Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-15

the meaning Of the Governor. h" bad core t;eI
Bureau great injustice, and lie was su:e TIA,
the Governor would be gratifeG 10 rel'aiT y
When the Nitre Bureau was established, il
tho early part of 1862, the army wss @'TrH:.
dependent for Ammunition upon casrs' M
portatioIs through the blockade, Which 80.
uncertain and wholly ir-ufIcient f&- tie
wants Of the service. At the commeLctEc.
of the war, not pound of nitrr was produce!
in the Coptederacy, and Virginia. which wsa
probably better supplied thao %Hy c'ae'
State, had only five hunire'. haTrcts Of Iow-
der. The want Of powder waS "2e Of The
greatest difficulties the Governmc;4t hai &c
encounter, and upon the estabis hmnut Of The
Nltre Bureau, it was authorized 10 enjoy
three thousand men, aud, i, necessary, u,
draw them from the army. 1t las not emN
ployed as many men, 10y three or four EuA
drcd, as it vas authorized % employ, 2EcS
! with this force, it he'd achieved great 21G
most important results. 1t had nut al tc-
QUESTIONS upon 1t, npd had rot on'v furnish
ell the army in the field, but bad accrmcla.ai
supplies for such Of our towns a are threat
enei with siege. Charleston had been tna-
bled to resist the attacks nude u?"n j mairl?
by the cxer.iouS of the N!trc Bureau. @-,l
Mobile Savannah and Wilmington la'! 'eaa
provided with ample stores of amman';i
Mr.. RANDOLPH said 10 branch q: re 81.
vice had dvne more, in pr pD-i;;n It's rGaa:.s,
and rome had rendered more important So
vice to the country. The cifcer az tt,c h,eiyr
the Bureau was second 70 more .o- :n,n.i:-,.
| zeal and fidelity, ard he had hreE @, "-s-s.
active in excluding from bis c!ri,l' yn.s.: pr.
sons skulking from their duties III the army,
| Periodical returns were required ~ tie ~:
OF every man employed, ant If IN: perm l.
able TO CONSUMPTION was found t" n2 90. !e
was sent to the cDrolling officer. /. iUrs. b..
borne in mind that negroes cannot -! 70
employed in the exposed districts IN which Ii"
nitro caves are found. ard that thee cave.
were special objects Of attack. wO.Ens pGI'ir:
in the employment of the Bureau hni aeoa
shellcd by the enemy while working ea7er
| lives had been lost in the caves thems:.Se-
md the employees are generally an,ohs t.
last to retire when our fssces fail back. rn:2
recent occasion three ou1sg q party Of twer'y
were taken prisoners, and were nov; or j Ia
sons Island.
The number Of persons in tho employing.
of the Bureau was as follows: In Fi!sinia,
coDscripts, 6j2; n0n-conscripts, chiefly Inc
groes,) LOG, Other States East of the Ns>i-
sippi riycr. conscripts, 775: non-conccriy;.,
| ,lc6. Total conscripts, ,42I ho:s-eor.
scripts, l:2l2.
On motion of Mr.. KEEN, the Scna;c id.
iourncd.
Tho House was called to order at t. o''lcrt
NJ, by the Speaker, II. W. SnErrEr. E.q,--
Prayer by Rev. Mr.. ,Peterkin, of the EH;=oc!s
Church.
Mr.. TAYLOR, of Prince George. stated lis
Mr.. WILSON, of Isle Of Wight. wGs is:a;.,i
from his seat by indisposticr.
ELLIS PASSED.
The following bills were read third i:m"
and passed:
Authorizing railroad companies ar,i oths:
Incorporated companies to pay their in'!cl,ei
ness to the State in registered OF coupon baGd'
of the State-Aycs %, noes l.
Aholishing the Beard Of Di.cC;ors Of ;.s
Eastern Lunutic Asylum and conicrri:s .h,,.
powers ca the Governor Of the Commo"w' ;...l
| r. The bill wac explained hy Mr.. CrsTis
Rcorganizing>the State pcnitcn: a:y.
Authorizing the admission Of Nils =, -.
cori upon proof Of the Handwriting O.. DE
a:testiEg witnesses, in CERTAIN cases.
BILLS REPoRTEp.
Mr.. BROOKE, from the Committee II Cug.a
of Justice, reported bill amcniin~ nd e.
ennct;ng the 4,h section Of the 2!:4;l! .,.H,ar
! of the Code.
Mr.. ANDERSON, from the Committee ca f:.l'.
tary Affairs, reported bill au;hGr.a. 90
Governor To cause sufficient covering = -
erected for the protection OF artillery hc.2.'
ing to the State, and now exposed g Al E.a!s
of weather in the city of Redmond:
| C0MHoSwEALTH's ATTORNEYS.
The bill to increase the salaries L: 10 c.g-
monw+al.h's attorneys Of Richmond. Pm.
burg, Lynchburg, &C., was taken ur o. Is.
cusscd Several amendments wee t.r-.--
Some members advocated prop ,,"a
give the Judges of the Circuit C"ar;s =
power to increase the salarie. Of the atlo'gc!'
for the Commonwealth.
Mr.. DEYsRLE favored giving the at;e:nc:a
$3.50 per annum.
Mr.. Y. S. HArxoSD argued that Slra va,
enough, with the exemption which it ga.@ n.
attorneys II they were nos satisfied "ilh IN,
amount they could sell out the office ari
make money by it. If the war wa o:cr h
would favor an increase Of tte salaries pr
vidcd there was as much money in The i:e..rr!
as there is TOW.
Ebil
Mr.. WoRsHAx offered an amer}rnent 70 ''a
bill. providing thst the provisions Of Tie IL.
shall not apply to any attorney Of tac Cor
monwca,th under the age Of Is year..
Mr.. w. Robertson thought il tbs ao;cni#ci;
was intended, or should operate SO ~ 10 re-
move from office the attorney foi this nv.
would be much regretted as it would t',riGe
the Commonwealth ef q most useful r.lr'r.
The question WAS then taken or MIR. WJE'
SHAN amendment, and it wal reioctr':.
Mr. WARD offered 10 amend the hi. br
limiting the salarics.to the period Of orc yca;
| from the passage of the bill.
| Mr.. ANDERSON offered an amcndmcn- %
the amendment continuing the saiGrirs dur
| ing the existence Of the war, and the 40
amendment to the amendment was agrcet u.
Mr. BouLpIs thought these amendm"n'-u''
necessary. 1t does not follow that becaC % ~"
wsr continues the necessity will exis. for 's1
salaries, nor did it follow tina. at the :. 81
the war the salaries should BIO dcc:cGa:d.
The close Of the war might call fO- mos:
efficient attorney in the courts of Richmo'la.
and it might not be advisable to cut down hi,
salary. In either case the matter would bc N
tho hands Of the Lcgs lafure to repeal or alter
the law, rs might lie deemed most advise t.
Mr. BoULDIH offered an amendment, VIII j
WAS agreed to, that the salarics fixed by IL
bill should continue to be paid until the cxi!
ration Ct six months after treaty Of peace
betwecen the United States and the Cor!c''e'
rate States.
Mr. BROOKE offered An amendment pro'i3.ag
that the law shall remain in force until si'
months after the expiration of the war. rne''
sooner altered or repealed by the Legislature
The amendment WIS agreed to.
RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were offered, ad'F'-
ed and referred to appropriate committees
BY Mr. T. S. HAYMOND-Thst the COMMITTEE
OIL Confederate Relations ascertain from tbs Sc
Rotary of War what order or rules have t''N
adoptnI in relation 10 granting fnrouriiS % f'.