COMMUNICATION FROM THE GOVERNOR. The President announced a communication from the Governor. On motion of Mr. Ingersoll, The Senate went into executive session. The executive session closed, and The Senate adjourned. Lansing, Saturday, January 19, 1861. The Senate was called to order at 10 o'clock. Prayer by the Rev. Mr. McLeod. Roll called: quorum present. Absent without leave, Senators Carpenter, McDermid and Webb. Journal read and approved. PETITIONS PRESENTED. By the President: petition of Albert Miller and 95 others, asking that portions of townships of Blumfield and Zilwaukie, of Saginaw county, be annexed to township of Portsmouth, in Bay county; Referred to the committee on towns and counties. By Mr. Lane: remonstrance of Robert J. Barry and 85 other citizens of Washtenaw county, against the repeal of our personal liberty laws; Referred to the committee on federal relations. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. By the judiciary committee: The committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred A bill to amend an act entitled an act to provide against the recovery of damages done by beasts on lands not enclosed by a lawful fence, approved March 17, 1847, being section 628 of compiled laws, Have had the same under consideration, and would respectfully report that the questions involved in the consideration of this bill are purely questions of expediency as to what the best interests of our people require the land owner to provide in the matter of fences, and is a question that more immediately effects the agricultural interest of the State than any other; your committee therefore report the same back to the Senate, and recommend that it be referred to the committee on agriculture, and that they be discharged from the further consideration of the same. All which is respectfully submitted. H. T. BACKUS, Chairman. The report was accepted, the committee discharged, and the bill referred to the committee on agriculture. By the committee on the judiciary: The committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred House bill, entitled A bill to extend the time for the collection of taxes in the township of Holland, in the county of Ottawa, Have had the same under consideration and would respectfully report that in section 3 of said bill, they find the following provision: "And all collections made by said treasurer prior to the passage of this act are hereby legalized." In the opinion of your committee such a provision in any bill of this nature is not only inexpedient and unsafe, but to say the least, of very quesable competency. If the collector, in the discharge of his duty, has conformed to the requirements of law, no such provision is necessary; if otherwise, he has violated the law. Even were it competency beyond a question, it would be extremely unwise for the legislature to permit itself blindly to attempt the legalizing of all the acts of such officer, which might be a tissue of wrongs. Your committee recommend the striking out of the third section of said bill, and substitute therefor another section to stand as the third, which they herewith report, and with such amendment they recommend that said bill do pass. All of which is respectfully submitted. H. T. BACKUS, Chairman. The report was accepted, the committee discharged, the amendments concurred in, and the bill, as amended, ordered to a third reading. By the committee on finance : The committe on finance, to whom was recommitted A bill to provide for the payment of members and officers of the Legislature, for the year 1861, With instructions to consider whether the employees, or any of them, of the respective Houses, are entitled to mileage, beg leave to report that no uniformity of action seems to have existed respecting allowance of mileage to the secretaries, clerks or other employees of the Legislature, by the Board of Auditors, and your committee find no authority of law for such allowance, and accordingly return the bill to the Senate without amendment, and ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the same. H. P. BALDWIN, Chairman. Report accepted, the committee discharged, and the bill ordered to a third reading. MESSAGE FROM THE OTHER HOUSE. The President announced the following: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, To the President of the Senate: SIR-I am instructed to return to the Senate the following entitled bill: A bill to authorize fractional school district number 1, of the townships of Shelby and Sterling, in the county of Macomb, to issue bonds, In the passage of which the House has concurred by a majority vote of all the members elect, and has ordered the same to take immediate effect by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elect. Very respectfully, ED. W. BARBER, Clerk of the House of Representatives. The message was laid on the table, and the bill ordered enrolled. Also the following: To the President of the Senate: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, } SIR: I am instructed to transmit to the Senate the following joint resolution, entitled Joint resolution relative to the state of the Union: Which has passed the House by a majority vote of all the members elect, and in which the concurrence of the Senate is respectfully asked. Very respectfully, ED. W. BARBER, Clerk of the House of Representatives. The message was laid on the table, and the joint resolution read a first and second time. Mr. Stout moved that the joint resolution be referred to the commitece on federal relations, with instructions to substitute the joint resolutions of the Senate on the same subject, and report the same back to the Senate; Which motion prevailed. MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES. On motion of Mr. Backus, it was Resolved, That the committee on the judiciary be and they are hereby authorized to employ a clerk, at a compensation of not to exceed three dollars per day. Mr. Backus gave notice that he would ask leave on some future day to introduce A bill authorizing the county clerks to appoint more than one deputy; Also, A bill to authorize the signing of decrees in chancery, and records and journals, by a judge other than the one who heard and determined the case or held the court; Also, A bill to regulate the trials by jury, in case of the inability of the whole panel to attend, from death, sickness or other inability. Mr. Backus, previous notice having been given, and leave being granted, introduced A bill to authorize the circuit and supreme courts to appoint a crier ; Which was read twice, ordered printed, and referred to the committee on the judiciary. Mr. Backus, unanimous consent being given, introduced A bill to amend sections 3520, 3521, and 3522, of chapter 115, of the compiled laws, concerning the abatement and revival of suits in chancery; Which was read twice, ordered printed, and referred to the committee on the judiciary. Mr. French, leave being granted, introduced A bill to consolidate, revise, and amend the several acts incorporating the trustees of the Wesleyan Seminary at Albion, and the acts amendatory thereto; Which was read twice, ordered printed, and referred to the committee on public instruction. Mr. DeLand, leave being granted, introduced A bill to amend section 93 of an act to provide for holding general and special elections, approved June 27, 1857, relative to the fees of county clerks and district canvassers, (compiled laws, paragraph 117.) Which was read twice, and referred to the committee on State affairs. On motion of Mr. Briggs, it was Resolved, That the Secretary of State be requested to furnish the committee on printing a statement of the population of the State by townships, as shown by census returns recently made by authority of Congress, and filed in his office. Mr. Tower, leave being granted, introduced A bill to amend an act to provide for assessing property at its true value, and for levying and collecting taxes thereon, ap |