Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
July 1, 1863

[Selected John F. McDermot to be Public Printer, worked on several bills and amended some, including exemptions from military service and defending the state.]

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 1863.

House met pursuent to adjournment.

Prayer by Rev. T. H. Smyth.

Journal read and approved.

Mr. Ross, from the committee on Education, reported House Bill No. 13, entitled "An Act to authorize the Superintendent of Schools for Preston county, to pay certain claims for the tuition of indigent children." The bill was read the first time.

On motion of Mr. Van Winkle, the vote by which House Bill No. 9, entitled "An Act to authorize the heirs of David Albright to establish a ferry across Cheat river," was passed to engrossment, was reconsidered.

On motion of the same gentleman, the bill was amended by adding after the eighth line the words "until the first meeting of the board of supervisors of the said county;" and on his motion further amended by striking out the proviso contained in the twentieth, twenty-first and twenty-second lines.

The bill was then re-ordered to engrossment.

House Bill No. 10, entitled "A Bill making an appropriation of fifty thousand dollars for procuring arms, equipments, and munitions of war," &c, on its second reading, was taken up and read the second time.

On motion of Mr. Kramer, the bill was amended by striking out all after "State" in the sixth line, to the end of the first section, and substituting the following: "And the Auditor is required to pay the said appropriation upon the order or orders of the Governor."

The bill was then ordered to engrossment.

House Bill No. 11, entitled "A Bill for the defense of the State," on its second reading, was taken up and read the second time.

On motion of Mr. Ruffner, the bill was amended by inserting as the second section, the following: "Be it further enacted, That the Governor be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be organized within the several counties of this State, bands of minute men, of persons not subject to military duty; and to pay the same for actual service, under such regulations as he may prescribe."

The bill was then ordered to engrossment.

On motion of Mr. Kramer,

House Bill No. 8, entitled "A Bill relating to exemptions from military duty," on the table was taken up; and subsequently it was passed by.

A message from the Senate announced the readiness of that body to proceed to the execution of the joint order of the day, it being the election of a Public Printer.

Mr. Crothers was directed to apprize the Senate of a similar readiness on the part of the House.

Mr. Barns presented a petition signed by thirty-one citizens of Marion county asking to have Dent's Run in that county declared a public highway; which, at his request, was referred to the committee on Roads and Internal Navigation.

Nominations for Public Printer being in order, Mr. Kramer nominated John F. McDermot, of Wheeling.

A message from the Senate announced that the same nomination, and none other, had been made in that body.

Ordered, That Mr. Kramer inform the Senate of the nomination made in the House.

Messrs. Dawson and Hagar were appointed by the Speaker to receive the ballots and count them at the Clerk's table.

The ballots being collected and counted, it was found that Mr. McDermot had received fourty-four [sic] votes, and that two votes had been cast for A. S. Trowbridge.

The Speaker appointed Messrs. McGrew, Wheat, and Sutton to confer with a like committee on the part of the Senate, to count the joint vote; who returning reported the whole vote cast, sixty-six, of which John F. McDermot received sixty-three, A. S. Trowbridge two, and E. W. Newton one.

So, John F. McDermot having received a majority of all the votes cast, was declared elected Public Printer.

The consideration of House Bill No. 8, entitled "A Bill relating to exemptions from military duty," was resumed.

On motion of Mr. Ruffner, the bill was amended by striking out in the seventh line the words, "with their clerks," and substituting the words "All Assessors, Assistant Assessors and Collectors of the internal revenue of the United States."

On motion of Mr. McGrew, the bill was further amended by inserting in line fourteen after the word "sect" the words "and having charge of, or being regularly employed by, any charge, congregation or circuit."

On motion of Mr. Kramer, the bill was still further amended, by adding to the amendment last adopted, the following: "Also, First, The only son of a widow dependent on his labor for support; Second, The only son of aged or infirm parent or parents dependent on his labor for support; Third, Where there are two or more sons of aged or infirm parents subject to draft, the father, or if he be dead, the mother, may elect which son shall be exempt. Fourth, The only brother of children not twelve years old, dependent on his labor for support, if such children have neither father nor mother living; Fifth, The father of a motherless child or children, dependent on his labor for support; Sixth, Where there are a father and sons in the same family and household, and two or more of them are in the military service of the United States, or of this State, the residue of such family and household shall be exempt.

On motion of the same gentleman, the bill was still further amended, by striking out after the word "years" in the thirty-sixth line, the following: "of which at least two shall have been in such company."

The bill was then ordered to be engrossed.

House Bill No. 12, entitled "A Bill to fix the terms of the several Courts," on its second reading, was taken up, read the second time and ordered to engrossment.

Mr. Sweeney offered the following:

Resolved, That when this House adjourn to-morrow, it will, with the consent of the Senate, adjourn until Thursday next.

Mr. Ruffner moved to amend by striking out "Thursday" and inserting "Monday" and on this motion he demanded the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered and taken.

The YEAS were - Messrs. Patrick (Speaker), Ballard, Barns, Boggs, Bumgarner, Copley, Crawford, Crothers, Dunn, Fleming, Goff, Hagar, Hale, Holman, Keeney, Kittle, Kramer, Lamb, Little, Lough, Mann, McGrew, McWhorter, Michael, Rader, Ross, Ruffner, Sheets, Shriver, Sutton, Teter of Barbour, Teter of Upshur, Turner, Van Winkle, Wright, and Zinn-36.

The NAYS were - Messrs. Bee, Bowyer, Crooks, Dawson, Dunbar, Foster, Griffin, Hinchman, Robinson, Sweeney, Wheat, and Wiant-12.

So the amendment was agreed to.

On the adoption of the resolution, Mr. Zinn demanded the yeas and nays, and they were orderd and taken.

The YEAS were - Messrs. Patrick (Speaker), Ballard, Barns, Bee, Boggs, Bumgarner, Copley, Crawford, Crooks, Crothers, Dawson, Fleming, Foster, Hagar, Hale, Holman, Little, Lough, Michael, Robinson, Sheets, Teter of Barbour, Teter of Upshur, Van Winkle, Wheat and Wiant-27.

The NAYS were - Messrs. Bowyer, Dunbar, Dunn, Goff, Griffin, Hinchman, Keeney, Kittle, Kramer, Lamb, McGrew, McWhorter, Rader, Ross, Ruffner, Shriver, Sutton, Sweeney, Turner, Wright, and Zinn-21.

So the resolution was adopted.

On motion of Mr. Wheat, the House adjourned.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: July 1863