Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-02-26
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.

>A0OA1AAOA4 OG v4AS0AAs AAA'
SENATE, Wednesday, Feb 2Oth.-The Sen
a!e TOOK up the calendar and passed several
Oils, which required only the formality of final
vote. Among them is the House bill to amend
and re-enact the 33d and 34th sections of chap
ter ~ OF the Code 1860, in regard to
PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM DISTRESS AND LEVY,
was taken up and passed The bill is conse-
quenty now law. The following is copy:
BE 1t enacted By the General Assembly, That
the 33d section Of chapter 40 of the Code of
Virginia OF 1861 be amended and re-enacted
SO as to read as follows In case ola husband,
parent, or other person who is housekeeper
and head of a family, there shall be exempt
from distress or levy the following articles, or
so much or so many thereof as the party may
have: 1st, the family Bible; I'd, family pic
lures, school books and library for the use of
the family, not exceeding one hundred dollars
IN value; I'd, seat or pew in any house or
place OF public worship; 4th, lot in any bu.
rial ground; 9Th all necessary wearing apparel
OF the debtor and his family !; all beds, bedseads
and bedding necessary for the use of such fam
lily; all stores and appendages put up and kept
tor the necessary use of the family, not to ex-
coed three; 9th, one COW, one horse, SIX chairs,
one table, knives, six forks, SIX plates, twelve
spoons. two dishes, two basins, one pot, one
oven, SIX pieces OF wood or earthenware, one
loom and Its appurtenances, one safe or press,
one splnning-wheel, one pair of cards, one axe,
two hoes, five barrels of corn, five bushels of
wheat or one barrel of -four, two hundred pounds
OF bacon or pork, three hogs, ten dollars in val
ue OF forage or hay, one cooking stove and uten-
slls for cooking Herewith, and one sewing ma
chine, and in case of a mechanic, the tools and
utensils of his trade, not exceeding one hundred
dollars in value
IF the debtor be at the time actually engaged
in the business of agriculture, there shall be ex-
empt from such distress or levy, while he is so
engaged, one yoke of oxen, or pair of horses
or mules in lieu thereof, with the necessary
gearing, one wagon Or cart, two plows, one drag,
one harvest cradle, one pitch-fork, one rake,
two iron wedges. All of which articles intended
to be exempted by this act shall be chosen by
the head Of the family, his agent or represen-
tative; provided, that the provisions Of this act
shall not extend to distress made for taxes,
county and parish evies and provided further,
that upon all contracts made and entered into
before the passage of this act only so much of
the above mentioned property shall be exempt
from distress or levy as are hereby exempted
under the provisions of the said thirty third and
thirty fourth sections of chapter forty-nine of
the Code Of eighteen hundred and sixty
This act shall be in force from its passage.
The Cumberland Gap Railroad bill, more
generally known as the 'Southside Consolida-
ton Scheme, was passed by in accordance
with the wishes of its friends, and the Senate
of the Assessment Bill" which remains the
unfinished business for tomorrow.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
A number of bills, resolutions and petitions
were presented and referred. The standing
committees made reports Of several matters re-
ferred to them. The Conference Committee on
the bill to provide for the improvement Of New
river reported a substitute for the bill, which
was adopted by the House. On motion of Mr..
White, the vote by which the House rejected
the bill to repeal an act in relation to appeals
and writs Of error, &C., was reconsidered, and
the question being taken on the bill, it was
again rejected. The substitute for House bill
to amend the Code relative to proceedings in
criminal cases, was taken up and discussed ;
without coming to vote on it, the bill was
postponed to consider the order of the day, be-
ing the bill to facilitate the construction Of the
till adjournment.
SENATE, Thursday, Feb. 2lst.-Thc Senate
perfected and passed the Assessment Bill, y
passed by the Senate, it is in the nature of a
substitute for the House bill of the same title,
but its changes are not very material.
The bill to continue the payment of interest
on State bonds held by the colleges and schools
of the State received the unanimous vote of the
Senate, and we presume viii pass the House of
Delegates without difficulty.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Several petitions, resolutions and bills were
presented and referred-among them a bill by
Mr.. Huntington to repeal an act recognizing
the militia. A motion to discontinue the night
sessions was offered and rejected A petition
was received from Greenbrier county asking that
said county may be included in the proceedings
now pending for the recovery of Berkeley and
Jefferson counties from West Virginia. Mr..
Hansbrough offered resolution for re- assess
ment of the lands of Stafford and King George
counties, which was referred. Senate bill, rel
alive to the organization and government of the
Penitentiary, was passed House bill to change
the amount required to constitute petit larceny
to $50, and bill concerning the compensation
Of Commonwealth Attorneys, were ordered to
engrossment, as was also a bill to change the
charter of the Roanoke Valley Railroad. A
bill changing the time of holding the circuit
courts in the Fourteenth Circuit was passed =
bill to revive the charter Of the Virginia Ca
nal Company, was passed unanimously. House
bill to provide for the completion of the Gov
ington and Ohio Railroad, was passed An act
amending the charter Of the Tredegar Company,
was passed. The bill to pay Henry Exall foI
work done on the Capitol was taken up, and
opposed by Messrs Pendleton, Miller and Kel-
lam, but without coming to vote was post
poned, to take up the Cumberland Gap Rail
road BILL which was amended in several par
ticulars, and discussed until the hour of adjourn
ment
The Richmond Times says that "now is the
time for the South to show the greatness of hel
SOUL and to make her prosecutors desperate in
the discovery that bayonets and brute force have
no terrors for her; that the sublimity Of hel
courage and fortitude can never be reached by
those who have neither the wisdom nor states
manship to reconstruct, but idly think thai
all the Gordian knots of politics can be cut by
the sword of Brigadier
The spectacle of martial law and military com
MISSIONS during period of profound peace
and among people who are totally defenceless
and multitudes of them on the verge Of starva
ton, will shock, not only the sober, second
thought Of the North, but will be visited with
the honest Indignation Of all Christendom.
The most cursory reader of the newspapers
Of the day must have noticed that Of late crime
has fearfully increased in the land. Like the
Eastern scourge, it appears to visit US In an
epidemic form. And what is more noticeable,
Itc not od fo anv one nartlcJliar