The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-03-26

anomaly into their system icr no assigna-
ole reason whatever. Originally there
was one High Court Of Chancery in vir.
ginia. The convenience and expressed
wishes of the people have procured the
establishment of nine chancery districts.
The location Of one of these courts a,
Fredericksburg, aEords to that town an
annual clear gain OF $4,000, and our
proht would certainly not be less; sum
which, as it must be distributed through
out every class of society, would con,ri.
butte materially 10 the prosperity of our
citizens. Now let it not be forgotten
that our present chaDcery system is, in
most cases, really and practically nom
entity, as is obvious 10 all who are in the
least familiar with the hasty and superb
ciai treatment of chancery suits. which
the very constitution of the circuit court
obiiges it to practice.
4th. Of the admiralty court I will re-.
mark that of cases coguizable by it only
torty-seven have been instituted in il
fora period of about 81 years; and 10
forty-hve of these cases, the United States
wereparties. Tie present attorney for the
U. States introduced the practice of suing
on outy bonds 10 the admiralty court
This principal part CT The civil litigation
of the Unued States was formerly enter.
tanned in the Circuit court.
5th. The taxes which the Legislature
OF Virginia would impose on banks, is
topic rather strangely adduced to dis
credit the cause of retrocession. To ALI
who are not partners in the spells &C
CURED by these establishments, or vic.
tins OF their power, this expectation
must seem principal argument on the
free side Of this question: For why
should moDied monopolists be exempted
from contributing TO the expenses of
government in whose advantages they
fully participate ? If any discrimination
wers made,one favorable to the land hob
derwodld certainly be less unjust, because
the government possesses in the nature
OF his property pledge for his conduct
The banks have derived from the dis
tresses OF The community an undeserved
ana pernicious influence on this question,
which however has been unable to pre-.
sent majority, it is understood, of our
citizens from signing the retrocession
memorial. invite these institutions to
say low much of their several stock is
owred by residents OF Alexandria feel
ing confident on good Information that an
intelligent merchant, (now on his travels,
a Strenuous advocate for Ketrocession,
Owls more bank stock in Alexandra than
any other of its citizens AS to the weight
OF property represented by the two me,
moiiais, we challenge comparison; if. in.
deed such consideration is highly ma,
terial in question Of political freedom.
Admitting that ".4nH INercator'S" fayo-
rite legislature, is " the abiest in the
union" or in the world, I ask how does
IT benefit us, since it has for years re-
fused TO the most urgent solicitations,
the enactment of laws required by our
Interests and necessities? The memo
rial on the other side, indeed, is conf.
dent that congress will pass all such laws;
because, isuppose, it has hitherto omit
ted to do so! And here ought to be re-
collected one of our leading doctrines
namely that The concerns of the union
are too weighty, complicated, and continu.
ally increasing to leave time TO congress
for works Of charity. The doctrine that
we are represented by every member OF
congress has been so often repeated by
the anti rctrocessionists that they proba-
bly, begin 10 believe it. / would arrest
the progress of creduli:y by referring
them to the constitution Of the United
States, which expressly gives congress
" exclusive juyisdietion" over US; but no
where describes or implies its members
10 be our Representatives. And on The