JOINT RESOLUTIONS.

[No. 1.] Joint Resolution raising a Committee to wait on the Governor.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That a joint committee of three members on the part of the House and two on the part of the Senate be appointed to wait upon His Excellency, the Governor, and inform him of the organization of both branches of the Legislature, and their readiness to receive any communication he may desire to make.

ADOPTED, January 19, 1869.

[No. 2.] Joint Resolution fixing a day for the election of a Public Printer.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the two branches will proceed on Wednesday, the twenty-seventh instant, at eleven o'clock, A. M. to elect a public printer.

ADOPTED, January 22, 1869.

[No. 3.] Joint Resolution fixing a day for the election of a State Superintendent of Free Schools.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the two branches will proceed on Friday, the twenty-ninth instant, at eleven o'clock, A. M., to elect a state superintendent of free schools.

ADOPTED, January 25, 1869.

[No. 4.] Joint Resolution asking Congress to make a donation to the West Virginia Central Railway.

Whereas, The early construction of the West Virginia Central Railway, extending from the Pennsylvania line through the centre of the State to Charleston, on the Kanawha river, is of the utmost importance in the development of the resour ces of the state, and of the country;

And whereas, the State of West Virginia has in former years and while a part of Virginia, contributed largely to the public domain, and is now possessed of no public lands or other resources adequate to the accomplishment of so great a work of internal improvement, therefore

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia :

1. That our senators in congress be instructed, and our representatives be requested to press the importance of this enterprise upon the attention of congress, and to urge the passage of an act granting a portion of the public lands to aid in the construction of the said line of railroad.

2. The governor is hereby requested to furnish a copy of these resolutions to the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate of the congress of the United States, and to each of our senators and representatives therein.

ADOPTED, January 26, 1869.

[No. 5.] Joint Resolution fixing a time for counting the votes for State officers.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the two Houses meet in joint convention in the house of delegates this day, at eleven o'clock, A. M., to count the votes and declare the election of State officers.

ADOPTED, January 26, 1869.

[No. 6.] Joint Resolution accepting the invitation to visit the Penitentiary at Moundsville.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the invitation of the superintendent of the penitentiary at Moundsville, be accepted, and that a committee to consist of three from the senate and three from the house of delegates, be appointed to confer with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, and provide suitable and convenient transportation.

ADOPTED, January 27, 1869.

[No. 7.] Joint Resolution postponing the election of Public Printer.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the election of public printer be postponed until Thursday, February fourth, eighteen hundred and sixtynine, and be made the joint order for eleven o'clock, A. M., of that day. ADOPTED, January 29, 1869.

[No. 8.] Joint Resolution postponing the election of State Superintendent of Free Schools.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the joint order of the day for the election of State Superintendent of Free Schools is hereby postponed until Thursday, the fourth day of February next, and be made the special order for two o'clock P. M. of that day.

ADOPTED, January 29, 1869.

[No. 9.] Joint Resolution providing for the election of United States Senator.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the two branches will proceed on Tuesday, the second day of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, at the hour of eleven o'clock A. M. to elect a United States Senator to fill the vacancy

which will occur on the third day of March next by expiration of the term of Hon. P. G. Van Winkle.

ADOPTED, February 1, 1869.

[No. 10.] Joint Resolution providing for a Committee to investigate the condition of Berkeley Springs.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the report of the trustees of the state property known as Bath or Berkeley Springs, in Morgan county, be printed and the same referred to a joint special committee, consisting of three from the House and three from the Senate, with powers to visit said springs during the present session and make a further report to this House. ADOPTED, February 12, 1869.

[No. 11.] Joint Resolution requesting the officers of the Hospital for the Insane and Penitentiary to make a certain report.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, The board of directors and superintendent of the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, and the Penitentiary, are hereby requested in their next annual report to state the amount of money expended to date of report, and the probable amount of money and time required to complete the buildings with the necessary out buildings. ADOPTED, February 13, 1869.

[No. 12.] Joint Resolution providing for the payment of balance due Western Lunatic Asylum at Staunton.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the auditor is hereby authorized and directed to pay the Western Luuatic Asylum at Staunton, the sum of two thousand and eighty-six dollars and forty-five cents out of the appropriation heretofore made for that purpose, being the balance due said asylum for the support of lunatics properly chargeable to this State.

ADOPTED, February 13, 1869.

