Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-24
Proceedings Of the virginia LCgItIN-

THE TEST oATH.
In tho House Of Delegates Of Virginia, at
Richmond, on Wednesday,, Mr.. Johnston,
from the Committee on Courts Of Justice, to
whom was referred the bill toprescribc means
by which persons who have been disfTan-
chised by the third article Of the Cons1tu-
tion may bo restored to the rights Of voters,
reported back tho bill with tho amand
ment to strike out 20 much OF the oath
TO uphold and defend tho Goyornmept Of
Virginia as requires y person to take tho
oath to the United States twice over. Tho
bill as amended provides that tho amnesty
oath of tte 10Th May, and The oath 10 dup-
port the Government Of Virginia, Rs rostd dred
by the convention which assembled at Wheel
ing on the llth Of june, 1854, az pertains to
the State Government alone, be an that 5 hall
be requisite to restore dlsfranchised persons
10 tho rights Of voting. The bill was patsed
-L-ono member voting in the negAtive-hnd
sent to the Senate, when that body debating
II TO he ''uniutelligible lHidit on the tai lie
and d committee circumference was appointed
..H AL TO uOLD OFFICE. e.
In the House Mr.. johnson reported n bill
from the Senate entitled " An act TO provide
for the amendment Of tho third article of. the
Constitution. 2 This article excludes tfom
any offioe Of honor, profit, or trust all Who
have held Office under the confederate GOV
crnmcnH' or the rcbo government Of gir.
ginia, Tho amendment proposed Is tc sttike
this disqualification out Of the Consultation,
and to allow all to hold Office. %
Mr.. Downcy objected that tho bill ust
passed by the House did away with the ne
cessity Gf referring the question to tho pco-
pie. The Objectionable clause in the CoIsti.
tuition has been already removed.
~ :. n. l.
oath required of pctsons before voting bad
been abolished, yet there was anec0ssity for
filing Offices and but very few persons were
qualified for holding thess Offices, aIthop Ugh
thoy were allowed to vote. This was the
question to be submitted TO the people hnd
not the doing away with the oath necessary
for the exercise 0f suffrage. .r -
An amendment was adopted requiring that
the Governor shall give Mt least thirty dtys
notice ofthe submission Of the question. at
the same time prescribing the mode and man
ner of taking tho vote, and tho bill was then
passed. .o.v .a l..l st.m.4o
MARRIAGE OF NEeROEs. .
The following bin was submitted in tho
House, and several motions WeTe,mado "a re
fer to different committees, when II was
finally laid on tho tablo;. q peso. 70. :
De il c,,aetsd By Ht Gsnrrai Asscmbiq q
VTgikid, That Il shah be lawful for hny
negro man and woman who have heretofore
demoaned themselves rs married man mud
wife, though not intermarried In legal form,
To appear together IN any county or cor,
porRtion in which thoy may be, before the
! clerk thereof, and d0elRrA before him that
they are and intend TO continue husband pnd
wife and also to declare before HIM as aoaI
~ may be, when and wherc they we're mar
Tied; which declaration shall be deemed q
valid marriage Of the man and woman
ThsrouPon such husband and wife shah be
invested with, and subject 10, all the rights,
duties and consequences Of persons interIh0r
ried in solemn legal form. The children o.
such negro man by such negro woman, Borr
before such doclaTation if ifreeogniEed by him
before or aftor such declaration, shnlf bC
doomed legitimate. L., -Il
2. The clerk before whom such declaration
may be made shall record and preserve tn,
same in his OiIice In book 10 be kept foi
tho purpose. His feo for this office shall ID
twenty-five cents for each case,
3. BE IL further S'laaiod, That all tho rites
Uf mRtrimony betweon negroes may be sol
cmniEcd by any negro authorized thereto by
thU rites Of any church to which he may be-
long, or by tho order Of auy county or cor,
poratiOn court under section . of the lbsth
| VhhpNoI OF lno OOuc oi Nlfglnln, eultlun
1850; ProUfded, That the bond Of such negro
shall be in penalty not exceeding three
hundred dollars, and that negro suroties, Il
sufficient, may be taken in such bond: dRd
PrOridesf, further, That in sll other respccti
the laws Of this commonwealth respecting
licenses for and registration Of marriages,
shall bo observed and enforced as to negro
in like manner as to white persons, except
that a separate register shall be kept fpr ne,
| grOes. i
l ...T IA. I'rl stay BubL, 81. d. g.r. -..
An act to amend and re-cnact the 3d sec,
tion of the act passed January %, 1863, on,
titled "An act staying the collection of pcr.
tain debts" was passed by the IIob bse.
Tho provisions stay the Payment Of all debts
contracted and aocruing before the 26th day
of July, 1861, the debtor or party Liable t.
| pay upon the demand of the creditor or prin.
! cipal.' 81 fa'l '.''1 ."' g..
."N4.E.E a ELRcTIONs. 900
An act fixing the second Thursday in %,
tOber, 1855, as the day for holding elections
for COhErsssmsp and members Of III, General
Assembly was passed by the House.