Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-02-03
FROM RICHMOND.
LEGISLATIVE.

rule. A good many members of both Houses
make it convenient, school boy fashion, to take
holiday on Saturdays, and as Il consequence 1t
is very seldom that anything of interest occurs
In the Senate, to-day, the assessment bill
which had been engroSscd, was formally passed
and sent to the House.
Bills were introduced to amend the law IN
relation to notaries public, and to prevent the
obstruction of cartridges until after the LIST OF
October; and then having made the bill to
provide for paying the railroad debts of coun-
ties, cities. &C., the order of the day for next
Wednesday, adjourned
10 The House of Delegates bills were report
ed to provide for re-establishiug the seals
and far of the commonwealth; to amend the
code in relation to aliens; to amend the law pre-
scrbing the courts in which legal proceedings
are commeuccd to amend the code IN relation
to the service Of process, or notice to corpora
ton; to amend certain acts IN relation to the
town of Uppervile, and to amend the act IN re-
Iation to working the roads i'll Loudoun county.
The Committee on Counties: Cities and
Towns reported it incXpedent to leglslate so as
to provide for the collection of road taxes by
the overscer of roads, instead OF constables,
giving him power to collect by distress; which
report was cuncurred In.
Resolutions were adopted for the appoint
mcnt Of Il special committee to proceed to the
Hampton Normal and Agricultural School, and
report how many students are there from this
State, how many from other States, and how
is that part Of the proceeds Of the land scrip
donated BY Congress to this State, applied to
the said school, and what is the true condition
of the school, provided that no more money be
paid out of the treasury on account OF the COM
mittae; and iustructing the Committee on Ag-
ricuture and Mining to report bill to amend
the act authorizing the voters OF certain counties
and townships to vote upon the question OF re-
pealipg the act relating to teuces and for the
protection OF crops.
Bills were passed to amend the act to incor-
porate the Valley railroad company and the
Senate bill with House amendment to title,
to amend section of chapter lst, of an
act providing charter for the city of Alexan-
drla
Bills were introduced to repeal an act to au
thoriZe the organization Of chan-gangs III the
cities towns, and couuties Of the State, AMI
authorizing the Governor to appoint State
chemist and assayer of ores and metals, also
resolution as to the expedcncy of Furnishing
morei rgorous " the crime of arson and espe-
cy so as to provide that barn burning at
night shall be a capital offence when the lives
of valuable animals and other valuable property
are destroyed, and also to authorize the super
visors OF the several counties to offer rewards
for the detection and apprehension of persons
guilty Of arson.
The bill in reference to the jurisdiction Of
Circuit and County Courts, &c, was taken up
and discussed until adjournment. A vote may
be expected on Monday or Tuesday on the bill.
IMMIGRATION BUREAU.
The bill which has been introduced in the
Senate for the establishment off bureau of i'm
migration contemplates the expenditure of only
ten thousand dollars per annum, aud does not
propose the establishment of agencies abroad
TOBACCO INSPECTION.
Among the bills that have been passed by
the Legislature is one so amending the law in
relation 10 the inspection of leaf tobacco, as to
provide that hereafter the eight pounds OF
samplng usually taken from a hogshead or
cask by the Inspector shall be weighed 10 with
the bulk of tobacco and so credited to the
planter instead of, as heretofore, given to the
purchaser Of the hogshead or cask.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROADS. The
bill which has been made the special order IN
the Senate for Wcdnesday-"To secure aud
provide for paying the railroad debts OF coun-
ties, townships cities and towns'-ls one OF
Importance to all counties of the State that
have not now adequate railroad facilities. The
object of the bill is to render certain the pay
ment Of the annual Interest accrulng On county
subscriptions to railroads through the State
treasury, instead of leaving it as at present un-
certain and dependent on the caprice OF county
supervisors If this could be attained 1t Is
thought the market value of such bonds would
soon be equal to that Of State bonds previous
to the war.
The first section provides that whenever any
county Shall have created a debt 10 the con-
ssruc,iou of railroad through or near the
same. so soon as the road shall be constructed
the auditor is required, on receiving the reeve-
nue. from such county, for fifteen years, to place
to the credit of such county there venue received
on the increased valuation of the taxable proper
ty of such county ,as shown from the assessment
books as compared with the books for the year
next preceding the one in which the road was
commenced; aud the money so placed to the
credit of the county shall be applied by the
State Treasurer to the payment OF the railroad
debt of such county. The same provisions
arc made to apply to the debts of cities, towns
and townships contracted for railroad pur-
poses.
The sccoad section provides that the act shall
not apply to railroads which have been built in
whole or in part by the State, except that
branch routes from the main lines may come
under it provisions.
The third section provides for the reeiStra-
ton by the county clerk Of all bonds issued un-
der this act, and also for a like registration BY
the auditor.
The fourth section provides that on bonds so
registered the auditor shall annually ascertain
the amount of interest due for the preceding
wear and from that amount deduct the amount
placed to the credit Of such county, under this
act. and then, on the total assessment OF such
county, he shall estimate and determine the
rate per centum on the valuation OF property
requisite to pay the interest unprovided tor,
and that rate shall be added to the per centum
levied for State purposes for such county, which
shall be collected in the same manner and paid
on the bonds registered under this act:
The fifth section declares that the State
shall be trustee for such taxes and shall not
be liable therefor in any manner, and also pro-
yiaeS y sinking fund for the principal OF the