Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-04-12

dent. and would be protected BY this amendment
Mr.. Wickiffe said, he would withdraw the
appointment for the present, and offer u al anoth-
er stage of the bill.
MIR. Jenifer said, he was satisfied that the pro-
visions of this bill not accePtaoie 10 large
portion of the population OF the Distr'c'. De.
Sides there was no occasion for IT, as the code OF
laws, which was proposed to be drawn up oy ano,
Their bill, would entirely supersede It: lie hao
no objection to the bill, were It's provisions con-
fined to the place for which 1t was calculated
He moved an amendment to the bill. connnlns
its operation to the south side OF the Potomac.
Mr.. Doddridge said, the whole object OF the
bill was to make the practice throughout the DIS
trct uniform It was subject of great difficult
ty, involving much conflicting feeling and inte-
rest on the part of the bar. There were two dis.
tinct systems of statute laws now in operation
the law of descents and the statute of dlstrlbu-
| tons were different in many particulars on the
two sides of the Potomac. There was singular
point OF history relative to this matter OF practice
The Circuit Court, sensible OF the necessity OF
uniformity, had adopted set of rules. They
happened to be very disagreeable to heMaryiand
part of the bar, and they we're presented as
grievance by the grand jury! TINS portion OF
the bar had insisted upon the necessity of more
Courts, in accordance with the judicial system
of Maryland. They had contended for three
distinct sets Of ribunals-Chancery. civil, and
criminal-besides Municipal Court Of three
Judges for each town in the District. These
were all supposed to be necessary for the admi-
nlstralion Of justice to a population OF 10000
souls-a judicial system more extensive than that
of the state OF Virginia.
Mr. Jenifer replied The gentleman says the
practice must BE- unIform-and proposes that OF
the State of Virginia by this bill. There was no
necessity of settling whether that was the best Or
no,--for the whole subject will come before the
commissioners TO digest the code Of laws. 1t
tins bill is passed, the Virginia system will be fas-
tened upon the whole population OF the District,
without the possibility of redress.
Mr.. Doddridge wished the question might be
taken on the amendment II might be years be-
fore the proposed code would be matured. But
it the House expected that the labors of the Com
mittee on the District, were to be confined to one
side of the River, they might put an end to their
| duties at once.
The question was then taken on Mr.. Jenfer's
anne ndment and il was lost without count. and
the bill was laid aside.
8. A bill to aid the Vestry Of Washington Pa
IRISH to erect Keepers House. &c. and the i'm.
prayement and security of the ground allotted tor
internent of members of Congress and other pub
lie officers.
| 9 A bill to amend the 'act to enlarge the
powers of the corporations Of the District of Co
lumbia."
10. A bill further to amend the act to incor-
porate the inhabitants of theCity Of Washington
IL A bill to straigh,en F and G sts., Wash
ington City.
IL. A bill granting city lots to the Columbian
College. &c.
NJ. Wickliffe objected to the mode proposed in
this bill aud other occasions. of dispensing the
bounty Of GOverr nent. bv granting these scrap,
OF lands abou, thi. city. He would propose to
grant the whole to the Corporation Of Washing
ton, one half OF the proceeds to be devoted to i'm
proving Pennsy lvanla Avenue, and other public
improvements, and the other half to be applied to
! the promotion Of common school education. Mr..
W. offered an amendment TO that effect.
Mr.. Doddridge regretted the bringing forward
this proposition at this time. II might be auda.
BILE; but neither himself, nor others, he presumed,
had reflected upon it sufficiently to act. lie
was not sure bu, it might be best to adopt some
plan to relieve Congress from continual Iegi>la.
ton on this subject. But these lots were public
property. He was not aware that the City of
Washington had an exclusive claim TO large
amount OF public property, which would greatly
add to the private fortune Of every inhsbtant Of
the city. Have not Georgetown and Aexan.
dria clailns 10 be considered in such dispensa-
ton of favorf THIS property was probably
worth million; why should it exclusively he
gwen to enrich Washington This bill only
proposed to endow the college with a pittance,
and he was sorry to see an attempt to arrest it
by the proposition of measure OF so much mag
nitude. involving all the circumstances and the
objects under which the United States acqui-
red this property.
/ Mr.. Wicklne had not turned his attention to
the circumstances and objects under which the
property was acquired, but had been informed it
was given for public purposes The corporation
proposed to be endowed by this bill, had already
been partaker of the liberality of the Govern
ment. II it was thought proper to 60 further, he
should not object to any reasonable measnre.-
But he was tired of continual Legislation about
these scraps Of land. He invited gentlemen to
reflect upon the amendment he had offered
! Mr.. Doddridge explained the situation of the
College at length, and thought it proper object