Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-30
EsGsas..TJHg os Fagasssa.
fEXTRk SESSION.
Tuesday, OCTOBER q, 1869.
CEN

SENEEE.
The Senate met AT eleven o'clock \. III. and
was called 10 order by the President, pro ten.
Mr.. JOHNSON.
Mr. Carson, by leave, introduced a BILL t.
provide compensation for the pages and porters
of the Senate and House of Delegates, which
was read a first and second times, and referred
to the Committee on Finance.
Mr.. Dickinson reported a bill from the Com,
mi;,ee of Finance, providing for the payment
, Of a sum Of money TO Lee y. Dunn, Of hlng
William County, for the purchase Of pro-
: pertv books: which was read Il tirst and Sc.
cond times and ordered to be cngrossed.
The bill repeating 90 much OF the ordinance
oc the Convention of April II, 1861, as relates
- Il pay department Of Virginia forces, was
! taken up, with the amendments proposed
thereto by the House Of Delegates.
Mr.. Dickinson explained that the amend
! ments were for the purpose of changing the
time when tue act should take effect, and pro
viding IL different board for the settlement Of
the accounts the Senate proposed to refer
. the outstanding accounts to the Auditor of
Public Accounts, while the House proposed 10
refer the outstanding accounts to thc Auditing
Board. Mr.. DICKINSON said that the Commit
tee found. upon examination, that there was
no wdrl, remaining for the Auditing Board,
and he saw n" necessity Tor continuing the
board longer il existence.
Mir. CHRISTIAN, Of Augusta, said the House
! Of Delegates hal refused 10. abolish the Audit
ing Board, AND the Board were only paid q
! nc? diem allowance, consequently If there was
M work done there would he no pay received.
The question on cOucurring with the
! amendment proposed by the House of Dele
,..., .,r;l,;,, nu. ,,J;t,r ,P DuI1io 40
| counts and inserting "Auli'ing Board," was
disagreed to-ayes 30, noes II.
Mr.. DuLaSEr was in favor of the bill as it
came from the House OF Delegates. lie be-
lieved that the whole business could be dis.
charged by the first of January. He was in
favor Of continuing The paymasters till that
time.
Mr.. LAWSON moved to amend the bill by
fixing the lst day Of December as the time for
raneeliing the commission Of all the officers in
the paymastcr department.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. CHRISTIAN, OF Middlcscz, proposed an
amendment striking on: the clause providing
Tor employing TWO clerks.
The amendment was agreed TO-. The bill
was then laid on The table.
Mr. CocuILL,.irom the Joint Committee on
Salt, reported Il bill making an appropriation
Cor the purchase CT salt, which was read a
first and second tines, and ordered to be en-
crossed.
Air. CoGHlLL also reported 4 contract with
:S;iart, Buchanan Il Co, for Il supply "f salt.
The contract appropriatcs $4,000, which sum
| is placed AZ the disposal Of the Board of Super
/ Users Of Salt, to be By thcm'disbursed in pay
mcnt fer the salt contracted for.
| AR NIIry .atlai IN thu hill ,rnvidinp for
the arrest oficserterS from the navy and army
o. the Confederate States. The amendments
pr3aoYcd ly the House Of Delegates were
! agreed 20. and the bill, having been passedby
The Senate previously, is now a law CT the
State.
Salaries OF judges, &C.
The bill Amending and rc-enacting tn 9th,
7th, Sfh and lnth sections of the l4th chapter
Of tic Code Of Virginia, edition of lSG1, vas
taken up.
| By this bill the salaries Of the judges of
| the Supreme Court nf Appeals, the Reporter
J Of the Court Of Appeals. the Judge of the fifth
| circuit, the Judge of the seventh circuit. the
! judges Of ill the other circuits, the Attorney
I General, TIE Clerk Of the Court of Appeals at
| Richmond, and the clerk of said court at Lew
! ishurc, and the clerk Of the Circuit Court Of
the e:tyof Richmond are raised about fifty per.
! cent
An amendment was proposed extending the
| rnr:ol OF tho increase Of tho salaries to six
! iauiths Eaynnl the termination Of the present
war.
Tie cons;;tu:ionality Embarrassing the sala-
! rios durinr tn. var and diminishing them six
| months Afterwards. was discussed by Messrs.
; NsrsuaLL and GcGHiLL in fsIor, and >Messrs.
| Il. ,., vi \ ,c, IN ,1nnsi.iID
Mr.. JauSsoS did not believe it was in the
| power Of the Legislature II pass a bill giving
| the Judges q temporary salary-the salary
| must lie fixed, permanent, rs provided by the
| Constitution. He Was in favor Of the bill in
| c~reasing the salary of the judges, hut such sala-
| ry mas: be fixed it could not be increased one
i wear and diminished the next.
Mr.. NEeso.; said the salaries should be
| fixed and alequate-the judges are entitled
to- constitutional compensation in constitution
| al currency. We have not the constitutional
| Currency. and this bill comes here TO supply
/; it. II we pass the bill every one OF the
;ulgcs will be entitled to pay in specie. As
| we could not nay in specie, we should give an
csui-alnnt. lie believed twas perfectly cons
| pctcrt for the Legislature TO pass 3 c9mmti-
! l0ticn bill, authorizing the judges to make an
| election, resoiring in lien Of their present sala-
| rips IN equivalent in currency now resolved In
~ra-annt Of public dncs. lie saw no difficulty
| in this. We should either pay the Judges in
.nec:e or come nJuiraIcnt-rhis Is the way tn
! make them independent. By this bill the
salary IS only Increased about fifty Der cent,
.sl i VIZ adopt it the salary cannot be re-
Guoci. We should ADOPT n bill for their ten>
rorary relicf-pr0Siling for the communication
Of pay. lie moved that the bill be referred
| % The Committee Tor Courts Of Justice.
TIC motion was agreed tn. .
The bill for the relief of W. A. BraXton Of
! King y illiam, rcfrnding him S45 for license
| paid and not used on account of damage sus-
;aincd BY a raid Of the enemy, was taken
| up and paE>ed-ayes o., noesS.
4 bill to provide for the appointment OF
general agents and store keepers by the
| courts Of counties, allowing them to barrow
money and purchase and distribute provisions
| at cost to the inhabitants, was taken up. ,
Mr.. NEWTON opposed the bill. He believed
It would result iniuriously to the people ct the
| State. IL would call FORTH one hundred agents
| from the counties vino would visit the differ
ent markets, compete with each other, and
thus goods would be advanced one hundred
per cent. above present prices. The bill
| would deprive the Commonwealth or an I'M
mcnse amount 6frevenuc. now paid into the
| Commonwealth by the merchants and the
! agents would rot hayn that interest in getting
goods low as ,!c merchants. Hc believed
| that the best plan would he to leave the mat.
ter in the hands OF the merchants, who would
purchase cheaper and sell goods at fully as
low prices as the county could sell them.
Mr.. KEEy advocated tho passage Of the bill.
lie had seen the operation Of this plan in his
own town. The citizens Of Danville had
raised p large sum and purchased provisions
| for their inhabitants. An agent had gone to
| Georgia and purchased -four at So the result
was thetmuch benefit was thereby conferred on
the needy inhabitants. But he would not ar
quo the question. The merits of the bill, IN