Mr. Hollcman opposed the pos,ponemeut Of the
bill; and urged many reasons Why the penalties Of
these bonds should be increasod-and argued that,
If in general view seemed proper that this ought
TO be done at all, the proper time to do it.,
without regard the individuals filling these Of
hees for he saij the Legislature Ought not TO pu, oil
matter OF great importance, as he believed this
to be, because the high character Of the gentlemen
now in Office forbade the slightest suspicion that hsy
would ever abuse the great confidence reposed in
them. But il was evident, he thought, that the for
mer checks upon the action Of these officers wee
not sufficient 70 restrain them from wronging the
Treasury, 10y possibility they should ever be in.
clned to do 80. He insisted that the Treasurer was
not called on to ex anime into the propriety Of the
warrants drawn on him by these officers except in
cases involving circumstances of suspicious charac-
ter.
Mr. Kinney stated that the Treasurer mus, know
the grounds upon which warrants were issued from
the Cd Auditors office, because he was by law n
member OF the Boards ofPublic Works and Of the
Literary Fund, which boards must directly sapcton
the issue OF every warrant from TINT office, save
those issued under direct authority on accoun,
OF the salaries of those employed that department
lie ielt confident that the efect OF the measure $
proposed IN the bill would be to drive immediately
from the public SERVICE these officers aga nst whom,
none had ever breathsd the slightest suspicion md
who had so long served the Commonwe alth faith
fully and well. The times themselves he said,
gave admonton that this thing ought MOTTO be dons
curi,y was so greatly increased. The measure itself
would be calculated TO awaken suspicion that the
confidence OF the Legislature in the integrity of these
officers was less strong now than formerly. He
hoped the bill would be postponed indefnitsly.
, MIR Dorman urged somewhat similar reasons for
the postponement Of the bill. He too thought il
followed as matter OF course, that the Treasurer
must lie fully satisfied of the correctness OF war
+ rants issued in payment OF claims which had been
audited by boirds, of which the Treasurer was him
selta member. He pointed the attention of the
House 10 notorious case OF defacation which for
merly occurred here, as shelving the tendency OF
. these enormous penalties to be, direct diminuon
Ola mans independence and self respect by the
sense Of obligation to his securities to which thew
subjected him-and for himself, he believed, tina,
the chief, II not the sole cause OF the dedication 10
which he had alluded, was this humiliating sense
, oil obligation TO securities.
ri MIR Holeman replied in full 10 the remarks OF
, Messrs Kinney and Dorman, and attempted to re
tute Inc objections urged by those gentleman in the
/ way OF argument against the BILL He averrcd that
he too had the strongest confidence in the officers
The mead OF the departments he thought the
penalties OF these bonds ought TO he ncreased-and
he utterly denied that the measure proposed was
calculated to cast the sightes, shade OF suspicion
upon the Character ofthe Auditors. But il had been
comp aninsy alleged that these officers could not
give the security for the amount Of the proposed in
crease OF penalty. he could not why this should
be so; especially whom the Treasurer, young man
and by no means wealthy, found no difficulty in
giving security 10 the amount OF nail a million.
Atier some further remarks from Mr. H., followed
by few words from Messrs Morgan and Keen,
the question was taken upon the motion to post.
pone, and was decided in the negative, follows:
fs.s1Me'sIs Kinney, Mnyse, Mitchell, Hun
Broadus. Irving, Vaughan, Brown of Eliza beth City
and Warwick, Semple, Thomas, Scott of Fauq uier,
Mclaughlin, Payne, Woods, French, Erskine,
Vance, Pugh, Thompson, Mullen, McRae, Grisgs,
Moler, Smith of kanawba, Wallace of X G. Ed,
| mOuls. nj T.. nf AZ Il
Davis Of NJ p, Ouiek, Etheridge, VERIFY, Smith
OF N, Fitzgerald, Edgington, Hner, Williams.
Keen, Grimes, Elliott, Daniel, Dorman, Ford, MAYO
Jr, Jackson.-5I.
N.Is-Messrs sou,haI, (speaker,) Bayly, All
worth, Holloway, Harvie, Robinson, Cox Of & l.,
Jones OF Brooke, Riddick, Harrison OF b. Jones of
buckingham, Samuel, Apperson, Deskins, Early,
Wood. Byrd; Gueuant Carroll, Spencer, Watkins,
q, Dabney, Woodard, Cleudenin, Holiday, Banks,
Martin Of NJ, Digs. Scott Of NJ, Morgan, Harrison
OF M, Harrell, Lyon, Hidden, M'Pherson, Cheat
ham. Wallace OFF, Brown of p, Heath, Brawner,
MsCauIey, Leyburn, ShiPman, Smith OF Ro, Cow
an, Quillen. Ga,ewood, Crawford, Tate, Warren.
Martin OF 1, Buck, Goodson. Leitwich.-5s
And the bill was then ordered to its engross.
ment.
"An act Incorporating the Trustees Of Asbury
Academy, IN the town OF PatkersbLrs in Wood
county," was read third time and passed.
The THEATRE
bill incorporating the Trustees OF the Richmond
iheatre, was put upon its third reading-and was
advocated ey Messrs, Daniel and McRae, and op
posed by Messrs. Wallace of p. and Armstroner
After considerable debate, the bill was rejected
Yeas 81, nays ~.
Afterwards, on motion of Mr. Bayly, the vote
was reconsldered, and the bill recommitted for
amendment.
On motion ofMr Dorman, the House suspended
progress 10 bills on the table, in order TO enable him
TO present memorial Of the James River and Ka-
nnwha Company, asking loan Of s25OoOo to ena-
bic them TO redeem their bonds hypo,hecated bv
Gen. Hamilton in England and Holland. The
memorial was read by the Clerk, and, on motion of
Mr. Dorman, referred to the Committee on Roads
and Internal Navigation.
Extract Of letter from
LANCASTER, Jan. 3Is,.
congratulate you upon the event Of the little
iarce,' OF which you spoke a short time since
IN your paper. by which the House of Dele.
gates has gotten clear OF the Brgader General Ven.
Eastern Divqion ,,o,, ~. ...z..:.I-