Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-06-30
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.
WEDNESDAY,, June 81, 1865.

At II O'Clock the Senate was called t
order by tn: President, Lieutenant Cover
/. nor Cowper, Of Portsmouth.
Present: Messrs Whitehurst, Lemosey
Tennis, MERCER and POWELL
RESTORATION OF THE RIGHTS OF VOTERS.
| The bill entitled "an act prescribin.
| means by which persons who have been dis
franchised by the third article of the Con
4 stituiion," was taken up and ordered to it
third reading.
Mr.. MERCER thought that, rs the merit
of the. bill under consideration had beer
discussed both In and out of the Senate, ant
! was therefore pretty we'll understood ant
sanctioned by the members he was willing
that it shoulp be- put.upon its passage with
| out further debate.
+ The bill was then passed.
! TEe Sergeantat- Arms was instructed te
inform tie House Of Delegates of the actor
Of the Senate.
/ The following IS corrected copy of thu
bill as passed by The Senate: =
IAN ACT entitled in Act prescribing
means by which persons, Who have been
DISTINGUISHED by the third Article of..tht
Constitution, may be restored to the rights
Of voters.
Hhereas, in the opinion Of this Gene,,
al Assembly, the time has arrived when it
would be safe and expedient to restore to
the rights of voters certain persons who are
disfsa nchised by the provisions Of the third
article of the Constitution; now, fer the
purpose of SO restoring such persons.
/ BE 1t enacted BY lie General assembly
Of Nirgiaio,, That every person possessing
III other respects the qualifications Of roter
under MISREPRESENTATION and laws of the State,
who has taken, or shall hereafter take, the
oath prescribed by the Amnesty ProcIama-
ton of the President of the United States
of The 29th of May, 1865, which oath is in
the f. flowing words. to wit II do solemn
~ swear. or affirm. in the pre- ence of AL
mighty God, that will hencefurth faithful
ly support, protect and defend the Consti
tuition Of the United States and the Union
Of the States hereunder; and that will in
like manner, abide by, and faithfully sup
port all laws and proclamations which have
been made during the existing rebellion
with reference to the emancipation Of slaves.
Aid an oath to uphold and defend the Gov
erument Of Virginia as restored by the Con.
vention which assembled at Wheeling on
, he ] lth Of June, 1861, which oath is in
fhe following words: i do solemnly swear
| Tor affirm shat will support the Constitu-
lion Of thesITuited States and the laws made
in pursuance thereof, as the supaeme law
of the land, anything in the Constitution
and the laws of the State of Virginia. or i'll
the ordinances of the Convention which as
senrIled at Richmond on the fifteenth day
Of February. eighteen hundred and sixty
one, to the contrary Notwithstanding aud
I thai i VIII VIII uphold and defend the Govern
ment Of Virginia as restored by the Con,
venton which assembled at Wheeling on the
eleventh day of June, eighteen hundred an(
sixty one;' shall be entitled and qualified t.
. vote for members ofthe General Assembly
and all officers elective by the people, sub
Iject, always, to the laws in regard to vo
te,s and voting not Inconsistent With Thu
act> Prouided, horerer, that the person
exc'udep by the terms of the. said proc!ama
lion from the benefits thereof, excepting
those embraced in the thirteenth class Q
such excluded persons, shall not be entitled
or qualified 10 vote as aforesaid, unless par
doned by the President, as provided for b,
said proclamation
"SEcr1os g. This act shall be in fore
from its passage.
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION.
The bill providing for amending tn
: thin article of the Constitution vas takes
up, read third time and passed. The bill
reads as follows
."Be 1t euaczed by the General Assembl
I IF Tirginia, >Tbat the Governor of thi
Commonwealth is hereby authorized to sub
nit to the qualified voters Of this State, a
the next election for members Of Congress
and Of the General Assembly, the question
shall the next General Assembly b
clothed with power to alter or. amend tn
third article of the Constitution and if
majority Of the votes so cast shall be in ia
vor of vesting such power in the Genera
Assembly, the Governor shall commusi
cate the result to that body at its next sess
ion. 3,
'sSEc 3 This act shall be in force fror
its passage"
RECESS. =
On motion of Mr.. MERCER, the Senat
adjourned till 4 o'clock p NJ.
EyENING SESSION.
t The Senate was called to order at O'Clock
by the President.
THE SUPPORT OF LUNATIc AsYLUAls, &c.
House bin providing for the support {
the luuts. &c Asvlums of Williamsburg an
Staunton, and the Institution OF tiue Dea
and Dumb Asylum was, on motion Of Nj
MERCER, taken from the calendar and adopt
ed unanimously by a vote of-yeas 4, noe
0.
RESTORING TIE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
' Senate bill No. 1. providing for restorin
, the elective franchise to certain persons i
certain cases, passed by the Senate thi
r morning, was returned from the House wit
amendments.
On motion of N1r Powell, the bill wa
taken up and considered
In consideration Of the fact that th
!. amendments, on account Of the mutilatio
Of the original copy of the bill, could nc
9 be clearly understood by the Senate.
On motion of Mr.. MERCER, committe
of conferenca consisting NJ t,ga members r