The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-06-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
-rron che Natiopsl lntelligenccr
SERIES OF FACTS ...VAIEnIus No: ,

4
Legislation over the district ofColumbis.
L, might, on thee hand, be answer
ed, that, inasmuch as they have no com
mon feeling OF interest or ha6natio,,. tina
they cannot /; Sut. rs they are unoues
tionably one Of the most cnlichtenes
legislatures in the world, it might. per.
haps, as properly be answered, that thes
can, jffheY lvoaiG, ervt thfr syisdon; il,
the fosk.
10 various ages OF. the world, It ha,
been held by eminent political writer's
that an absolute incorrectly is the bcsr
government, provided the monarch be 8
wise and virtuous prince. But as thu
safety and welfare Of the state, cnder
such monarchy, must depend on the
character Of the prince. which is always
uncertain, Ga Commodus may succeed
an Antonius,) we have adol ted different
| and wiser opinion, by entrusting our des
tiny to rulers. chosen by the people, GU,
OF the people, and returning at short In
tervals, mix with them again.
1t is certain that congress, in relation
TO the district OF Columbia, is not chosen
sy II, OIL even any member oft, yet they
possess almost an absolute power over il
they hold, as to it, the station of an abso
lutte monarch. Ii was hoped that, in the
exercise of such unlimited power, that
| congress would have displayed the wis.
dom and benevoleDcc of great and pen.
ercus prince and that absolute power in
their hands, would been solely employ ed
for the bene6;, moral Improvements and
social happiness, OF the people subject to
| their rule. Has this been the case D.
Here We are bro,fgh, TO the second cues.
uoD propouaded, "whether congress has
Properly cxersiseG This power :"
The best aDs~ CT 10 this inquiry will be
a reference TO the most impor,an, acts of
Legislation, which, foS twenty-five years,
have been passed, having particular rela.
ton TO The district oil Cuiump!a.
The FIRST III order and importance, and
perhaps the most injurious in lis ultimate
effects, is the famous act of the 22d Feb.
1901, assuming jutIsdic'ibh OF the dlstr,c,
ii Columbia, and adopting two dlstlno,
codes i"r us goveinmert, in civil anc
criminal matters-as Congress tras EFF.
those vari3nt and imperfect codes L. d.
crate as they then existed, without n.sk.
any matetIai alterations, cerlaInl, no RAD
zeal Improvements. On The spun of The
OCCASION, as they unwi seIy assumed IurIs.
dIclioD. 1t mig ut have oeen necessary, In
he first Instance, 10 have adopted thos.
codes, but There can be no good reason
assigned tor continuing ihem Ion d yeas
With all their cruditlee ard impe,iectiors.
II was the duly oil coDS, ess to have prc.
pared and established uniform, wei di.
gested code, containing ali lnL modern
Improvements III ClvI, ahd crinlna, iuIis.
prudence, WHICH have distinguished. in
Europe and America the present en!igh,.
eDed age OF the world and this was more
Imperiously their duty, as they possessed
the entire and exclusive Legislation over
the subject.
In passing The act, adopting the laws o.
Virginia and Maryland as they then exis,
ted, and organizing courts and magislra
c}, congress seem to have been impressed
that they had done all their duty REQUIRED
from them, as to gererai jurisprudence.
For what other laws have they passed?
They have continued or granted char.
tiers OF incorporation TO the city of Wash
Ing'on and the towns of Alexandria and
Georgetowh, without which The necessa.
Ivy local police of those places could not
be managed or maintained. They have
a'so established a levy court in each of
the Counties OF Washington and Alexan..
dria. 10 these they have added twelve
| Incorporated banks-a number uDneces.
/ sary III so small district; if, in fact, any
were necessary And these have been
! conducted in manner so as to iniure the
morals and sweep away the pecuniary
capitals OF The citizens, and must ultimate.
y absorb all the real property of the dis
| irlct, and render them the sole lord Dro-
pretors, unless the impoverishment and
the insolvency OF their debtors shall pro-
duce their own bankruptcy.
They have too incorporated some in.
surance ofices-which must be regarded
as beDehcial establishments also canal
company and some turnpike companies /;
these las, have proved most injuriou to
the stockholders the entire capital EN-
ployed, seems 10 be sunk, and, from
the impoverished state of the district, no
further means can be furnished In fact,
the importance of these Improvements are
every day diminishing, with the impover-
lshmeDt of the district the whole system
ot government as it now exists seems ra
her to train up mon IN the arts of prey
ing upon each other, than in that honest
II iahnr which I.v oJJs