[No. 13.] Joint Resolution appointing a committee to investigate the c'arges preferred against G. S. McFadden, superintendent of the Penitentiary.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That a joint committee be appointed consisting of three members of the House of Delegates, and three of the Senate, whose duty it shall be to thoroughly investigate the charges preferred against G. S. McFadden, the superintendent of the State Penitentary, by Peter Yarnall, (late clerk of the Penitentiary,) and report to the Legislature as soon as possible; and that said committee shall have power to send for any books and papers belonging to the office of the Penitentiary, together with any witnesses that may be necessary to a full and fair investigation of said charges.

ADOPTED, February 17, 1869.

[No. 14.] Joint Resolution authorizing the Commissioner appointed to refund the direct taxes in the counties of Jefferson and Berkeley to parties entitled thereto, who have lost their receipts for the same.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the commissioner appointed under chapter fifty five of the acts of eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, entitled "An Act to refund the money paid by the counties of Berkeley and Jefferson to the United States as direct tax, passed February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty seven," be, and he is hereby authorized to refund said taxes to all parties who may be entitled thereto, and who have lost their receipts therefor; provided, the names of such parties appear upon the books kept by L. H. Leering, the collector of said taxes, and the loss of the receipts for such taxes be set forth in an affidavit filed with said commissioner.

ADOPTED, February 18, 1869.

[No. 15.] Joint Resolution proposing to celebrate the anniversary of Washington's birthday.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the Senate and House of Delegates meet in joint session in the hall of the latter, on Monday the twentysecond instant, at two o'clock, P. M., and that Washington's farewell address be read.

ADOPTED, February 22, 1869.

[No. 16.] Joint Resolution ratifying the amendment proposing a Fifteenth Article to the Constitution of the United States.

WHEREAS, The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, by a concurrent vote of two-thirds of both Houses, have proposed to the Legislatures of the several States the following amendment to the Constitution of the United States, to be classified as Article Fifteen of the amendments to said constitution, namely:

"ARTICLE XV.

SECTION 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State, on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the said proposed amendment is hereby ratified.

ADOPTED, March 3, 1869.

[No. 17.] Joint Resolution endorsing the proceedings of a convention held on the 22d day of February, 1869, at Moorefield, in Haidy county.

WHEREAS, A large and respectable meeting of the citizens of the central and south-western portion of this State, assembled in Convention at Moorefield, in the county of Hardy, on the twenty-second day of February, eighteen hundred and

sixty-nine, for the purpose of inaugurating a scheme by which the agricultural, mineral and commercial interests of the State may be developed; and whereas, the proceedings of said convention indicate a laudable and praiseworthy spirit on the part of our people; and whereas, said convention by resolution requested this legislature "if no specific application be made for a charter for the proposed improvement," during the present session "to pass a general resolution expressing the assent of this body to the general scheme" advocated by that convention ; therefore

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the proposed improvement, indicated by the proceedings of said convention, meets with our hearty approval. ADOPTED, March 3, 1869.

[No. 18.] Joint Resolution authorizing the auditor to place certain delinquent lists to the credit of M. L. Rader, late sheriff of Nicholas county.

Whereas, M. L. Rader, late sheriff of Nicholas county, has made a return of his delinquent lists of persons and personal property for the years eighteen hundred and sixty-one and eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and under the provisions of the law the auditor is not authorized to enter the amount of the same to the credit of said sheriff; therefore

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, That the auditor is hereby authorized to enter such amount of said delinquent lists as he may find correct, to the credit of the said M. L. Rader, late sheriff as aforesaid.

ADOPTED, March 3, 1869.

[No. 19.] Joint Resolution creating a board to settle with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company for back taxes.

1. The board of public works, consisting of the governor, auditor, and treasurer of this State, is hereby constituted a board or committee, with full power to adjust, compromise and settle, on fair, equitable and liberal terms, all State and school taxes assessed against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company and Parkersburg branch thereof, up to December thirty-first, eighteen hundred and sixtyeight, and upon payment into the State treasury of the amount agreed between said board and said company, the said company shall be discharged from all liability for the same.

2. The board of supervisors of each county through which the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Parkersburg branch runs, are hereby authorized and empowered to compromise and settle, on fair and liberal terms, all taxes assessed against said company by any of the said counties and townships. ADOPTED, March 4, 1869.

[No. 20.] Joint Resolution requesting Congress to aid Captain Frederick Ford, of Mason county.

Whereas, our much esteemed fellow-citizen, Captain Frederick Ford, of Mason county, West Virginia, has petitioned the Congress of the United States for remuneration for valuable services to the government, cited in said petition; therefore