H. B. No. 384. A bill to validate certificates of acknowledgment taken by notaries public in foreign countries; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice.

H. B. No. 385. A bill to amend and re-enact section 448 of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore amended, in relation to commissioners of revenue; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee for County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 388. A bill in relation to killing and trapping muskrats in the county of King George; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee for County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 390. A bill to authorize the board of supervisors of Rockingham county to give rewards for crow scalps; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 391. A bill to authorize the board of supervisors of Orange county to provide annual allowances for the clerk, sheriff and Commonwealth's attorney of said county; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 392. A bill to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to prohibit fishing within five hundred yards of the mill dam across Clinch river at Speer's ferry, Scott county, Virginia, approved March 13, 1912, as amended by an act approved March 24, 1914; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 393. A bill to validate certain obligations of the city of Norfolk, and authorizing the said city to refund or renew the same by issuing renewal or other obligations; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 394. A bill to ratify, confirm and validate all elections, proceedings, acts or things heretofore held, done and performed in the city of Norfolk, a city having a population in excess of sixty-five thousand inhabitants and less than one hundred thousand inhabitants, in reference to the granting; pursuant to chapter fiftyfive of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1916, of a special form of government to the said city by the General Assembly, as provided for by an act approved February seventh, nineteen hundred and eighteen; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

H. B. No. 397. A bill to protect certain fish in the bays, creeks, inlets and streams tributary to the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers in the State of Virginia, as amended by an act approved March 16, 1910; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on Fish and Game.

H. B. No. 377. A bill to amend and re-enact section 3528 of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore amended; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on Finance.

H. B. No. 253. A bill to regulate the treatment, handling and work of prisoners sentenced to the State Penitentiary, and to appropriate funds therefor; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on Finance.

H. B. No. 395. A bill to amend and re-enact sections 6, 11, 18, 18a, 18b, 19g, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 97. 98, 99, 100, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108, of chapter 101 of the Acts of the General Assembly, approved May 24, 1870, entitled an act providing a charter for the city of Richmond, as heretofore amended; to add to said charter as a part of the charter of the city of Richmond sections to be known as sections 18c, 18d, 18e, 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, 28a and 81a, and to repeal sections 13b, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, 30h, 301, 30j, 93a, 93b, 93c, 93d, 93e, 93f, 93g, 93h, 931, 93j, 93k, 931, 93m, 93n, 930, 93p, 93q, 93r, 93s and 109 of said chapter, the general object of which amendments, added sections and repeal of sections is to require claimants for damages occurring by reason of the negligence of the city to give notice of such claim; to limit the time in which suit shall be brought to recover land opened to and used by the public as a street or alley; to divide the government of the city of Richmond into six departments; to provide for the appointment, qualification and duties of the head of each of said departments; to enlarge the powers and duties of the mayor; to create a board to be known as the advisory board of the city of Richmond and define their powers and duties; to provide for the better assessment, collection and levy of taxes; to authorize the council of the city of Richmond to pass ordinances deemed necessary to cure defects in the making of such levies and assessments of taxes; to abolish the board known as the administrative board of the city of Richmond, to abolish the board known as the board of fire commissioners of the city of Richmond, and to provide for the holding of an elec tion by the people to finally determine whether or not the said amendments shall become effective as a part of the charter of the city of Richmond; was taken up, read the first time and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

MR. MAPP, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 381. A bill to amend and re-enact chapter 301 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1889-1890, entitled an act to provide for the drainage of low lands in Northampton and Accomac

counties; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on County, City and Town Organization.

MR. HOLT, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 382. A bill to authorize the school of Newport magisterial district of the county of Warwick, Virginia, to borrow money for the purpose of constructing a school building or buildings, and to defray school operating expenses in said district, and to issue bonds therefor, not to exceed the sum of $50,000.00 in amount; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Special, Private and Local Legislation.

MR. HOLT, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 883. A bill to provide for taking a special scliool census in Newport magisterial district of Warwick county, and for basing the apportionment of school funds upon such census; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Special, Private and Local Legislation.

MR. ROYAL, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 3S1. A bill to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act for working and keeping in repair the roads of Tazewell county, approved February 24, 1888, and further to provide for permanent improvement of the roads in said county, approved February 29, 1892, as amended and re-enacted by an act approved February 12, 1894, as amended by an act approved January 11, 1900, and as amended and re-enacted by an act approved January 27, 1900, and as amended and re-enacted by an act ap proved Deceinber 17, 1901, and as amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 8, 1910, and as amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 13, 1912, and as amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 4, 1914, and as amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 16, 1916, and to provide for the working, repairing, maintaining, and improving the roads in Tazewell county: which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Special, Private and Local Legislation.

