Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
July 16, 1863

Thursday, July 16th, 1863

Prayer by Rev. Mr. Dodge.

The Journal was read and approved.

The following message was received from the House of Delegates, by the Clerk:

House of Delegates, July 15, 1863.

The House has this day passed the following joint resolution, and ask concurrence:

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That a joint committee by appointed, consisting of three on the part of the House and two on the part of the Senate, to ascertain and adjust the amount coming to this State, under the Act of February 4th, 1863, passed by the General Assembly of Virginia, entitled "An Act making an appropriation to the proposed State of West Virginia," &c.; to cause the said moneys to be passed to the credit of the treasury of this State; and make report to the Legislature at as early a day as convenient,

And have appointed as the committee on the part of the House, Messrs. Kramer, Goff, and Foster.

The House has also passed House Bill No. 26, "A Bill defining, in part, the powers and duties of townships," and ask concurrence.

The House had also concurred in the adoption of Senate joint resolution relative to the appointment of a committee to inquire into the condition of the Weston Lunatic Asylum, with the following amendment, by way of addition, and asks concurrence therein:

"And that the said committee also ascertain and report whether a portion of said building can be fitted up as a temporary penitentiary, without detriment to the building, in view of its original purpose."

Mr. Maxwell, from the committee on Courts of Justice and General Laws, to whom a resolution upon the subject was referred, reported the following bill, which was read the first time, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed:

Senate Bill No. 8, "A Bill allowing further time to officers now elected, in which to qualify and give bond."

The same gentleman also reported back the following bills with a recommendation that they pass:

House Bill No. 22, "A Bill to prevent the encouragement of Invasions and Insurrections;"

House Bill No. 25, "A Bill to provide for the appointment and qualification of Deputy Sheriffs, Recorders and Clerks."

Mr. Brown, from the committee on Finance and Claims, reported back the following bill, with a recommendation that it pass:

House Bill No. 15, "A Bill to prescribe the manner in which money may be paid into the treasury of the State."

On motion of Mr. Stevenson, the Senate substitute, entitled "A Bill to provide for the division of the several counties of the State into townships," for

House Bill No. 5, "A Bill to provide for the division into townships of the several counties in the State," was taken up, and the amendment of Mr. Brown to the substitute of Mr. Burley, for the first section, was adopted.

Mr. Farnsworth offered the following as a substitute for the substitute of Mr. Burley, but it was rejected:

Provided further, That the Council of the city of Wheeling is hereby authorized, within 15 days after the passage of this Act, or as soon thereafter as practicable, to lay off the four magisterial districts which embrace the said city, into six townships, and that the town councils of all incorporated towns having more than 500 white population, and the same being embraced in one of such magisterial districts, may be such town council, be divided into two townships; Provided, however, That by such division it will not increase the number of townships in any such county to more than ten.

Provided further, That if any magisterial district in any county is found not to have as many as 400 white population, such district shall be added to the next adjoining district of the smallest number of white population.

Mr. Brown moved further, to amend the substitute of Mr. Burley, by striking out the words "either by adopting or," and inserting the word "by," but the motion was rejected.

Mr. Rollyson moved that the said Senate substitute and the amendment, be indefinitely postponed, but the motion being put, it was decided in the negative.

On motion of Mr. Bunker, the Senate took a recess.

3 o'clock, P.M.

The Senate re-assembled.

On motion of Mr. Hamond, the substitute pending at the hour of recess, was laid on the table, and

House Bill No. 15, "A Bill to prescribe the manner in which money may be paid into the treasury of the State, " was taken up, read the third time, and passed with its title:

Yeas:Messrs. Phelps, (President,) Atkinson, Bechtol, Bowen, Brown, Bunker, Burley, Carskadon, Copley, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Haymond, Mahon, Maxwell, McCann, Rollyson, Slack, Stevenson, and Young:19. Nays - None.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof.

On motion of Mr. Maxwell,

House Bill No. 22, "A Bill to prevent the encouragement of Invasions and Insurrections, " was taken up, read the third time, and passed with its title:

Yeas:Messrs. Phelps. (President,) Atkinson, Bechtol, Bowen, Brown, Bunker, Burley, Carskadon, Copley, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Haymond, Mahon,Maxwell, McCann, Rollyson, Slack, Stevenson, and Young:19.

Nays - None.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof.

On motion of the same,

House Bill No. 25, "A Bill to provide for the appointment and qualification of Deputy Sheriffs, Recorders and Clerks," was taken up, read the third time and passed with its title:

Yeas - Messrs. Phelps, (President,) Atkinson, Bechtol, Bowen, Brown, Bunker, Burley, Carskadon, Copley, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Haymond, Mahon, Maxwell, McCann, Rollyson, Slack, Stevenson, and Young - 19.

Nays:none.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof.

On motion of the same,

House Bill No. 19, "A Bill to regulate the recovery of claims where the State is a party interested," was taken up, read the third time, and passed with its title:

Yeas:Messrs. Phelps, (President,) Atkinson, Bechtol, Bowen, Brown, Bunker, Burley, Carskadon, Copley, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Haymond, Mahon, Maxwell, McCann, Rollyson, Slack, Stevenson, and Young:19.

Nays:None.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Delegates thereof.

On motion of Mr. Stevenson,

House Bill No. 26, "A Bill defining, in part, the powers and duties of townships, " was taken up, read the first time, and laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. Steveson,

Senate Bill No. 5, "A Bill relating to townships and township officers," was taken up.

It was read by sections for amendment.

On motion of Mr. Bunker, the first section was amended by adding at the end of the seventh line, the words "not more than one hundred acres."

Mr. Bowen moved to amend the third section by striking out the word "sunrise" and inserting the words "eight o'clock, A.M," but it was rejected.

Mr. McCann moved to amend the sixth section by striking out of fifty-sixth line the word "ten" and inserting "twenty."

Mr. Burley moved to amend the amendment, by inserting after the word "chosen" in the fifty-seventh line, the words "and receive their commission when commissions are authorized."

Mr. Stevenson moved as a substitute for the amendment and the amendment thereto, to strike out the words "within ten days after they are chosen," and insert the words "before proceeding to the discharge of the duties of their respective offices," which was agreed to.

Pending the consideration of the sixth section, the said bill was laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. McCann,

Resolved, That a committee of five on the part of the Senate and nine on the part of the House, be appointed to take into consideration the districting the State into Congressional districts.

On motion of Mr. Carskadon,

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms be authorized to procure for the use of the Senate and the Clerk, a desk similar to that procured for the House of Delegates.

On motion of Mr. Slack,

Resolved, That a committee be appointed by the President to inquire of the Governor of Virginia, whether Captain Wm. Gram and Lieut. Isaac N. Wade of the 8th regiment of Virginia volunteers, who were captured in the Kanawha Valley, sometime last year and carried to Richmond, and there, by John Letcher, the rebel Governor (by his own admission in his message to the rebel Legislature), confined in the Penitentiary at hard labor, to be held as hostages for two culprits' who had been sent to the Penitentiary at Washington, convicted by the civil authorities of infamous crimes; are still so held and confined, and if so, whether any retaliatory measures, and if any, what? Have been resorted to to secure their release, and report to this House at their earliest convenience.

On motion of Mr. Copley, the Senate adjourned.

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