Washington telegraph., 1851-08-27

AARoN BuRRs-About the year l7s5. Col. Ban
was owner Of nearly one fourth Of block fronting
Nassat, Cedar. and Liberty streets, and Broadway.
He war an ennfseuk lawyer, with an extensive
ffaesice. was Informed by one Of the profession
That bis practice at one period was worth ten
thousand dollars year. 1 used frequently TO sit
on 9uries in the City Hall (now the site ofthe Cp
tomhoese) when Hamilton and Burr were tho ue-
posing counsel. They were both acuts lasVYess
and eloquent speakers. A remarkable incident
took place one day. They were tSymg the validity
OF will. Hamilton. having tire will in his hand,
happened to hold II belHee.A che window and his
eyes, He rose. and prayed the ceart to stay tse
proceedings, and, hauding tho will up 70 the Judge,
Il think it was Brockholst Livingston,) remarked:
"if the court please, there is witness from Boa-
ven that viii set this Snxtter At rest. IL the court
please, hold the instrument 70 ~ to look through
the paper. The water mark is dated S years after
the will was signed. The testalor could not make
will i've years after he was dead" OF course
verdict for the defendant was given Al once.
In the year 1900 Col. Burr was elected to the
Office of Vice President of tho United States. On
the llth of July, 1904, no retired from political
life. The fatal termination of the duel with Hamii-
ton, and the verdict of "wilful murder" rendered
by the coroners jury, caused him TO abseat himself
from this part Of The country. He travelled through
the Southern and Western States, for the purpose
Of getting up an expedition against Mexico, for
which he was tried for high treason. He then fed
to England, where his papers were seized, aud
himself thrown nte prison. He was liberated
soon after, travelled in France and Germany, aud
returned to New York in 1872 Iie resumed the
practice of Law at No. Is Nassau street. Being
lightly esteemed by his fellow citizens, the effort
was unsuccessful, and he soon fell into decay in
mind, body, and estate. Mathew L. DAVIS, his
- l.
brother, and had him lodged in a solitary hut, with
lonely window, on desert sand.bank in the
wilds of Staten Island. Here. through the bounty
Of Mr.. Davis, he lived for eighteen months; aud
here on the night of the l4th Of September, 1896,
died Aaron Burr, in the eighty first year of his
age, with not friend to close his eyes, or wipe
the dew drops Of death from his brow. Washing
ton, Adams, Jay and Hamilton, died surrounded
by weeping friends, and their graves Were bedew-
ed by the tears of continent. "He that honor
eth me l will honor; he that despiseth me shall be
lightly esteemed saitl, the book whose Author is
divine. Burr buried at Trenton, New Jersey.
Laurie Todd, IN the Home Journal.
~~~~~~~~o~-~~~~~~~~
New VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION Virginia
Stale Convention has at last adopted constitution
and adjourned. The vote on the fnal passage
was IS ayes and 80 noes, with nine pairs not vot-
ing. The vote in full convention would have been
50 ayes and AZ noes
The Chief features of the new constitution are
these:
Nearly all State and county officers are to he
elected by the people, including the Governor aud
Lieutenant Governor, the judges Of the Supreme,
District and Circuit Couris, and the Justices of the
peace, Commonwealth attorneys, clerks aud
sheriffs.
The Legislature is to be appointed, tho House
Of Delegates on the suffrage basis. with Western
| majority of fourteen members, aud the Senate
with an Eastern majority Of ten members. This
arrangement is to continue until 1865, when the
Legislature may agree upon q new appointment,
or submit the question of basis to the people,
Taxes are to be assessed ad uatOrem, except that
slaves under twelve years Of age are exempt;
white males twenty-0ne years old are 10 pay
capitation tax equal to the tax on four hundred
dollars worth OF land; slaves over twelve years Of
age are not to pay more than the tax on three
hundred dollars worth Of land; licenses, incomes
and salaries may be taxed at the discretion of the
Legislatures; per cent. Of the existing debt of the
S.~.e .ad Of every future debt. is to be set apart
annually for the payment Of the interest and
princiPa -aars jsE9@r e.t..s,f I'd
The new constitution is 10 be Submitted to the
voters qualified under il, on the fourth Thursday
in October next, and the returns made to the Gov.
rrnor. II he proclaim it ratified, the Legislature
already elected is to be superseded by the new
Legislature, to be elected on the second Monday
u
day in January, and therefore tho session will be
biennial
The changes in the present constitution consists
in the adoption Of the system Of popular elections
in all departments of the Government, in the aban-
donment of the principle of the representation Of
property, and in requiring the Legislature to pro-
vide for the payment Of present and every future
public debt.--N @. Pieayune.
@~~~~)~~~~~~~~~
CLERICAL PoLITICIAN.-A writer in
the Boston Transcript, after commenting
upon some OF Theodore Parker's vehe.
ment political trades from the pulpit.
concludes with the following paragraph
upon the subject of political preaching:
"What clergyman ever solemn;zed.
! and purified, aud elevated the thoughts
Of his hearers by preaching about poll
tics? Men may listen. submissively
to the most powerful denunciation OF
sins; but no man will admit his political
opinions to fall within this category. A
parish in which all are of one political
mind, is very rarely to be found. How
much nearer to Paradise does political
preacher advance his congregation by
these unconsecrated efforts? Let him
take summary view of his parishioners
at the close-what does he behold
Which seems to have gotten the maste.
ry, the spirit or the flesh! Upon the
countenance of some he beholds the
marks of carnal exultation and triumph;
] nr~-, 49, -~~"scuapce OF others the man.
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