Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-16

lllt ttluSC. II ' i"S III 'f' '','''
courteous and gantlemanly. His character
for honor, integrity and virtue. public and
private, was irreproachaGlc When such men
die, it is proper that their names and services
should be held in grateful remembrance, that
their virtues should be held up before the ris-
ing generation for emulation. and that their
memories should be enshrincd in the hearts Of
their countrymen.
Respectfully, JouS LETcHER
Mr.. CowAS moved that the communication
be spread upon the records Of the House.
Mr.. RUTHERFORD, in sCconding the motion,
referred with touching eloqu"nce to his past
association with the subject Of the communion
ton, in the House Of Delegates, callelt to mind
the purity of character, the endcaring and c!H-
waited social qualities, the forciblc ~elcqucnce.
the ingenious wit, the depth Of humOr. which
were SO happily combined in him.
Mr.. ANDERSON alluded with much emotion
to the lamcntcl officer, his knowlcdg re and high
appreciation Of his character, and his person.
al attachment to him.
Mr.. HAYMoSD, of Marion. added his te-ti-
mony TO the worth and talents Of Captain New
ton.
Mr.. BURwEl.L. in bestowing his tribute upon
one with whom he had enjoyed no personal
acquaintance, but Of whom all spoke 81 wcll.
felt how sad it was that such men should fall.
Over the grave of this Eirginian. and the graves
Of all his compeerS who have fallen, We should
VOW never TO sheathe the sword, not only until
our Independence is established, but our etcr.
nal and irrevocable separation from our ere
mics is ensured. They were never cur equals
in the past, and never in the future can they
be our associates and friends.
Nv MrNt-r rnfarrn1 lri.I- lrYt in hrtr-
ting terms to the memory Of the deceased.
On motion of Mr.. JONES the motion rcnl-
ing was amended 50 that the family of the
deceased be furnished with a copy Of the
message of the Governor. The motion was
then adopted.
On motion of Mr.. DEYERLE. the bill TO reg
ulatc prices was taken up, but during Il dis
rusSion as to making it the order OF the day
for Thursday, the order Of the day for today
(the militia bin occurred, and was taken Up
in ito stead.
The vOluminous amendment 81 this bill.
having been completed, and the bill ordered
to its cngrussmcnt. it now came up on IL
third reading.
Mr.. BuFoRD moved that the vote by which
the bill was ordered to it, cngrcssmcnt BE- r.
considered, in order to enable him to "fer
an amendment which would provide against
q construction. otherwise probable, under
which persons having substitutes in the army
might claim exemption.
, The motion was rejected.
Mr.. Monroe moved the indefinite postpone
mcnt Of the bill. The hasty manner in which
this bill was gotten through with, hy no
means reflected any credit upon the llvuSc.
1t was full of Inconsistencies, rs m cyami-
nation would discover, and if sent in this con-
ditiOn 70 the Senate, would make the House n
laughing stock.
With the leave Of the House, Mr. MoyE"E
finally Withdrew his motion.
Mr.. BARKsDALE then moved to reconsider
the vote ordering the bill to its cngrossmcn:,
to enable him to offer Il substitute 10 the whmic
bill.
The SrEAKER ruled the motion ont &c order.
the same motion having already hccn once
decided.
The Clerk then proceeded wiz. the reading
of the bill as amended.
The reading occupied one hour, at tho cxpira-
ton Of which the bill was put mon lis passage,
AMI adopted by a vote Of yeas, -: nays. Is.
On motion of Mr.. B0UI.UIN. the title Of the act
was amended so as to read AN act to organic a
special force for local defence
Mr.. ENGLISH presented Il memorial from he
county of lIenlicn, asking for authority To raise =
corps of mounted men for lcicEcc against raids
in that county.
The bill incorporating TIE Virginia Volunteer
Navy Company, was taken up OIL its third reade
ing. and passed.
Several bills were advanced on the calendar. .
Pending the consideration Of the bill abolish
ing the Auditing board,
On motion OF Mr.. JOKES, the House I'D journed
SALE OF TIE STATES INVESTMENTS.
The following is the report of the Senate
Committee on Finance, relative to the sale Of
the S!ate'sInvcstments in internal improve
mcnts for the redemption Of the public debt:
The Committee on Finance have, according
to order, had under consideration 50 much N
the Governors message referred 70 them, az
relates to the payment Of the debt of tho Com
monwealth, and they beg leave to present the
following report:
The Governor. in his message aforesaid, Sns-
cests "whether it would not he wise % dis
pose of the interest which the Sta:c holds in
our internal improvement companies, under
such restrictions as may nc deemed proper,
and apply the proceeds arising thcr"irom 70
the payment of the State debt" He states
further, eve could at this time dispose Of
these stocks to great advantage, and such an
application of the proceeds would reduce til:
debt to a comparatively small sum"
Your committee ascertain the funded debt,
consisting of foreign registered and coupon debt
of the Commonwealth, to lie so, h. 9S IS.
This is the debt uron which the State pays
interest, and one per centum to the "SirhInG
Fund" 1t does not, however, show the ac,nj!
Indebtedness Of the State in the form Of bonl:.
The true bond debt Of the State is less. The
Sinking Fund holds Of this debt 81 .129,3lj-ii.
and the Literary Fund S240,0OO. There is also
included in the above statement OF the debt
the sum Of Sl45. 600 coupon bonds lost in the
steamer Arctic. These bonds were the proper
tv of the State ut the time they were lost, but
the Commissioners Of the Sinking Fund have
deemed it to be their duty to treat it rs Il part
of the public debt, and to appropriate TO said
fund the interest and the one per ccntum an
nually on the amount Of said lost bonds. TIE
funded debt of the State held by individuals
may be regarded as amounting on the %nGh
day Of September, 1863, to SIS OH%. i*2 %
cents. OF this debt only Sl.Gl2,000 j. re-
deemable absolutely in the year lS>G
&S.5SS,oj2 03 is redecmable in"s:atcd year..
''or thereafter ut the pleasure Of the General
Assembly" OF this last mentioned sum only
81, l34,744 II has been subject to redemption
through a series of years from 1857 to lS6&,
both years inclusive. The residue of the debt,
amounting to S24, 945,5 SAC 50, being the NOV
debt" created during and since the year lSJ22.
is not redcenablc until 81 years after its crea-
ton. 1t will therefore be seen that the Cen
eral Assembly has only a right 10 or3.r hde
redemption If Tie atoresad snm Of S4,l&4,-
III -. The State having the right 20 order
the redemption of this amount, it cannot be
expected that the holders of this debt will
present any considerable parsof it for rcdcm0-
ton in currency, and therefore any law Of the
General Assembly directing Il redemption,
will prove Intellectual unless the same can lie
redeemed in coin or its equivalent. Ii, indeed,
the General Assembly possess the power 10
require the redemption Of this small part of