Reorganized Government
General Assembly of Virginia

July 3, 1861

The House of Delegates met at 10 A. M. and the session was opened with prayer by Rev. Wesley Smith.

The Committee on Rules made their report, being the rules of the old House of Delegates, with some additions and alterations.

On motion of Mr. Porter, it was ordered that seventy-five copies be printed for the use of the House.

Mr. RUFFNER, of Kanawha, presented the following resolution:

Resolved, That this House will, with the concurrence of the Senate, proceed on Monday, the 8th inst., to elect two United States Senators, to serve during the unexpired terms of our late Senators.

Mr. BOREMAN, of Tyler, asked that the motion be so modified as to substitute Tuesday.

Mr. WEST, of Wetzel, was opposed to the postponement. He thought the House should proceed to the election at once.

Mr. WILSON, of Ohio, asked the gentleman from Kanawha to withdraw his resolution for a moment.

Mr. RUFFNER withdrew it, and

Mr. WILSON offering the following:

Whereas, R. M. T. Hunter and James M. Mason, late United States Senators, of this State, have vacated their seats in that body; therefore be it

Resolved, That this House will, with the concurrence of the Senate, proceed at two o'clock to-day to select two Senators to supply the said vacancies and serve for the residue of the terms for which those gentlemen were elected.

Mr. RUFFNER proposed to strike out the time set by the resolution.

Mr. MOSS moved that "to-day" be stricken out and Tuesday next be substituted.

Mr. LOGAN, of Ohio, was opposed to going into the election immediately. He thought the first business to be done should be the appointment of the standing committees. He hoped the motion to postpone till Tuesday would prevail. He did not think it essential to elect Senators at once on account of having them recognized by Congress, as the Government at Washington had already virtually acknowledged the new Government of Virginia.

Mr. WEST thought that the recognition thus far received was not sufficient. He thought it important that the Senators should be at Washington, prepared to take their seats. Their admission there would be strong and conclusive evidence that the matter of a recognition was finally settled in our favor. The government of Virginia must be recognized by the Congress of the United States before it is any government, and the sooner that is done the better.

Mr. BOREMAN hoped the election would not be pressed. Many of the delegates and Senators elected on Saturday had not yet had time to get official knowledge of their election, and in so important an election he desired that all the counties and districts shall be represented. He hoped the matter would be postponed until these members could be present.

Mr. MOSS said that in respect to a recognition by the Federal Government, the documents accompanying the Governor's Message showed very clearly that this State Government is recognized. If the proposition to postpone till Tuesday were voted down, he would then move to go into an election for one Senator only, but he hoped the election would be postponed.

The question was then taken, and the resolution, as amended, was adopted.

So the election of United States Senators was postponed until Tuesday next.

Mr. ZINN, of Preston, offered the following:

Resolved, That this House will proceed, with the concurrence of the Senate, to the election of Secretary of the Commonwealth, Auditor of Public Accounts and Treasurer of the Commonwealth.

Mr. LOGAN opposed the resolution. His own judgment was, that they should proceed at once to the appointment of the committees, so that they might enter on their duties and prepare business for the House. The election of these officers would not interfere with the appointment of the committees. The Speaker would make the appointments in his own room. He never did see such a disposition to postpone things that ought to be done. Here they had been in session three days, and even the officers of the house were not yet appointed. If it was the pleasure of the House to postpone, he had no particular objections, but he did not see why the election could not proceed at once, as well as on Friday.

Mr. BOREMAN said it should not, for the reasons that caused them to postpone the Senatorial election. He thought it not only desirable, but a matter of justice, that all the members - those yet absent, as well as those present - should have a voice in the elections. He had no apology for those who could be here, and were not; but there were many who had not yet been able to reach here in the short time that had transpired since the election, and in consequence of the cutting off of means of conveyance. He trusted their right to participate in the filling of these important offices would not be regarded. He moved to amend the resolution so as to postpone until Tuesday.

The resolution thus amended was adopted.

Mr. CROTHERS, of Brooke, offered the following, which was adopted.

Resolved, That the Committee on military affairs (when appointed) inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill authorizing the County Court of Brooke county to levy a tax to arm and equip volunteers from said county in the service of the United States, within the State of Virginia.

Mr. BOREMAN offered the following, which was adopted.

Resolved, That the Committee on Courts of Justice (when appointed) inquire into the expediency of providing a prison for confinement of persons punishable with confinement in the Penitentiary.

The Chair presented a communication inviting the House to participate with the Sabbath Schools of the city in the celebration of the Fourth of July.

On motion of Mr. Ruffner, it was received and laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. Moss, it was

Resolved, That when this House adjourn it be until Friday at the usual hour.

Mr. CRAMAR of Monongalia offered the following, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation (when appointed) inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill authorizing a release of the State's interest in the stock of the Morgantown Bridge Company to the private stockholders of said Bridge Company.

The House then adjourned.

The Senate met at 12 M.

The Committee reported rules and regulations for the government of the body.

On motion, it was ordered that fifty copies be printed for the use of the Senate.

CHAPMAN J. STEWART offered the following resolution, which was ordered to lie on the table and made the special order for Tuesday next:

Resolved, That the twenty-seven thousand dollars obtained from the Exchange Bank of Virginia at Weston, which had been appropriated and deposited in said Bank for the purpose of constructing the North-western Virginia Lunatic Asylum at Weston, Virginia, be and the same is hereby held inviolate and sacred to the purpose for which it was originally appropriated, and will be subject to the order of the superintendent of said institution; who may hereafter be appointed for such purpose.

The Senate concurred in the action of the House of Delegates, postponing the election of United State Senators till Tuesday next, and adjourned over till Friday.

Chapter Eight: Legislature of the Reorganized Government of Virginia