The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-12-21
CHMOND, FRIDAY. DECEMBER q. 1856.

W w pustH ess until the iual adjournment He as
serted that 1t was well known fact that AZ IN,
close Of the sessions of the General Assemble |;
was often the case that important bills had to be
PASSED without tIuorum and that such an occa
sion had been selected to push through bills which
conla not Do passed in full house; those present
IN e cir PASSAGE knowing that if they
caed Tor divi sion of the House it would appear
tnAt mere was 10 quorum and that all proceedings
wonid at once he stopped. 1t Was TO prevent this
dliemma that II was proposed to withhold the re-
leave of abs ence
MT WHEY objected to the section that it pro-
posed 70 regulate tho conduct and conssrue the Off
elsi responsibility of members and he was for
;ne a.;s,e those matters to gentlemen and their co.,
s,a.uents; they were matters rightfuIly between
and ne earnestly opposed the provisions Of
the Dill as Interfering with them He nscyed 10
strike out the 9th section
Mr. IohLIN acknowledged that this section was
ustastefui to gentlemen thought he t3oueh IL pro-
per He attributed the defeat of the hill on =
oi mer occasion in the Senate, to this section and
nc intimated that gentlemen insisted ON striking
~. ne would acauiesce, as he considered the re-
mainder of the bill important and be had rather
iose the 9th sectien than that the bill should he
jeoparded by it, "e
MI. SEGAR thought the provisions Of the Code
On tne subject quito sufficient, and moved the I'M
definite postpenement Of the bin The aues.;on
up on this motion was taken by ayes and noes and
renulted-ayes 80 noes GO
- Inc debate was further continued by Messrs
DDnAsNoS, WILEY, GREGORY, BoNpuRANT and
Mr. BRASNoN was in favor of withbols;n. tho
return mileage, but against the first part Of the
section He concurred with Mr. ToMLIN IN the
proprlety of some measure of the kind TO keen
transact business "
MIR. BoSDURANT argued in favor of the 6th sec.
ton, especially the retaining of the return mileage
until the close of the session. While member of
the Senate, he declared that he had seen the most
Iny n ON eacio he
when there was not a quorum present He had
seen six Senators grayely passing bills as though
they constituted quorum. He considered the
measure coed one, and thought some regulation
to prevent the exigeney of legislation without a
quorum necessary.
Mr.. CABELL moved an adjournment The House
refused to adjourn-26 to S.
The question was then put ON striking out the
large majority.
Mr.. IMBoDEN then moved to amend the bill by
inserting clause providing for an increase of the
per diem OF members to s., and the mileage to SIS
for every twenty miles.
Mr. IMBoDEN sustained his amendment in a brief
speech, in which he alluded to the advance in ey-
cry necessary of life and in the compensation for
every sort of service. Three years ago he had
moved to increase the pay of members to So he
thought the necessity for an increase greater now
than then. He would prefer now to make it six:
but feared 1t might not pass. He referred to a re-
cent visit to Washington, where he learned that $s
ddS WcIc HOt suuiclcut 10 meet the expenses of
a large portion of the members of Congress- in
consequence OF the enhanced value of those necps-
saries and luxuries required by Congressman He
had heard of Senators there pedging their mileage
at per cent month to get money to go home with
He thought in old Virginia, where they were more
economical, they might at least go to s. per day.
Mr. l. playfully commented upon the necessities
and the value of the services of members: and
concluded by declaring his earnest desire for the
passage of his amendment The present Legisa-
ture would, in such act be doing Justice to ftl-
ture Legislatures without themselves incurring any
lmpufation as to motives, since they could not,
der the constitution, increase their own pay.
Mr.. TOMIIN demonstrated against tackinp the
amendment to the bill, as il would defeat it.
Mr. FLOYD was at first opposed to the PROPOSE
ton for the increase OF the pay of members but he
acknowledged the force Of the arguments of Mr..
IHBoDEN, and hoped that it would pass The
members ought to be better paid. 1t was plain
from the influx of gold from California and Aus
traa, the advance in the values of all things that
had followed, especially the rise in the price of
wheat and other necessaries, as well as those luxu
ries spoken of by tho gentleman from Augusta,
(Mr IMBoDEN,) that the present pay, if necessary
at former day was utterly Inadequate to the
rates of living now.
Mr. DOYLE seconded the views and arguments
of Messrs. INBODEN and FLOYD.
Mr. SPITLER had demanded the ayes and noes
and they were sustained, and the question was
about to be put, when
Mr.. NEWTON, of Taylor, hoped the vote would
position had spoken against it. He had not heard
arguments sufficient to satisfy him that it ought to
pass. They had been told that q U. s. Senator had
pledged his mileage at per cent a month to get
home, having spent his So per diem. Yes, said
Mr.. n, and there arc a great many who, if they
were to get $50 per day, would be out of money at
the close of the session. Some years ago board at
the Exchange was $l4 per week, the pay was not
increased then board at that hotel was now $l2
and he considered that there was certainly no
greater necessity for an increase. He believed
that $4 day sufficient to meet the expenses
of all who conducted themselves properly, and he
hoped the proposition for an increase would not
prevail.
Mr.. GARNETT's States Rights sentiments would
not permit him to vote for the proposition it had
raised the question whether the services of mem
Der of the Virginia Legislature were worth five
eighties as much as those of a member of Congress
At this point of the proceedings. Mr. FLOYD int-
mated that as it was late, notwithstanding that it
had seemed to be the purpose of the House to dis
pose of the question, he would move an adjourn
nent.
This motion prevailed, and the House adjourned
A FEMALE SAILoR.-The packet ship James
Gray sailed for Liverpool few days since, but was
obliged to return after going down as far as Will
mington. Several of the crew were taken into
custody to prevent them deserving Among the
crew of the James Gray is female, who has ship
ped as sailor, and who has been several voyages
in coasters. She belongs to Massachusetts,, and
seems to have adopted tho sailors garb from the
very love of the thing. None of the crew of the
James Gray had detected her sex through the dis
guise. The mate a sharp eyed fellow, the first
to discover it, She is to be sent to her home in the
East.
seems that this female sailor is about II years
old, of robust appearance, and inst the kind of
woman to pass herself off for of the other sex.
Her name is Emma Barns and she was born in
Moscow, Me, in the month of May, 1889. In 1853
she married man named Da Lard at Lowell, Mas
sachusetts and by him had one child, which is now
living Fith-her sister, in Maine.
Her. husband deserted her and went to sea, and
she determined upon seeking him; so about eigh-
teen months since she shipped at Boston as cook,
on board the ship James Montgomery, and went to
New Orleans, from whence to Havana, and then to
Boston. At the latter port she shipped on board
the schooner James Famer, for st. John, N. b., re-
turning to Boston in the same vessel. She then
shipped in the schooner Silver Morn, for Pictou,
again returning TO Boston. The schooner Dew
Drop being bound on fishing cruise, she shipped
on board of her, but left her in the Gut Of Canso
and went on board the briga Elmira, bound to TINS
port On her arrival at this port she took board A.
one of our sailor boarding houses, and shipped on
on board the James Ray, after having incurred
considerable board bill.
Prior 10 her joining the james Ray she perform
ed the duties of cook and steward on board the
crafts upon which she had embarked. nni always