Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-26
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.

The House met At noon, the Speaker in the Chair.
THE CLAIM OF THE NEW YORK AND VIRGINIA
STEAMSHIP COMPANY FOR THE JAMESTOWN ASD
YORKTOWN.
The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred
"a memorial of Francis Sl,iddy, President OF the
New OTS and Virginia Steamship Company, beg
leave 10 state that, owing to the peculiar and extra
ordinary character OF this claim Is well As IT, mag
uItude, they have examined It with ali the care
aud attention which they could bestow ON it, AMI
present the following report the result of their
dciIbcratlOu. The mtmOfillistS allcdge that they
owned, in the spr,ug of 1851, line of steamers un-
der New ork charter OF Incorporation, gis;ered
dt New ! Ork, in the State OF New York, then and
ever since one OF the United States, which Piled be-
tween New \ DIRK Norfolk aud City Point and Rich
mOud, Va; That one of Their steamers. while lying
II the wharf Ut Richmond, the l5th day of April,
1861. IN the afternoon, was seized by Captain Cary,
military officer, acting by authority OF JOAN
Letcher. Governor Of Virginia; and the James
town, another steamer, on the 18th day of April
lo5l, while at City Point was seized by military
force under Colonel Bracket, and brought to Rich
moud. Which seizure. If not originally made 10y ur
der Of Governor Letcher, was approved and adopted
by him, the aggregate value in gold OF the
TWO steamers being $500 coo, were detained
several days, when they Were released by order of
Governor Letcher hut before they had time 10 take
;her cargOes on board, they were on the 81 day Of
May, 1851 asaiu seized by the military authorizes
of the state were detained by them Tor some time
IN whose possession they remained till the evacua-
ton of Richmond, when they were burned and de-
,troyei On these aiegatiors-tO prove which some
witnesses were ntrUduced-they claim of the State
of Virginia the value OF these steamers at the time
of their seizure and Interest from that time amount
ing to about $4,000. In their investigation. your
committee have deemed il necessary to examine not
only the nature OF this transaction, but also the ac
tuai powers and authority of the State Government
II Richmond at that time. well aS the powers and
restrictions Of the restored Government OF Virginia
The ordinance of secession adopted by the Convcn-
ton, which assembled at Richmond on the 18th day
OF February. 1861 went into effect on the llth day
OF April, 1861 1t is declared that this ordnance
shall take effect and be act OF this date, when rat
lied by majority of the votes Of the people ut
poll to be taken thereon on the fourth Thursday in
May next in pursuance of schedule hereafter to be
enacted AS portion Of contemporary history, which
il may he well to remember as evidencng the char
aeter of the acts of the State Government at Rich
mOnd, it may be mentioned that on four different
occasOns-trom the 10Th Of April to the lst of May,
nclusive-the Convention enacted ordinances in re-
laton to the new and extraordinary institution of
the advisory council Of the Governor evidently for
military purposes.
While these and many other acts of like character
snd tendency being done by the State authori
vys at Ric lmond, there arose authority in the
eSr winch, at first like the cloud in ancient times