On motion of Mr. Robinson, Resolved, That the committee of the whole be discharged from the further consideration of the petitions of citizens of Wyoming county relating to the equalization of taxation by the board of su pervisors of said county, and that the same be referred to the committee on internal affairs of towns and counties. Mr. Johnson moved that the bill entitled, "An act for the relief of tenants holding lands under perpetual leases in this State," be made the special order for Monday next at 12 o'clock. The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to the said motion, and it was decided in the affirmative. The Senate then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill entitled, "An act to provide for the formation of railroad corporations," and after some time spent thereon, Mr. Morgan, from said committee, reported progress, and asked for and obtained leave to sit again. Mr. Geddes moved that said bill be made the special order for to morrow at 12 o'clock. The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to the said motion, and it was decided in the affirmative. Mr. Dart offered for the consideration of the Senate, a resolution in the words following, to wit: Resolved, That the generals orders shall have precedence of all other business on Mondays and Thursdays of each week, after the order of notices and introduction of bills is passed. Ordered, That the said resolution be laid upon the table. On motion of Mr. Crolius, Resolved, That on and after Monday next, the 18th inst., the Senate will meet at 10 o'clock. A bill was received from the Assembly for concurrence entitled, "An act making an appropriation for Sing Sing prison," which was read the first time, and by unanimous consent was also read the second time, and referred to the committee on state prisons. A message was received from the Assembly, informing that they had passed the resolutions of the Senate in relation to slavery in territories now free, with the following amendment: Strike out all after the words "constitutional means," in the second resolution, and insert the following: "And recognising the con[SENATE JOURNAL.] 27 stitutional power of Congress to prohibit, by positive enactment, the extension of slavery into free territory, our Senators in Congress are hereby instructed and our Representatives requested to use their best efforts to insert such positive prohibition into any law they may pass for the government of the territories in question." The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to the said amendment, and it was decided in the affirmative, as follows: Ordered, That the Clerk return said resolutions to the Assembly, with a message informing that the Senate have concurred in their amendment thereto. On motion of Mr. Miller, Resolved, That the committee on roads and bridges be discharged from the further consideration of the memorial of the legal voters of the Cattaraugus reservation praying for a law to compel the owners of property on the Seneca reservation to pay the legal assessment for highway taxes in labor or otherwise, and that said memorial be referred to the committee on Indian affairs. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Brown for five days. The Senate then adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow morning. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1850. The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Jeffery. The journal of yesterday was read and approved. Mr. Fox presented the petition of inhabitants of Herkimer for the redemption of bank notes in the city of New York at par, which was referred to the committee of the whole having charge of the bill on that subject. Mr. Babcock presented the petition of inhabitants of Buffalo for a general railroad law, which was referred to the committee of the whole having charge of the bill on that subject. Mr. Owen presented the petition of members of the bar of Cattaraugus and Chautauque counties for an amendment of the law in relation to sheriffs' fees, which was referred to the committee on the judiciary. Mr. Colt presented two several petitions of inhabitants of Livingston county for aid to the Genesee academy, which was referred to the committee on finance. Messrs. Noyes and Snyder presented two several petitions of inhabitants of Columbia and Chenango counties for the modification or repeal of the free school law, which was referred to the committee of the whole having in charge the bill on that subject. Mr. Beach from the committee on State prisons, to which was referred a bill from the Assembly entitled "An act making an appropriation for the Sing Sing prison," reported in favor of the passage of the same without amendment, which was committed to the committee of the whole. Mr. Miller, from the committee on roads and bridges, to which was referred the petition for that purpose, reported a bill entitled, "An act to authorise the Butternutts and Oxford turnpike company to abandon part of their road," which was read the first time, and by unanimous consent was also read the second time, and committed to the committee of the whole... Mr. Cross, from the committee on the incorporation of cities and villages, to which was referred the petition for that purpose, reported a bill entitled "An act to amend the charter of the village of Carthage," which was read the first time, and by unanimous consent was also read the second time, and committed to the committee of the whole. On motion of Mr. Dart, The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the resolution heretofore offered by him, in the words following, to wit: Resolved, That the general orders have preference of all other business on Mondays and Thursdays of each week after the order of motions and introduction of bills. Mr. Cook moved to amend by striking out "Mondays and Thursdays" and insert "Wednesdays and Saturdays." Mr. Dart moved to amend the said resolution by inserting after the word "resolved" the words "that it be referred to a select committee to inquire and report into the expediency of amending the rules of the Senate as to provide." The President then put the question whether the Senate would agree to said amendment of Mr. Dart, and it was decided in the affirmative. The President then put the question whether the Senate would agree to the said resolution as amended, and it was decided in the affirmative. Ordered, That Messrs. Dart, Cross and Geddes be said committee. The bill entitled "An act to change the times and places of holding the general terms of the supreme court in the seventh judicial district," was read the third time and passed, a majority of all the members elected to the Senate voting in favor thereof, as follows: Ordered, That the Clerk deliver said bill to the Assembly, and request their concurrence therein. Mr. Morgan, from the committee on engrossed bills, reported as correctly engrossed the bill entitled, "An act to provide for the erection of a school house in the town of Rome and to change the site thereof." Ordered, That the said bill do have its third reading. The bill entitled "An act to authorise the trustees of the village of Plattsburgh to sell or exchange their engine house," was read a third time and passed, a majority of all the members elected to the Senate voting in favor thereof, as follows: Ordered, That the Clerk deliver said bill to the Assembly, and request their concurrence therein. The bill entitled "An act to provide for the erection of a school house in the town of Rome and to change the site thereof," was read the third time and passed, a majority of all the members elected to the Senate voting in favor thereof, and three-fifths of all the members elected to the Senate being present on the final passage thereof, as follows: Ordered, That the Clerk deliver said bill to the Assembly, and request their concurrence therein. The Senate then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on a bill entitled, "An act to authorise the formation of railroad corporations," and after some time spent thereon, Mr. Morgan, from said committee, reported in favor of the passage of the same with amendments, which report was agreed to, and the bill ordered engrossed for a third reading. A bill was received from the Assembly for concurrence entitled, "An act making appropriations in part for the expenses of government for the fiscal year commencing October first 1849, and for other purposes," which was read the first time, and by unanimous consent was also read the second time, and referred to the committee on finance. Mr. Robinson gave notice that he would at an early day ask leave to introduce a bill to authorise the Williamsport and Elmira railroad company chartered by the legislature of Pennsylvania to construct a railway from the Pennsylvania line to connect their road with the N. Y. and Erie railroad at or near Elmira. On motion of Mr. Schoonmaker, The Senate then adjourned until 10 o'clock on Monday morning. |