American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-02-05
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
Correspondence Of the Wheeling Gozsiic.
RICHMOND, Jan. q, 1858.


OF Delegates, to exercises in elocution.
At least twenty speeches were made,
upon the merits of two Senate bills
one to purchase the Young America,
piece Of statuary from Barbec, and
the other for the Improvement of the
kanawha river.
The bill for the improvement Of the
hanawha river gave some of the mem
bers an opportunity of expressing their
opinion of the james river 4 Kanawha
Canal company, in the course of which
the amount received from the State,
by that company. was stated to be
more than $S,000,OO0. Without COM
ing to any final decision on the bill,
the House adjourned.
Reports from the committees were
made yesterday, adverse to changing
the mode Of taxation as regards mor
chants licenses, and against abolishinr
the Board Of Public Works.
To day, none of the subjects under
discussion yesterday were resumed; the
principal topic being the order of the
day, which was a bill to relieve the
commonwealth of the free negro pop.
ulation.
The bill was supported, in long &
carefully written speech, by Mr.. How
erton Of Halifax, who maintained that
the free negroes should either leave
the State, be hired out by overscers
appointed for that purpose, or sold into
slavery. Mr.. Brown, of Petersburg,
replied. lie came, he said, from city
containing between two \ three thou
sand free negroes. He was as strongly
III favor of Southern institutions as
any man, but he was opposed to max
ing laws against whole class of per-
sons, while there were many individu-
ais among them who were useful to the
State and should not be driven from it.
Mr.. Mckenzie of Alexandria opposed
the bill, stating that in his city the
free negroes were necessary as steve
dores--for loading and discharging the
cargoes of ships, &c. a great number
of amendments were offered, but with
out taking any action upon them, the
order of the day was passed by.
Mr.. Kemper, of Madison, moved
that his bill, which is for the re- organ
ization of the Militia, be taken up, with
view Of making it the order of the
day for Friday, the 18th of February.
This met with opposition from Mr.. Sc
gar, the able member from Elizabeth
City, and the motion was lost by vote
Of 40 to SO.
This refusal to take from the table
Mr.. kemper's bill, may have the effect
OF crushing the attempt which has been
made to revive the old broken down.
repudiated, and ridiculous Militia sys-
tenn of Virginia. -
There never was anything so pue.
rlle and barbarouS--so disgusting and
oneross--as the old fashioned musters
OF the corn-stalk militia. In the min
ing and manufacturing regions of the
State, and particularly in those parts
where white labor prevails, the burden
of furnishing the militia fund would
fall ; and the fines collected, instead of
being devoted to patriotic purpose,
would go mainly to the support of &c
pensioners upon the public to be called
Brigade Inspectors"
In Senate, Jan. &c, Mr.. Thompson
reported bill to incorporate the Lau-
rel Iron 4 Coal Company in the coun-
ties of Monongalia and Preston.
Senate, Jan. 29.-BWs reporiea.-
BY Mr.. lluddlcson-for the election
of a constable in the town of Grafton,
in Taylor county.
By Mr.. Thompson--Incorporati
the Preston Salt, Plaster and Manu-
featuring Company.
Tuesday, January %.
SENATE.
Mr.. August, from the committee to
whom was referred the message of the