Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-12-29
FROM RICHnIoND.

FROM RICHMOND.
Acts of the Rebel LsgisIatnre In Mat
teFs relating 10 West yirgInin,
We are Indebted to Col. t. AZ, Harris, of
theslOtb Virginia Regiment. for copy of
the "Acts of the (Riehmond) General AS
sembly OF the State of Virginia" ''passed
at called session, 1867 These are con-
tanned in pamphlet of SO duodecimo pages
and are got up in pretty good style, all
thugs considered, by the inevitable AVN.
F. Richie, public printer"
The session of the Legislature that pass
ed these acts will be known, we suppose,
in after time, as the salt session, for the
alarming scarcity Of that article was the
ostensible reason of the members being
called together. The very first act was ian
act to provide for the production, distribu-
ton and sale of salt in the Commonw ealth !"
aud it was passed Oct 1st 1862 @
We doubt not from the wording of the
different sections of the act that there was
highly iuaamsd public sentiment on the
subject Of salt. For instance section I'd of
threads thus:
"If in the opinion of the Governor, in
order to obtain speedy and sufficient sup
ply Of salt, it shall be expedieut to do SO,
he may seize, take possession of aud hold
and exercise full authority and control over
the property, real or personal, Of any per-
son, firm or company, and any engines,
machinery or fixtures aud other property
or thing necessary for the production of
salt in this Commonwealth, whenever he
may Judge it to be necessary to exercise the
power hereby conferred, III order to secure
the production and distribution of the guam
tity of salt aforesaid p - z -
Que can judge from such provision for
extreme measures for supplying salt that
the public pressure upon the Legislature
must have been intense.
The most of the legislation of the called
session appertains to the public defense
asst is called. Sec. LIST of Chap. I'd, gives
the Government power TO use the slaves in
the public defense, by turning over GER
tain per centum of them TO "the President
of the Confederate, States" The whole
section is as follows: itA
1Be it enacted by the General Assembly,
Thatthe Governor of this Commonwealth,
shall when requested by the President of
the Confederate States, be and he is hereby
authorized and required from time to time
to call iuto-the service of the Confederate
States, for labor on Notifications, and other
works necessary for the public defense, for
period not exceeding sixty days, a nun.
Der of male slaves between the ages of
eighteen and iorly five years, not exceeding
ten thousand at any one time, and not ex-
eeeding in any county, city OF town five
per centnm of the entire slave population
thereof Such requisition shall be appor
toned ratably among all the SHAREHOLDERS
In the several counties, cities and towns on
which the reqnisitiou shall be made. The
sum of sixteen dollars per month for each
slave shall, be paid by the Confederate
States to the holders ofthe siaves, aud SOL
dters rations medicines aud medical attend
ance furnished and the value of all such
slaves as may escape from the Confederate
authorities and not return TO their owners,
or. be seized or killed by the public enemy,
or may, by want OF due diligence on the
part oftbe authorities of the Confederate
States, in any manner be lost to the own
ers, shall be paid by the Confederate States
to the owners of such slaves, and in like
manner compensation shall be made for any
injury to slaves arising from want of due
diligence on the part of the authorities of
the Confederate States; 6ndIin those cases
the burden OF proof shall be GU the author
tiles of the Confederate States to discharge
theratter from liability to the former. Slaves
hired of Individuals having other slaves,
shall be regarded as in the possession of
their owners, aud classed accordingly 10
regard to- Confederate service" e
The above section proves what has all
along been charged by those who support
the President in bis proclamation, VIZ :4hat
the rebels were using the slaves in place of
soldiers, aud that therefore 1t was a mill.
Atary Justification to strikeatatheirs strong
arm of their power. And this is what the
President has done in his proclamation.
The legislation contained in the pam
phlet from which we are quoting, seems to
be curious intsrmixture of legislation for
the State of Virginia aud the Confederate
States. We do not understand it. For
instance, in the section from which We
have just quoted. the Legislature provides
for the liability of the Confederate autho-
rites in the, matter of slaves; prescribes
Gthat il such and sueh cases the burden of
proof inifegard 70 runaway, ,killed,or cap
tufed slaves shall be on these authorities.
TO all seeming, the Richmond Legislature
feels. itself the superior authority. And,
may be it is. Who knows2