The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-07

MARYE In the chair.
Prayer by Rev. Geo. w. Motley, OF tn
Methodist Church.
BILLS f%sTRopUcEp.
By Mr. SNowpEN.--An act to confer upol
Judges of the Corporation ana county
Courts powers In vacation: n,
By the same.-To amend an act prescrib
ING the time of holding the Circuit Courts
By Mr. GRIMsLEY.--ProyidinS for The
compilation and publication Of the laws re'
ferriIg to county and township organizes
ton.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
Leave of absence was granted Senator
| ROLLER for n week, and Senator PERI,
for one week.
ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE.
House concurrent resolution providing fol
the adjournment Of the General Assembly
sine die on Saturday, November 9th, was
received, and the Senate concurred therein
MESSAGE FROM HI GOVERNOR.
Colonel Owens, Private Secretary to the
Governor, presented n message from the
Executive, which may be found in our rc.
port of the House proceedings.
On motion Of Mr.. GRIMsLEY, SO much O.
the message as refers to the grand jury bill
and the bill in reference to notaries public
was lClStlCu W tlhC Sot1llDiltCt vi SOtl "
Justice; and so much Of the same message
rs relates to the bill to incorporate the
Rockingham Insurance Company was re-
terred to the Committee on General Laws
n JAMES RIVER BRIDGE COMPANY.
Mr.. GR1asLEY offered the following reso'
luton in relation to the bill last named III
The Governors message
"Resolced, That the Committee on
CnI,rtS If Tr,cfiaa ha ront1QStp6 fn consider
and report to the Senate whether in the
Judgment of said committee the legal effect
of the action Of the Governor upon the Sen.
ate bill entitled "a bill to incorporate the
James River Bridge Company" commune
Gated to the General Assembly this day, has
been such as under the provisions Of the
Constitution to prevent said bill from be.
coming B law"
wRITs OF ERROR n sUPERsEDEAs.
Mr.. RlpDIcK, from the Committee on
Courts Of Justice, reported q bill to amend
and reGnact section 5 of chapter 1872, in the
subdivision of an act entitlen a act to
amend the provisions of the Code in regard
to the Supreme Court Of Appeals, so as to
make them conform to the present Constl-
tuition" Ordered to engrossment.
THE FREE BRIDGE AGAIN.
Mr.. SMITH, of Henrico, introduced Il bill
entitled "An act to incorporate the James
River Bridge Company" which was or
dered to a second reading.
Adjourned.
ROUSE OF DELEGATES.
The House met at u O'Clock.
4 number of leaves of absence were
granted.
ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE.
Mr.. HANGER offered the following
".Res0lUed Ly the House of Delegates, the
Senate concurring,) That the General AS
sembly adjourn sine die on Saturday, the
9TH day of November, 1870" Carried-ayes,
Is; noes;0.
PER DIEM DURING ABsENc
Mr.. KEYsER offered q resolution stopping
per diem of members during their absence,
except in cases of sickness. Referred.
CIVIL RIGHTs.
Mr. FAYERMAS offered n resolution in
structin. the Committee ON Courts of JUS
tice to report a bill guaranteeing to all citi-
Zens of this State equal civil and political
rights and privileges. The House refused
to suspend the rules requiring reference to
a committee, and the resolution was re-
ferred.
BILLS, ETC, INTRODUCED.
By Mr.. GLAscocK-Bnl for the appoint
ment Of cattle Inspector. Referred to COM
mittee on Agriculture and Mining.
By Mr.. WooDyoN-A bill for the protec-
ton of fish in Roanoke river. Referred.
By Mr.. LovESsTEIN-
"Resolred, That the Committee for
Courts of Justice inquire into the eXpe.
diency Of so amending chapter 134 OF the
Code as to provide some more expeditions
method of recovering possession of leased
premises unlawfully withheld"
COMMON CARRIERS.
Mr.. STEVENS offered a resolution instruct
ing tue Committee on Courts TO report upon
a bill, to them referred, in relation to pub
lie carriers. Referred, the House refusing
to suspend the rules.
DAD BILL.
The road bin was made the special order
of the day for Wednesday next.
GOVERNORS VET MESSAGE.
a Col. Owens, the Governors aid, presented
TO the House the following message:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,) J.
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
RICHMOND, Oct. 8, 1870.
To the Senate and House Of Delegates:
or the large number of bills presented to
me for approval on the last day OF your late
session all were signed before your adjourn
ment except four. From the brief exami-
nation I was able at the time to give these
bills, there appeared to be some grave OBJ.
iections to each of them, and subsequent
reflection has confirmed and strengthened
the objections to three of those bills.
The first in order is the bill entitled @ An
act to amend and reenact chapter cow. of
the Code Of Virginia, edition of 1860, as to
grand juries." /.
The bill provides that there shall be @
grand Jury at two Of the terms OF the county
and corporation courts, and at as many
other terms as the courts or judges, re-
spectively, may deem necessary. At each
Of the terms first mentioned twenty-four
Jurors are to be summoned, bat the court
NAV limit the number to sixteen !; for all
other terms Of the court only ten Jurors are
ito be summoned, and the court may limit
the number to SIX. In case the jury is slX-
teen or over, twelve must oncur in finding
an indictment but if the jury is composed
of but six or ten, five must ncu in find
ing IN indictment. =" Why is this difference
made in the grand juries for the different
terms of the same court? Both are to pos
sess like qualifications, are summoned and
sworn in the same manner, and charged
with the investigation of the'same grade of
crimes /; IN fact, are precisely similar in all
their characteristics and functions, save only
in numbers. / confess that I fail to compre-
bend the necessity for q larger grand jury
at one term of the court than at another.
If FIVE men are competent to find an indict-
ment for felony at n term Of the court,
surely the same number are equally compe.
tent to the discharge Of a like duty at any
other term of the court. But my chief OBJ
lection to this bill is that it prescribes quail.
tications for grand jurors not warranted by
the Constitution. 1t in effect declares that