Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-02-14
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY, FEB. IA, 1922.
FOR THE GAZETTE.
NO. Ii.

O6on steadily duleuuihS dnu 'hPAo''he i>o
civil and penal codes, and none perhaps
more so than Maryland 4. Virginia; no re-
form whatever has been made in the code
of the District, for the last twenty years.
In this assertion, the writer OF the me-
mortal is much mistaken. Congress has
established Tor the District, better Judi
cial system, as to its organization. and up
on better terms, than exists 10 any state in
the Union. By it, justice is brought to
each mans door. and in most OF the cases,
the iitigant parties have the advantage OIL
having the decisions revised by the highest
and most enlightened court in the nation.
All the officers of the judicial department
are paid oct OF the Treasury ofthe Union,
and at no cxpenCe to ourselves. This is
not the case of the people of any state
Congress has! from time to time, amen
ded the charters of the Corporations
ia the District, and extended their pow
er.-Congress has in various instances a.
mended the laws of the District, in ma
ny very important points-Congress, since
the year 1901, has passed for the District,
between ninety and one hundred laws. -
And in the year 1916. law was passed
appointing the three Judges & the District
Attorney, to revise the whole OF the laws
of the District, and prepare complete
code of civil and penal laws. BY so doing,
Congre IS has dis covered disposition TO
consult our comforts, rights andshappness.
They selected gentlemen, who fron their
station 10 the administration OF justice, it
wa. presumed would be able to effect the
object most satisfactorily.
The chief Judge OF the court. with his
usual attention 10 his duty, did all IN his
power to comply with the. Just and benign
Intention of Congress, and prepared va
liable ard useful code of laws which he
transmitted to Congress on the 18th day OF
November, 1918. This code has been
printed, aud has been or might have been
examined, and considered by every cltI-
zen of the District. Congress still anxl-
Gus to pass such laws, as would be salts
factory to the people of the District; m
the winter 1919, referred this code to the
same Judges and District Attorney, Tor
them to examine and report upon, and
thus has this subject rested. Why have
not the Judges and the late District Attor-
ney, proceeded to execute tine trust conf
dsd to them, by Congress'-it is not for
me to .ay-So solictous has Congress
been 10 effect this object-tbat they ap
propriated what they deemed reasona-
bic compensation to the gentlemen for
their services, out of the public treasury,
and did not even tax the people OF the Dis
trict with this expence
The code of laws which was prepared
by the sfjudge, embrace all the mo-
dern laws of the states of Virginia and
Maryland, and if it was adopted, il would
on this point, remove the complaint con-
tanned in the memorial.
But would local government remove
this cause of dissatisfaction? 1t would not
Il j, more than probable it would increase
our complaints. 1t would be more in cha
racter to send petition to the Judges OF
the District, and the late District Alto:
ney, to solicit them to proceed in due
and speedy execution OF the trust reposed
in them. II these gentlemen would pre-
pare their code OF laws, and submit them
10 Congress, there can be no doubt, but.
thai body would in reasonable time act
upon them. and If they did. there would
b. no ground 10 complain OF the delay OF
justice.
But il seems somewhat strange, that the
people of Washington should complain OF
the delay of justice. when it is well known
tina, according 10 the laws OF Maryland,
and the mode OF proceeding in the courts
OF that state, there is no state. even al
lhi. day, in which justice is SO protracted
as in M AIRY land.
The people of Washington are those
who have complained against the code of
laws. prepared by the chief judge of the
District because they altered the mode Of
practice in the court OF that county, and
assinlates it to that of the county Of A.
leyandria; which is the practice OF the
Virginia courts. Ii the practice in the
court. of Washing ton, is 10 remain as it
now is in that county, and which is the
MARYLAND practice. Thereiis no law which
Congress, or local Legislature can pass,
that will expedite the proceedings OF that
court.
The wit OF man cannot devise a mode
better calculated to delay the trial of cal
se.. than that which prevails in the Wash
ington court, TO which mode the inhuen-
iial citizens of that county, seem to be
immovably devoted. If thi. be so, will
either 4 convention or local government
change this mode; but is there not great
danger, that The Washington county peo-
ple will 6x their own laws, notions and
practice on the people OF Alexandria, BY
mean. of convention.
The next complaint in the memorial, is
that the execution Of the laws in the Dis
trjct. is as detective as the legislation is,
and as an excuse for this defect, it is al
lodged by the memorial, that faithful
discharge of the high duties of the Pres'
dent to The nation, is absolutely incompa
table with the administration of the con,