Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-15

zne OF provisions, ~. m's
tary or naval stores y a l
United Unite States, Q; The ~, ~
1898. Oh. 81. sec. MAYHEM, death
Without going into detaiis, i, is belie,..,
the existing criminal laws in The CONN., - ti'
lexandria are OF about the same s,,a"A 81
character as the above; and, it i, ren,,I .I'IT
several intelligent gentlemen Of lha, Conn J
in consequence many offences are .ufFrrr4!,,. ~
either unpublished, or punished in such na
ner as amounts in effect 10 no punishm., Wy
While during the last thirty years, the g..
OF this Union have been making the mos ,'.a
advances in civil and criminal iurisprot..%
this devoted territory has been held st,,;o,'
and The ligh: Of improvement in pol,jc, '.
en- &C has not been permitted 10 shed lis b..
nant rays upon this unfortunate sud dep,,..
people Still they have struggled on, ana :.
erted more energy, exhibited more amin
and greater enterprise, than could have {.
reasonably expected, under their circuuyr
ces.
In The year 1900, there were GU, l.On
habllants in this Dis riot, in 1910, $4,000 n
20, nearly $4,000; and at this time prob,bl, =,
far from 50 coo. Their enterprise and NM
spirit have probably carried them too far 4
reference 10 their means, in local. proytn.,'
and brought upon themselves very st-
weight of taxation; yet they support scLs5,
encourage learning, and palrouize ch.riI
and benevolent institutions, to an exenrhi
credi,able 10 them. independent Of al ,inl
establishments, The worthy Catholics alone i.
nish a gratuitous education to several hgpl,.
poor children annually. Still, norwi'h,,.,g,,
all the efforts Of the most active, moral. atr
dus!rious portion of lhe people, here is aro,y,
class, sort Of floating population Of p,vD.,
and iGlers, as degraded as they are indoIrntr
pref1igate.
Your committee, having thus given an o.,
line of the circumstances which led 10 ID, l.
cation Of the seat OF government, in this D.,
,ricl, and its general history from that DEN.
will now proceed 10 state more particul.r, n
present condition in regard to tie laws, po.a
and administration OF Jusuce.
With a view to obtain The most ample r.
accurate information on this subiec; viii
their reach, your committee, ea'ly in The pre-
ent session, addressed circular letter. coG,:,
ing a series Of inferrogatories concerning !.
affairs Of this District, to the judges, m'mbsl
of the bar and Other intelligent geu,enu
whose answers reflect equal ctec., upon Their
intelligence and patriotism, and which ave a.
tached 10 this report. From these yaIusblsda:
umenls, and other sources Of information, MG'
committee proceed 10 Stale some Of The pa,
miuenl evils 10 which the people are expose,
ana beg leave TO refer 10 these docunensiai
mass Of interesting facrs and opinions, Sha
cannot be embraced in this report; and aahOgr
as might have been expected, they are s'-r
what conflicting, yet they are not less wOlh! iG
examination on that account.
From the organization, jurisdiction, and pm
ceedings of The Circuit Conr', flow many oi's
most serious evils which affllct this Disia-
This court tries all criminal actions, from 'n
most lliaing assault and battery 10 treason .'
murder; Ill cases in equity, all civil aciIar'
where the demand is over fifty doar', 'pp,!i
Fl ON Justices courts, where the Judgmsr e.
ceeds FIVE dollars, and where the cases are td
tried by jury; and has original jurlsdclIonh
all cases whatsoever arising from matiesHG
hcto. The terms Of court are only semI'anasiI
when the most incongfuous mass Of oush'"
which it is possible TO conceive, Is brOug" D.
fore il, aud produces that confusion, ds'a'a"
expense, which operate, 10 MAJ!
cases, no, only as denial Of justice, Ou' '''''
sion the grossesl oppression.
At one lime, the Court will be engaged
trying . case of Iriiling ,respass or a''''S'
then in case Of murder, which may be d.
lowed by an important civil cause; then com"
on case Of petit larceny, which IS s'et"'
ed in turn by complicated chanc'V w,
from which The Court graveiy procsed'0'H
trial Of five dollar appeal from l's'" ;"
The peace.
The nature and extent Of criminal ou''a'"
before this Court, will be seen by The i'II'"'S
facts:
The appearance docket Of criminal CASE"
The last December term, in Washington cow
", contained one hundred and lhIry p''''.,
mems and indictments; of which 81 were T.
assault and battery, forty one for larceny x" &.
IN for gaming, TWO for swlndllng, seven ;.
lot, eight for retailing liquors without II',l'
hree for murder, one for passing c0an.5',.
money, and one for extorlion in masi'"'n'
wo for abusive language, one Tor u'"s
a negro to run away, one ''' W..
laughter, one for threatening TO s'ao' ''' w.
or resisting constable
Besides those OF the criminal appe"-"-
list, there are twenty-three on the''l'' u w..
n. piphispn fer nuisance or gaming, "
or assault and battery; one for shoon0s; =,
me for robbery; so that the 'Ime ..
court was more occupied with ma'' -,