The House of Delegates was called to order by the SPEAKER at 12 o'clock M. The proclamation of the governor was read by the clerk as follows: PROCLAMATION. In obedience to a call made upon the governor, with the signatures of twothirds of the total membership of each house of the General Assembly attached thereto : I, William E. Cameron, governor of the commonwealth of Virginia, in pursuance of the constitution and laws, do hereby summon the members of the Senate and House of Delegates, constituting the General Assembly of the state of Virginia, to meet in extra session at their respective chambers in the capitol, at Richmond, at 12 o'clock, noon, on Wednesday, the 13th day of August, 1884. In testimony whereof, I have hereto set my hand, and caused [Seal.] the seal of the commonwealth to be attached, at Richmond, this 28th day of July, 1884, in the 109th year of the commonwealth. By the Governor: H. W. FLOURNOY, Secretary of the Commonwealth. WILLIAM E. CAMERON. The roll was called, and the following members answered to their names: Messrs. Speaker, R. J. Anderson, William A. Anderson, Chancellor Bailey, W. W. Baker, R. G. Banks, Robert T. Barton, Burdine Bishop, D. W. Bolen, J. T. Brockwell, M. W. Camper, Thomas A. Chapman, Joseph Christian, Thompson S. Crockett, John A. Curtis, James H. Darst, Amos A. Dodson, Thomas M. Dunn, James M. Dunlop, Edward Echols, William M. Ellis, A. Browne Evans, Thomas J. Evans, Thomas P. Fitzpatrick, A. C. Garnett, J. C. Gibson, Reuben L. Gordon, George C. Gose, George J. Grandstaff, George G. Grattan, William F. Graves, Duff Green, Armistead Green, Robert G. Griffin, A. W. Harris, Samuel G. Harrison, M. W. Hazlewood, Joseph Hobson, E. W. Hubard, Charles P. Jones, T. W. Keen, George W. Kilgore, John W. Lawson, Joel B. Leftwich, Alfred Leigh, J. D. Luttrell, John B. McLin, James W. Marshall, R. G. Mauck, Abram F. Mays, Charles C. Meade, William W. Moffett, B. B. Munford, S. P. Mustard, L. M. Nance, R. R. Noblin, John N. Opie, John H. Overby, Matthew W. Paxton, Herbert G. Peters, Henry R. Pollard, John W. H. Porter, John S. Powell, J. D. Pretlow, John Richardson, D. Mott Robertson, John H. Rosler, Joshua F. Ross, J. F. Ryan, Peter Saunders, Archer Scott, Samuel J. Seay, Thomas Smith, John F. Soule, L. R. Stewart, Robert M. Stribling, Robert B. Tabb, Daniel Trigg, John W. Vaughan, Robert H. Ward, M. C. Wheeler, Smith J. R. White, John E. Whitehead-83. Eighty-three members present. Ordered, That Mr. FITZPATRICK inform the Senate that the House is ready to proceed to business. A message was received from the Senate by Mr. LOVENSTEIN, who informed the House that the Senate is ready to proceed to business. A message was received from the Senate by Mr. THURMAN, who informed the House that the Senate had passed a concurrent resolution as follows: Resolved (the House of Delegates concurring), That a joint committee consisting of two on the part of the Senate, and three on the part of the House of Delegates, be appointed to wait upon the governor and inform him that the General Assembly is now organized and ready to receive any communication he may desire to make. The Senate resolution was agreed to. Ordered, That Mr. GRAVES inform the Senate that the House had agreed to the resolution of the Senate. The SPEAKER appointed Messrs. GRAVES, LAWSON, and GREEN of Stafford, the committee on the part of the House. The committee subsequently by their chairman, reported that they had waited upon the governor, and that he would communicate to the General Assembly in writing. Leave of absence was granted Mr. CARDWELL for three days. On motion of Mr. BANKS, the chair was vacated for one hour. The chair was resumed. A message received from the governor was read as follows: To the General Assembly of Virginia: COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, On the 23d day of July last, I received an application signed by "twothirds of the members of both houses of the General Assembly," requesting me to call a special session of that body to begin on this day. After full examination of the constitution and laws relating to the subject, I was forced to the conclusion that such a request formed a demand which the governor under his oath had no right to refuse. I therefore, on the 28th day of July, in obedience to that constitutional demand, issued the proclamation under which you have to-day assembled. Though there were errors of law which called for correction, and some matters upon which new legislation would be desirable, I did not then, nor do I now, recognize any such necessity as would have justified me (in the absence of the constitutional demand herein before referred to), in convening a special session; but I did not and do not, think that the spirit or letter of the law which I was sworn to execute left to the governor any limit of discretion in defiance of the expressed wishes of twothirds of the members of both houses. I have now respectfully to await your action in development of the objects which in the judgment of two-thirds of your members rendered this session necessary. I will with all possible promptitude furnish to the General Assembly such information as to the condition of the commonwealth as was not covered by previous communications. WILLIAM E. CAMERON. Mr. WARD offered the following resolution: Resolved, That all bills introduced and printed during the late regular session of the General Assembly, shall not be printed if introduced during the present extra session, except by order of the House. The House referred the resolution to the committee on printing. Mr. MARSHALL, under a suspension of the rules, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the auditor of public accounts be and he is hereby respectfully requested to report, as early as practicable, the number of applications of disabled soldiers and marines which he has allowed, placed in class 1, and are unpaid; secondly, the number of applications of disabled soldiers and marines which he has allowed, placed in class 2, and are unpaid. The resolution was agreed to. The SPEAKER announced that the standing committees of last session will remain the committees of the present session, subject to such changes as may be necessary. The following were presented and referred under rule 37: By Mr. SMITH: A bill to repeal section 19 of an act entitled an act to provide for the working of roads in the county of Fauquier, approved February 24, 1876, and to amend and re-enact section 23 of said act, as amended and re-enacted by an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections 23, 24, 25, and 26, of an act approved February 24, 1876, entitled an act to provide for the working of roads in the county of Fauquier. Referred to the committee on counties, cities and towns. By Mr. SMITH: A bill to authorize the board of supervisors of Fauquier county to increase the salary of the county judge of said county. Referred to the committee on counties, cities and towns. By Mr. GRAVES: A bill to provide for the assessment of real estate in this state in the year 1885, and every fifth year thereafter. Referred to the committee on finance. By Mr. GRATTAN: A bill to provide for the restoration of certain records of the clerk's office of the county court of Rockingham county. Referred to the committee for courts of justice. By Mr. DUNN: A bill to appropriate money to complete and equip the Central lunatic asylum of Virginia. Referred to the committee on asylums and prisons. |