Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-03-18
REMARKS,
yP'" trict of Columbia.
Cortirued.

CorttREed.
Again, the bill proposes that tax snou,o
hs lav;ed noon certain writs and proceed
;ng;s to the extent ofthat tax, the expenses
Ill of course be increased. 1t is evident
therefore. upon the whole, that the expen-
A.ss &c sn;tors will not be diminished by the
proposed plan.
5. The Sd general object OF the bill IS sup
,osed to be, to expedite the decision OF eau
.es.-The preceding observations will II !
art apply TO this head. Ifdelay be intend
ed by the debtor party, L do not know sys
TEN which would better promote MS views
He may, in cases where the claim IS "''ni
a magistrates jurisdiction and over ~ oo'
lars. by appealing to the District Court an
insiting on a jury trial obtain delay Oh
,ssst six months, and perhaps as long
,welye months, by reason of continuances i
the absence of witnesses who he may
material. sas orr
In cases which the District Cqskes the
ginal Jurisdiction Ollie 6gourt, and e.
chance of delay in the Distof the United
nally in the Supreme Cgrounds which he
States and il he bssy carry his case into
deems equitable, J Court-then be may
the County Cbeuit Court-,hen again to
appeal TO thourt
the Suppsfh general object of the bill is
4.<d to be, TO promote the convenience
sue inhabitants of the District. How will
promote the convenience of the inhabitants
of Washington county, They can as easily
attend Circuit Court as District Court,
and il would be no convenience to them to
be obliged to sue their debtors in George
town. To the inhabitants of Alexandra
the proposed system would not only be IN
Convenient but oppressi0e. Their causes are
now tried in their own town. They are all
within the sound of the voice Of the cryer OF
the court They can attend their trials with
the loss of only so much time as the trial it.
selfconsumes. But by this new system they
viii be obliged to follow their causes to
Washington at the expence Of two or three
dollars day, and to 90 day after day wait
ing forthe moment when the trial shall come
on. And the attendance of Jurors from A
lexandria would be peculiarly oppressive.
The inhabitants of Georgetown alone
would derive any benefit by this new ar
rangement, if any is to be derived from it..
If general system is to be altered to ac-
commodate the inhabitants Of Georgetown,
The reason would justify congress in estab-
fishing an additional court at the Navy Yard
10 accommodate those people who reside
nearly as far from the place where the court
is held in Washington as the people OF
Georgetown do.
The only benefit the inhabitants ofGeorge-
town would derive, would be in having their
Jury causes tried in their town; while tho
inhabitants on the east side of the creek in
the City of Washington would be still obli-
ged TO travel to capitol hill to attend the
court there-how much further have the peo-
pie Of Georgetown to gO--Whereas if the
proposed system is adopted, the people OF
Alexandria would have not only to travel
six OF eight miles, but TO pay road and bridge
toll.
But il deserves serious consideration whe-
ther the benefit which it is imagined the peo-
pie of Georgetown would enjoy from the
proposed plan would not be oyerbalancea by
the additional expence of court house and
other county charges, by the increase of the
expence OF the greater number of suits, by
the increase of delay, and after all they
would have to follow large number, per-
haps majority Of their suits to the circuit
ceurt at Washington.
The only inconvenience which the people
of Georgetown suppose they iabour under
is, their great distance from the courthouse
in Washington. may be easily removed by
having the sessions of the court held nearer
10 Georgetown than they are at present.
I have said before that the probability is,
that the sessions of the circuit court will
not be shortened by the new system. II is
true, that it will hold but two sessions
year. and that il will be relieved from much
of the criminal aud some of the civil jury
trials. But the most important criminal and
civil trials will still remain.
The jury trials of which il will have cog
nizanee, and such as will probably be most