Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-02-21
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
The House met at the usual hour, the Speaker in

chair.was vacated until y 7. M.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
The House met at the usual hour, the Speaker in
the Chair.
FROM THE COMMITTEE on COURTS OF JUSTICE.
The above committee made the following report
which was adopted;
The Committee for Courts of Justice have, accord.
ing to order. had under consideration a resolution
making it unlawful for a freedman to give a deed OF
trust or other pledge in certain cases, to the preln.
dice of his employer, and beg leave to report that
they deem it ineNpedient to legislate on the subject
and ask to be relieved from further consideration al
the same.
The same committee reported adversely to legisla,
ting upon the subject of taking dispositions of tele'
graph operators, railroad employees, &c, and were
relieved from the further consideration of the same
also, adversely to the publication of laws in news
papers.
FROM II COMMITTEE on FINANCE.
The above committee reported adversely TO pro-
viding for the payment of the persons associated
with the agent of the Freedmen's Bureau in the set
Element of all accounts in which freedmen are In
terested. Agreed to.
ELECTION OF JUDGES.
The Joint resolution adopted by the Senate, fixing
Saturday, at one O'clock, for the election Of Judges,
was taken up, when
Mr.. WATKINS stated that il was very important
that the Judges should be elected at once, rs it was
understood that the election of several of the nomi'
nees of the Governor would meet with warm OppoSl-
ton, which would necessarily consume much OF the
time of the two bodies. Furthermore, that If the
matter was delayed, some OF the districts may De
left without Judges; he therefore moved to amend
the resolution by inserting " to-day, at II o'clock,
instead of Saturday, at | O'clock. Agreed to. Al
the suggestion of the Senate, il was subsequently de-
ferred until Wednesday, at the same hour.
TIE UsURY LAW.
The consideration of the unfinished business, 10
wit. the amendment Of Mr.. WHITE to the usury
law, making ten per cent. the legal rate OF interest,
was resumed.
Mr.. TURNER, of Rappahannock, said he would
vote for the Senate bill without amendment.
The amendment offered by Mr.. WHITE was lost.
The amendments of the Finance Committee, OF
which the following are copies were discussed;
In tenth line, after word exceeding, strike out
eight and insert nine. Lost.
At end of fourth section add, provided, however.
that nothing in this act shall be construed To Apply
to the acts and contracts of banks IN the discount,
purchase or sale of negotiable notes or bills, but as
to the said acts and contracts of banks, the law rs
il now is shall remain and be in force
MIR. LEE opposed the latter amendment, and
advocated giving the banks the benefit OF
the law.
Messrs. GRArrAN and EVANS thought, under the
present law, the banks, while protesting to lend
money at six per cent, rs prescribed by law
really get from fourteen to twenty per cent. The
amendment was lost.
Mr.. JoYNEs then offered the following amend
ment:
Al end of fourth line-"a and bills of exchange and
other negotiable paper, not having more than six
months TO run, may be discounted, purchased, on
sold. at any rate of interest not exceeding ten dol
lars for one hundred dollars for n year
Mr. TURNER, of Rappahannock, opposed the
amendment.
Mr.. JoYNEs said he offered it to meet a very gene
raj wish and necessity of the mercantile community
Of the State. He thought his proposition Il fair and
equitable compromise between the conflicting opin-
ions of members or the House. If the farming intc-
rest of the country is unwilling to borrow money AZ
a greater interest than six per cent, it ought not to
prevent those engaged in commercial enterprises
from so doing.
Mr. GRATTAN thought the bill without the amend
meut was liable to all the objections raised by the
gentleman from RappahannOck.
Mr.. LEE thought the course of his colleague and
Others very remarkable, in having voted against an
amendment allowing the banks to loan money AT
more than six per cent, and then TO advocate the
passage Of the proposed amendment. Money had
come here by millions at six per cent, and the
passage of the law will prevent its being done again.
Mr.. GRATTAN said that his colleague differed in
opinion with every man in Richmond, except the
street brokers. How many people in Richmond
can get money in New York Men of large means
may, but the bulk of the people, stripped of their
property, cannot. Mr.. Lee, my colleague, says
NaAAA aAN@N AEVA N1A9 1NtNAFh $500 So - AV@NN
question, and as he had come to the Legislature TO
represent, not only the city Of Richmond but the
people of Virginia, according TO his best judgment,
be would not be swerved from the conscientious
performance of his duty by the threats of any class
of the community.
Time would show whether he was an ambassador
Of the past, as he had been characterized by one OF
the city papers.
Mr.. PENDLEroN called the pending question,
when the amendment was lost.
H. Errr IN mnyad IN aNclula the cnuntiaq hf Ar.
comac and Northampton. He was willing for Rich
mond and other portions of the state 10 borrow
money at as high rates as they were willing to give.
The amendment was lost.
On the motion TO read the Senate bill ! third time,
the vote stOod-ayes 46, noes 40.
The vote being taken on the bill, it was lost by
the following vote:
AYEs-Messrs. Atkinson, Baylor, Booker, Bowles,
Braxton, Brown, A. j. Clark, W. T. Clark, Davis
Dawson, English, Evans, Garnett, Glendy, Graham,
Grattan, Hancock, Hansbrough, Hardy, Herndou,
Joynes, Kilby, LanghOrne, Lee, Lewis, Marshall
Meagill, Merritt, Miller, Morris, Pate. Scott, Stearns
Townes. Z. Turner, Waddell, Wall, White, Wilson
Woodson, Woodbridge, Wyatt, Mr.. Speaker-4O.
NoEs-MeSsrs. Bekem, Bently, Cabell, Childress
Daniel. Davidson, DeskinS, Dickinson, Huntington,
Fields, GibbOney, Graves, Gray, Hamsberger, Jack
son. Jones, kellam. Kendrick, Long. Mann, Mcno'
maid. Moore, Morgan, Newberry, Owen, Parsons
Peed, Pendleton, Powell, Purdy, Riggs, Seawell
smith, Straughan, StHyer, j. Mcdowell Taylor, W.
+. Is. Taylor, leeler. lnOUpsOn, lTOut, W. u luI
ner, Watkins. WOltz, Wood, Word-45.
The vote by which the bill was lost was then re-
considered, and the bill passed by.
BILLS PASSED.
Senate bill defining a mulatto, and repeating all
laws relative to slavery, &c.
House bill amending the provisions OF the Code
concerning witnesses, passed by the General Assem-
bly, OF the restored Government of Virginia, on the
18th of January, 1864.
y Dill amending the Code relative to the planting
taking. selling and buying oysters.
House bill TO repeal the act passed June %
1866, in relation to the salaries of certain officers Of
the Government, and to revise certain sections of m,
Code repealed by said act.
House bill in relation to the testimony of colore,
persons.
ter lOI of the Code in relation to property of marie,
A bill to amend section . of chapter 81 of tn
Code Of 1850.
House bill TO amend Sd and 9th sections of chap
ter 90 of the Code of 1860, concerning Application
for licenses for the sale of ardent spirits, &c.
A bill TO amend section 81 of chapter IS concern
ing tar on licenses for the sale of ardent spirits.
House bill concerning the appointment oil com
missionen Of Roads, who shall contract for the I'm
provement and repair Of county roads.
Senate bill amending the Cote in relation TO per
sons authorized to ad~ministe1oaths.
House bill concerning the tax on the seals of tn
Commonwealth.
House bill to amend the law concerning militia
exemptions.
House bill providing that the Auditor shall, il
] 1870, and for every five years subsequently, deliver