of the State of West Virginia
(Wheeling: John F. M'Dermot, Public Printer, 1863)
Thursday, July 30th, 1863
The Senate was opened with prayer by the President, after which the journal was read and approved.
A message from the House of Delegates, by the clerk, announced that the House had insisted upon its disagreement to the amendment insisted in by the Senate to
House Bill No. 5, "A Bill for the division into townships of the several counties in the State," and had asked a committee of conference to consider the same, appointing as the committee on the part of the Houses, Messrs. Van Winkle, Kramer, and Ruffner.
Also, that the House had passed, and ask concurrence in, House Bill No. 43, "A Bill to provide for the issuing of grants where entries have been heretofore made;"
House Bill No. 44, "A Bill conferring on the Governor the powers and duties of the Board of Public Works;"
House Bill No. 45, "A Bill to remove the seat of Justice of Hampshire county temporarily to Piedmont."
Said bills were each read the first time.
On motion of Mr. Stevenson, the Senate concurred in the appointment of a committee of conference as asked by the House of Delegates, appointing on the part of the Senate, Messrs. Stevenson and Browns.
Mr. Maxwell, from the committee on Courts of Justice and General Laws, reported back the following bill, with a recommendation that it pass:
House Bill No. 37, "A Bill concerning the bond of the surveyor of lands," with the following amendment, to be inserted at the end of the first section:
But all surveyors now elected shall be allowed one hundred and twenty days after the passage of this act in which to execute such bond.
The said amendment was adopted, and the bill read the third time and passed with its title:
Yeas - Messrs. Phelphs, (President,) Atkinson, Bowen, Brown, Bunker, Burley, Carskadon, Copley, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Haymond, Hubbard, Mahon, Maxwell, McCann, Slack, and Stevenson - 17.
Nays - None.
Ordered, That the clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof, and ask concurrence in said amendment.
Mr. Stevenson, from the committee on Townships, &c., reported the following bill, which was read the first time and ordered to be printed:
Senate Bill No. 17, "A Bill relating to counties."
Mr. Young from the special committee on the subject, reported back the following bill, which has been re-committed to them:
Senate Bill No. 9, "A Bill No. 9, "A Bill concerning spirituous liquors."
The bill was then read by sections for amendment.
On motion of Mr. Carskadon the word "dollars" was inserted in the 28th line after the word "hundred."
On motion of Mr. Stevenson, the words "in the county jail" were inserted after the word "imprisoned" in the 29th line; and in the 30th line the words "one year" were stricken out, and "six months" inserted.
Mr. McCann moved to amend the last section by striking out the words "one hundred days after its passage" and inserting "on the 1st day of January, 1864."
Mr. Burley moved to amend the amendment by striking out the last section and inserting, "This Act shall take effect from the and after the 1st day of May, 1864."
Pending which, on motion of Mr. Carskadon, the bill and amendments were laid on the table.
On motion of Mr. Hubbard, the Senate reconsidered the vote adopting on yesterday, the resolution providing for the classifying of the members of the Senate; and on his motion, the resolution was amended by striking out the word "Friday" and inserting the word "Thursday."
On motion of Mr. Hubbard, the following resolution was adopted:
Resolved, That for the purpose of dividing the Senators into two classes, the names of the Senators from each district, coming first on the roll of the clerk, shall constitute one class, and the other Senators the other class; and the classes so constituted shall be enrolled by the clerk on separate slips of paper, and enclosed in envelopes as nearly alike as practicable, one of which envelope shall be drawn by the Sergeant-at-Arms; the Senators whose names are on the roll contained in the envelope so drawn, shall constitute the first class, and the Senators whose names are on the other roll, shall constitute the second class, and shall hold their offices for two years.
Rolls were then prepared and drawn in accordance with the foregoing resolution, with the following result:
First class, who shall hold their offices for one year - John H. Atkinson, 1st district; James Burley, 2d district; John J. Brown, 8d district; Daniel Haymond, 4th district; Edward S. Mahon, 5th district; Daniel D.T. Farnsworth, 6th district; John M. Phelps, 7th district; John B. Bowen, 8th district; Thomas K. McCann, 9th district and Aaron Bechtol, 10th district.
Second class, who shall hold their offices for two years - Chester D. Hubbard, 1st district; Aaron Hawkins, 2d district; Edward C. Bunker, 3d district; Edwin Maxwell, 4th district; William E. Stevenson, 5th district: William D. Rollyson, 6th district; Greenbury Slack, 7th district; William H. Copley, 8th district; Samuel Young, 9th district and James Carskadon, 10th district.
On motion of Mr. Burley,
Resolved, That the committee on Internal Improvements and Navigation, be requested to report a bill granting a charter to a company, under the name of the "Union Coal Company of West Virginia."
Mr. Slack offered the following resolution, which was laid over:
WHEREAS, we regard the choice of this Legislature of proper persons to represent our new State in the Senate of the United States as a subject of more than ordinary importance, and being desirous of availing ourselves of every practicable opportunity of securing such light and information as will enable us to act the more understandingly in selecting persons to occupy this high and responsible position, by conversing with and interchanging opinions with our constituents, as well as with such persons as may be brought before us as candidates for the said offices, Therefore
Resolved, by the Senate, (the House concurring), That the election of United States Senators (which has been appointed by both branches of this Legislature to take place the 4th day of August next) be postponed to some day to be fixed after the re-assembling of this Legislature in September next.
On motion of Mr. Brown,
Resolved, That the committee on Finance and Claims be instructed to audit and report on the accounts of the Executive Committee of the Constitutional Convention respecting the money received by them under the resolution of the said Convention of February 20, 1863, and be further instructed to receive and report upon all such claims as may still remain unpaid for expenses incurred in carrying into execution the Ordinances of the said Convention and the scheduled annexed to the original Constitution, including the expenses of all elections held under and by virtue of the said Ordinances and schedule.
And on motion of Mr. Brown, the Senate adjourned.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: July 1863