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

SENATE, Saturday, Feb. 16th.-The greater
part Of the Senate session was consumed in
discussing the bill to provide for the obligations
of the State. Speeches were made by Senators
Keen, Lee and McRae, at considerable length.
Early in the progress of the discussion, vote
was taken on the substitute proposed by Sena
tor Lee, and it was rejected, receiving only one
vote. The substitute proposed by Senator
Meade received similar fate. A proposition
by Senator Ould to make the rate of interest
six per cent from the date ofresuming payments
ION the two-thirds of the debit instead of grad
uating it from four to seven per cent. during
the first ten years. received only four votes, be-
cause Of the unwillingness Of the Senate to i'm
pose tax as high as thirty-fve cents on the
800. But before arriving at any vote on the
main merits of the question, the Senate ad-
journed.
Senator Gray introduced resolution looking
to the adjustment of the militia officers train
ings. A Committee Of Conference was ap-
pointed to consider the disagreement between
the two houses on the bill for the New River
improvement.
The bill reported from the Committee on FL
nance amendatory of the act in relation to the
collection OF taxes is measure OF some interest.
It requires that each sheriff shall give notice
and attend at the courthouse Of his county or
corporation and at least one of the most public
places in each magisterial district in his county
on some designated day, for the purpose of col
lecting taxes for the current year. All persons
who pay taxes to the sheriff, in accordance with
this notice. shall be entitled to deduction of
FIVE per centau,a on the amount of their taxes
respectively, The bill is similar to the law at
present in force in North Carolina and some
other States.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Several resolutions and petitions were pre-
scented and referred. Senate bill to regulate
charges of telegraph companies in Virginia was
rejected. A number of bills were passed
among them one to employ. an engineer to "a at
tend the heating apparatus in the Capitol. The
Railroad and the bill to provide for the COM
pletion of a line Of railway from the seaboard to
the Ohio river, by facilitating the construction
Of the Cumberland Gap Railroad were post
poned until Monday The Committee of
Schools and Colleges presented joint resolutions
of thanks to Mr. George Peabody, for the mu-
nifcent donation of So, 100000, which he has
made to the cause of education in the South
House bill to consolidate the debt Of the State,
and to provide for the gradual payment ofprin-
cipal and interest, was taken up and read the
second time. Mr.. Crump advocated the adop-
ton of the bill at length, and at the conclusion
for the bill, (which is the same proposed in the
Senate by Mr.. Meade on Friday,) when the
further consideration of the subject was post
poned until Monday.
SENATE, Monday, Feb 18th-The Senate
perfected and passed the bill in relation to the
obligations of the State. The bill as passed,
assumes that the Commonwealth is responsible
for two-thirds of the entire Virginia State
debt, which is estimated at $45, 900, 900 up to
lst January 1861 which state the debt Of the
present Virginia at $50, 100000. On this sum
the bill enacts that there shall be paid four per
cent. year for one year, in semi-annual install
ments. The following statement used by Sen
ator Boiling in the course of debate, will show
what it is proposed to do and how it is pro-
posed to do it:
State debt prior to 18th April, 1861,
and interest on same to LIST Janu-
airy, 1867 ................ 459O0 600
Twothirds of same is................. $50 600 900
Four per cent mt. on $50 100000 is. s1,2A,ooo
Current expenses Of government for
year 1867, say................ 100000
Amount necessary to pay expenses of
government and interest at per
Cent, on public debt....... $1,924,OOO
ASSETS
In Treasury LIST February,
1861 S45O,UUU
Tax on lands, lots and prop
erty at 20 cents per 500
value ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10000
One-half capitation taxi. 1880
Licenses Observation-Disclosures. 100000
All other sources....... 100000 2,112,SoO
Balance in Treasury LIST january, s18s,3oo
Uncolected tax of 1865 and 1866,
supposed to be................... $4,000
$55s, 5000
We may remark that call other sources in
this statement include ''the oyster fundum"
and other like subjects, which we have no doubt