Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-12-18
s.EEisLaTJaG GF ssRaaNzA.
TUESDAY, DsCEgBER Is, 1863.
SENATE.

The Senate was called to order at 12 o'clock
", by the President Lieut.. Governor Mon,
TAcUE.
Prayer by the Rev. DR.. Moore, of the
Presbyterian Church. {.
A communication was received from the
House Of Delegates announcing that the
House had agreed to the resolution passed
by the Senate, providing for recess from
Tuesday next until 9th of January, 1864
Mr.. DoUcLAs. from, the Committee on Mill
tary a fairs, presensea Abtif pTov1c!nS Tor sne
E.a ct .sr:,i - s~oeu tho ages ct IL
and 45 years of..age domiciled in this Com.
Dnonwealth
The hill authorizing the admission of Wills
10 recori upon proof of the handwriting of two
Of the sattestirg witnesses, in certdin cases,
was taken up, amended and ordered to bo en-.
grnsscd.
Tic hill amending the set passed October
p, 1863, entitled EAn act tn authorize the
arrest Of dcssfters by The. civil authorities, ;,
was taken up, discussed, and engrosscd; and
the rules having been suspended, on motion
OF Mr. DOUGLAS, was passed.
REsoLUTIo~s
The following resolutions were proposed,
adopted, and referred TO appropriate commit
| tees:
| By Mr.. BRANcE-On the expediercy of
Fpaying to W. r. G. Douglas tile sum Of
| 1892 so for services as steward OF the Eastern
Lunatic Asylum from the lst day of January,
1863, to 18th May, inclusive.
BY Mr. CHRISTIAN Of Augusta-That leave
5e granted to withdraw from the files the pe-
| titi6n of the trustees of the Virginia Female
Institute, presented at the ktte session, and
! that the same be referred to the Committac on
Public institutions. .
| JOINT RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. CoLI!EE offered q series OF joint rcsolu>
tions-against the appointment to Office of
men who are not of Southern brth--that the
Executive Departments should be systemizod
and energized in their several operations
that incompetent commanders be relieved
from duty-that the law providing for n tax
in kind, and the impre.smnnt act Except the
first sectionl, b. repealed. &c.
Mr.. COLLIER, in Offering the resolution, said
he did net know that he should ever bring the
resolutions to debate CT to q vote lie was en-
tirely willing they should be brought at the
instance cf any other Senator to either test, or
to both, He said it was manifest that our
Confederate Government has been seeking
most sedulously to make a reputation abroad
He thought it were wiser To aim ut higher
reputation at home. Let the Confederate au-
thorities labor less in our freign relations,
whilst in fact we have 10 foreign relations
and labor moro tc show diligence at home in
developing our resources, and our successes
will soon. be greatly multiplied, and ulimatc-
" be complete; and then we shall have for
c:gn relations Of noblcst interest and magni-
tudr.
Mr.. DoucLAs said lie was unwilling to ACT
in the manner indicated by those resolutions
He thought they y-waro not such as Nhould be
! |passei by the Senate. lie, therefore, moved
thai therules be Suspended, in ordAr shat tho
RESOLUTIONS might ha acted npon ssi nee. and
he hoped thoiHenate would Tota then; down.
Mr. COLLIER said be thought the Senate
would 90 more injustice to themselves than
tn him in voting down resolutions which were
! offered for thci- -er.~--:-ntinn and considera.
si... II :...ad 7Iiu mpaint to MAKE; Lo------
If the Senate should choose so to act. He
should not look upon it as any discourtesy
to himself He did not believe there was n
Senator on The floor whose respect and kind
ness ho had not received. He had no other
object in view than to serve his country, and
this was one of The modes by which he pro-
posed to do it. Truth w;s mighty and would
prevail; and truth, spoken by the gentleman
from Petersburg (Mr. CoLLlEE) would have
as much practical effect as if spoken hy the
gentleman from King William Mr.. DovGLas)
or em8nating from the General Ass smbly it
self.
Mr.. DOUGLAS said he intended No discour-
tesy to tho Senator in the motion he had
made. lie thought the matter introduced by
the Senator from Petersburg (Mr. CoLLlEk)
was impoltic, predcatcd upon assumed facts,
which tho Senate had no evidence 10 warrant
them in taking the proposed action, and he
entered his protest against the resolutions Ire.
ing printed and sent to the country rs. the ac-
ton Of this body.
The rules were suspended, and tho vote being
taken on the adoption nf the resolutions, they
were rejected-ayes, l., noes, 80.
BILL PASSED.
The bill for the relief of William E. Prince, OF
i tho county Of Sussex, was. on mction of Mr.
lDaT. trken up and passed. The bill refunds to
Mr.. Prince a sum of money, improperly paid
into the public treasury.
On motion of Mr. ALpERsoS the Senate ad.
!! HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
! Opened with prayer by tho Rev. DR.. Dun
can.
RESOLUTIONS or ENQUIRY AND ExrEDIEEcY
Weresspbmitted by members and agreed to in
the following order:
By Mr.. RAYMOND, CT Maricn-Upon the
ezpediency of putting proper restrictions upon
| the production and distribution Of sub-fertl:-
zess. By Mr. AMBERs-Withdrawiu from
the files the petition of Col. Bell praying to
! be relieved from the payment of money dis
bursed by him for the purchase of shoes fol
volunteers. By Mr.. HkTMoND, of Braxton-
Attaching all the able-bodied members of. the
Legislature to some military organization
upon the adjournment Of the body, until such
! time, as4theiE duties shall again call them to
the Legislative halls. By Mr.. PEhDLEToN-
Upon Furnishing Confederate officers who tres.
pass upnn the rights of private Individuals
| By Mr.. BRowN-Upon amending the 4th and
! 5th ucction. Of she., ,s7th chaptor of tho Code
Of Virginia. Ey Mr. WooDLEY-Directinrc
\ the Committee on Schools to enquire into tlle
| condition of the University of Virginia. BY Mr..
1 MisoN-Upon reporting bill authorizing the
/ holding of an election for Judge Of the Court Of
1 Apneals in accordance with the Constitution Of
| Virginia. BY Mr.. BUrnRD-Upon providing
| by law for more effective organization OF the
| population capable of bearing arms, and not III
the Confederate service.
Aftor the introduction Of number G.! other
resolutions of like nature 10 the above, the
l House on motion adjourned.
| TlJpon adjournment. meeting Of the members
was organized, with Mr. Deane in the Chair, and
| VIM. F. Gordon Jr.. clerk, Secretary, having for
its object theetender of complimentary dinner
to the retiring Governor of the Commonwealth. J
SEARCHING FEMALEs.-We find the subjon-
ed paragraph in the Herald" of the l2th:
Some females suspected Of smuggling goods
into Dixie, were recently searched by the pro-
rost marshal of Memphis, Tennessee. One
wore bale of fine linen as a bnstle. Har
corset was filled with gold coin, quilted in, tn
the amount of 81, 200. Another had her f1rn,
rounded out with padding made OF dress silks
Her hose we're fund to conceal quantity o;
| gentlemen's cravats which were swathed
carefully about her legs. The third lady's
ample bust was filed out By a musuem OF ar
tices, consisting mainly Ct jewelry, silk