MR. WALKER, by leave, presented

S. B. No. 385. A bill to amend and re-enact section 238 of the Code of Virginia providing for the examination of accounts and the payments of amounts appropriated for contingent expenses; which was taken up and referred to the Committee on Finance.

On motion of MR. BARHAM, the Senate resolved itself into execntive session, and having dispatched the business before them, the doors were open, and the following resolution adopted in executive session (the injunction of secrecy being removed) was ordered to be spread on the Journal of the Senate, and a copy thereof forwarded to the Governor:

Resolved by the Senate of Virginia, That the Senate advise and confirm the following appointments:

Charles G. Kizer, as Commissioner of Labor and Industrial Statistics, for the term of two years, beginning March 1, 1918.

James Bellwood, as a member of the Board of Charities and Corrections, for the term of five years, beginning April 1, 1918.

Oscar F. Weisiger, as a member of the board of directors of the Penitentiary, for the term of five years, beginning March 1, 1918. George II. Bowles, as a member of the board of directors of the Virginia State Epileptic Colony at Madison Heights, for the term of six years, beginning March 1, 1918.

Dr. James H. Dillard, Southall Farrar, Carroll Pierce, R. P. Cocke, Nathaniel T. Green, as members of the board of visitors of the college of William and Mary, each for à term of four years, beginning March 7, 1918.

John Stewart Bryan, Goodrich Hatton, Alexander F. Robertson, H. Dalton Dillard, C. Harding Walker, as members of the board of visitors of the University of Virginia, each for a term of four years, beginning February 28, 1918.

Thomas R. Keith, C. W. Woolfolk, Robert S. Cochran, as members of the board of visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind at Staunton, each for a term of four years, beginning July 1,

1918.

H. B. No. 316. A bill to authorize the town council of the town of Bedford, Virginia, to convey a part of the street, in said town, known as Railroad avenue, to the Bedford Can Company, Inc.; was taken up, read the third time and passed with its title by the following vote-ayes, 27; noes, 0.

Senators who voted are:

YEAS-Messrs. Addison, Andrews, Barham, Bowers, Buchanan, Byrd, Cannon, Conrad, Corbitt, Davis, Downing, Gayle, Gunn, Hening, Holt, Jeffreys, Jordan, Keith, Lacy, Mathews, Mitchell, Robertson, Thornton, Trinkle, Walker, Wendenburg, West-27.

MR. ROBERTSON moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed, which was rejected.

The following communication from the State Accountant was received, read and ordered to be printed as House Document No.

To the General Assembly of Virginia:

RICHMOND, VA., February 27, 1918.

GENTLEMEN,-Pursuant to your joint resolution of February 21, 1918, I have made an examination of the accounts of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and transmit herewith my report showing the result of the examination.

Very respectfully,

WM. F. SMYTH,
State Accountant.

MR. JEFFREYS laid before the Senate a petition from certain citizens of Brunswick county, which was referred to the Committee on Roads and Internal Navigation.

MR. RISON, from the Committee on Public Institutions and Education, reported without amendments:

H. Jt. Res.

Proposing amendment to section 132 of Article 9 of the Constitution of Virginia.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 290. A bill to amend and re-enact section 1656-a of the Code of Virginia.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

H. B. No. 291. A bill to authorize the school board of Western Branch magisterial district, No. 1, of the county of Norfolk, Virginia, to borrow money for the purpose of school imprvements in said district, and to issue bonds therefor, not to exceed the sum of $50,000 in amount.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments:

H. B. No. 292. A bill to authorize the school board of Tanner's Creek magisterial district, No. 6, of the county of Norfolk, Virginia, to borrow money for the purpose of school improvements in said district, and to issue bonds therefor, not to exceed the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars in amount.

And he, from the same committee, reported without amend

ments:

S. B. No. 233. A bill to amend and re-enact section 5, of an act in relation to the government of the Negro Reformatory Association of Virginia, and to the commitment, government, employment and discharge of negro minors committed thereto, and providing compensation to be paid by the Commonwealth for the caring for such minors, approved February 5, 1900, as amended by an act approved March 14, 1908, and as amended by an act approved February 17,

1916.

MR. CANNON, from the Committee on County, City and Town Organization, reported without amendments:

S. B. No. 372. A bill to authorize and empower the board of supervisors of Culpeper county to retire certain bonds issued for the improvement of roads in Stevensburg district in said county.

He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: S. B. No. 373. A bill to authorize Greene and Madison counties to erect, build and construct a bridge across Rapidan river. He, from the same committee, reported without amendments: H. B. No. 201. A bill to amend and re-enact section 1 of an act entitled an act for the protection of sheep in the counties of Clarke, Frederick and Charlotte, approved March 6, 1874, as heretofore amended.