Thursday, June 25th, 1863.
The Journal was read and approved.
The following message was received from the House:
House Of Delegates, June 24th, 1863.
The House has this day passed the following as a substitute for the first of the joint resolutions this day passed by the Senate, in relation to the Auditor, in which they ask the concurrence of the Senate:
Resolved, the Senate concurring, That the communication of the Auditor be referred to the Governor with authority to take such steps in the premises as he may deem proper.
The House has also passed the following substitute for the joint resolution of the Senate in relation to extending the department of the Monongahela, &c., in which they ask the concurrence of the Senate.
Resolved, That in the opinion of the Legislature of West Virginia, the military interests of the United States and of this State will be best promoted by erecting West Virginia and the adjacent territory of Kentucky into a separate military department.
Resolved, That such department can be effectively and economically defended by the troops heretofore raised and to be raised therein.
Resolved, That the Governor be requested to open a correspondence with the President, upon the subject indicated in the foregoing resolutions.
G. D. Hall, Clerk of the House of Delegates.
On motion of Mr. Stevenson, the Senate concurred in the House substitute for the Senate resolution in reference to the Auditor.
Ordered, That Mr. Stevenson inform the House of Delegates thereof.
The substitute passed by the House, for the Senate resolutions in reference to the Department of the Monongahela, was taken up.
Mr. Farnsworth offered the following substitute by way of an amendment to the said substitute of the House:
Resolved, by the Legislature of West Virginia, That we earnestly request his Excellency, the President of the United States, to lay before the War Department the necessity of creating a new departmental corps, to be called the Department of West Virginia, and consisting of all the counties in West Virginia, for the like purposes and objects for which the Department of the Monongahela was created, that West Virginia may have that protection which she so much needs, and to which she is so justly entitled; and asking that the time of service in said Department be fixed by the War Department, and that all who volunteer in the service of this department shall be exempt from all drafts during their time of service in said department; that Major General Robert H. Milroy be appointed to the command of said department, with his headquarters within the limits of this State. And that for the purposes and objects of this resolution, there be appointed a committee of one from the Senate and one from the House, in connection with the Governor and any citizens he may appoint, to lay this matter before the President of the United States.
On motion of Mr. Maxwell the whole subject was laid on the table.
Mr. Stevenson submitted the following report:
The committee appointed by the Senate to act in conjunction with a committee of the House, to confer with the committee of citizens in reference to the subject of fortifying the city of Wheeling, would respectfully report, that at a joint meeting of said committees, it was decided inexpedient to recommend the Legislature to take any action at present, in reference to that matter.
W. E. Stevenson,
Chairman of Joint Committee.
On motion of Mr. McCann, the report was received and the committee discharged.
Mr. Maxwell, chairman of the Committee on Courts of Justice and General Laws, submitted the following report:
The Committee on Courts of Justice and General Laws, to whom was referred the joint rules proposed by the House of Delegates, and the rules of the Senate, through its chairman beg leave to report the subject back and recommend the following amendments:
Strike out the third (3) joint rule proposed by the House of Delegates, the word "two," where it twice occurs, and insert in both places in lieu thereof, the word "three," so that the said third rule will read as follows:
"A Joint Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills shall be appointed, consisting of three members of the Senate and three of the House of Delegates, &c."
Strike out of the 6th joint rule proposed by the House of Delegates, the words "dropping the person who shall have the smallest number of votes on the former vote."
If these joint rules are adopted, the Committee on Enrolled Bills will then be a joint committee, and it will be necessary to make the rules of the Senate conform thereto, and your committee therefore recommend that the 10th article of the 29th rule be amended by inserting after the letter "A," and the word "committee" the word "joint," so that it will read "A Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills, to consist of three members."
Mr. Stevenson moved that the Senate adopt all the report, except the last paragraph, which was agreed to.
Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof, and ask their concurrence in said first two amendments.
A message from the House, by Mr. Lamb, informed the Senate that the House had passed the following bills, and requested concurrence therein.
No. 1 House Bill, "An Act in relation to the power and duties of the Recorder."
No. 2 House Bill, "An Act concerning oaths and affirmations."
No. 3 House Bill, "An Act relating to official bonds."
No. 4 House Bill, "An Act in relation to the taxes assessed within the several counties under the laws of Virginia."
On motion of Mr. Carskadon, the three first named bills were each read the first time, and referred to the Committee on Courts of Justice and General Laws.
On motion of Mr. Atkinson, the last named bill was read the first time, and referred to the Committee on Finance and Claims.
And on motion of Mr. Bunker, the Senate adjourned.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: June 1863