Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-01-03

slipped; he has lett a WIDOW ana SeVerdi CHI
dren, three Of whom are in the Greenwich Hos
pital School.
The proceedings of the Virginia Legislature
have, for several days past, been barren OF In
terest. The following review by the Editors OF
the WING, will be more Satisfactory to the read
err than formal detail.
General Assembly Prospects at the COM
mencement OF the session bid fair tor an early
adiournment but from present appearances,the
General Assembly cannot rise much sooner
than the lst of March New business is daily
originating, and some of 1t, from It's complex
character will necessarily consume much time
in discussion This is necessary consequence
of the great variety and conflict OF interests
drawn into legislation, and for which there can
be no remedy.
The questions of interest pending, are those
Of the James River Impro' ement, the ConNen-
ton, the revision Of the Chancery and Super
or Court systems, the proposition to confer
jurisdiction touching divorces on the Superior
Courts Of Chancery, for defining Contempts
of Courts, and to repeal the prohibition on a
widower's marrying the sister OF his deceased
wife. There are other matters oil interest be-
fore the Legislature, but their enumeration EN-
braces the chief question affecting the State at
large-unless further appropriation to COM
plete the University, TO restore the power Of
pardoning Penilenliary offences to the Execu-
tive, and TO establish an asylum Tor the deal
and dumb, be SO considered.
No distinct proposition relative to the fur
ther prosecution Of the improvement OF James
River, has been submitted to the General AS
sembly, nor is il foreseen in what shape the
question will come from the Committee OF
Roads and internal Navigation. One thing
seems 10 be generally understood, that the fur
Their prosecution of the Independent Canal will
he abandoned. except to authorize the compile
ton of contract, actually made. Experience
has formed new era, and the Legislature sa-
tisGed Of the imprac! icability Of the late canal
design, will probably be content to authorize
the simplest and most economical mode OF I'm
provement, consistent with the actual demands
Of the James River trade that mode is to
be we have no lights to conjecture. he late Ia
riff of tolls Just about to go into operation has
been disc overec to be quite as imPracticable IN
execution, as other parts of that romantic
scheme, and proposition from the inhabitants
of Richmond to have it modified, called forth
display Of feeling in the House Of Delegates,
indicative ofthe unpopularity of the whole sub
iect, Of the warmth which may he KIP cled In
It's discussion, and OF the fate which awaits any
effort TO procure reduction of tolls, or ~ con-
time the Canal. The toll Of one dollar per
hogshead on tobacco, has aenated that whole
interest, and it is believed that the friends OF
the Canal, are confined to the counties lying on
the head branches of james and jackson RiUers
and the Rana,oha Road and Navigation
We are not Sanguine as 10 the success Of the
measure Of calling Convention. The small
counties are against 1.-THE large ones for it,
leaving it doubtful on which side the majority
lies. 1t will be recollected that at the last ses.
sion, the question presented was "will you
leave the people to say whether they will have
Convention or no." Strange as il NAV seem,
Republicans manifested want of confidence in
the people, and refused to submit it to their de-
cision-and the same feeling still exists. The
same question is again presented to the legis-
ature, backed by the petitions Of thousands of
freehoders, from various parts of the State
The deseopement of public opinion since the
last winter, confirms the suppo stion that
majority Of the people call for Convention.
The friends of the Convention present diem
ma TO its enemies-rither the people are for it,
or against it, If for it, upon what principle of
repubiicanism will you withhold ii from them?
If against it, what harm can result from their
declaring their opinions at the polls? Either
horn of the dilemma losses the opponents Of the
measure into the air. The other side contends
that the people already have the power of as
sembling in Convention if they desired it, and
that to pass law directing the sense of the
people to be taken, would be Legislative usur-
patton. To this it is replied, that the natu-
raj and indeieasible right of the people TO
alter or abolish the existing form of Go.
yernment, is freely acknowledged by. the
frenIs as the foes of the Convention, and that
the demand for legislative interference, by no
means implies denial Of this right. But they
contend that the enemies of the Convention,
particularly Mr.. Leigh, themselves insisted that
an attemp, to change the Constitution without
the sanction of the Legislature, was a near ap-
proach to treason-that it is the people, whose
natural power ii is pretended, would be usurp-
ed by the Legislature in the passage of such
law, who request that the law may be passed
that If they are willing, all scruples as to the
right of the Legislature must be groundless
and even ridiculous-and that without the aid
Of the Legislature Convention never can be
organized even with decided ma jority in its
favor, without exposing the state to commissions
and possibly violent Revolution. We leave
it to the disinteresled to say Gf any such can
be found) on which the weight side of argu-
ment lies. The Committee of "a has not vet