Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1865-12-23
ghe Atexandria Gazette
SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20.
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.

come up when the uEG |It- "a
will be the Stay law, ported b the Judiciary l
Committee. U -,
The next most important matter will be the
election Of State officers, which will take place
on the 10th of January. The list OF candl-
xdates-is. INCREASING sFor=Secreta
: Comm onwealth two candidates are announced,
9 John w -Herndon, of Fredericksburg, and
Mr-Christian Of Augusta. His nomination
will seriously affectythe prospects OF Mr.. bad
dich, Of Nanseniond Mr. Phillip Howard q
candidate for the same place, received s5oo
when the gold belonging to the State was dis,
tributed on the night of the evacuation, and
this is calculated to mar the chances he had
before this fact was known The same cir
cumstances will affect the prospects OF Mr.
Calvert, for Treasurer.
A bill has. been reported and will pass, sepa-
rating the Library from the office OF the Secre-
/ tary of the Commonwealth, and there are. any
number Of prominent Virglnians who seem
willing to look after the few literary remains OF
the old Commonwealth, which escaped
servants The candidate best known is d.
George W. Bagby Iong connected with the
!. press Of Virginia. The Gold Committee has
made an elaborate report but it does not show
up one half Of the circumstances connected W1th
the distribution Of the precious metal, and
fails to meet the expectations Of those who have
been most interested in the development OF the
matter. The Senate is at work On the bill
making negro testimony admissible III the courts
of the State, and the impression is general that
the bill now before it will pass with slight mo-
difcations. The facility with which the Legls
ature adapts itself to the situation is, under
the circumstances, wonderfully remarkable
We do not, however, mean by this. that tn:
members are inclined to be obsequlous to the
powers that be, but that having submitted to
the result Of the arbitrament Of arms, they are
willing to illustrate, practically, by their legl-
lation, the earnestness Of their declarations when
they took Che oath of allegiance to the Govern
ment of the United States. Mr.. Herndon, of
: SDottsylvania, when advocating the reunion Of
East aud West Virginia in the House the 9th
er day said 'that neither fnr place or power
would he ever deny shat, when jackson died,
his heart stood still, and that when Lee sur
rendered, he was crucifed,' and he but ex
presses pointedly what many Of his colleagues
feel; and yet he urged, most eloquently and
feelngy the cultivation of the most fraternal
relations, ''North and South, East and West.
While Virginia has nothing to take back if her
Legislature is fair exponent of the feeling Of
her people, she will in the future, put to blush,
in the genuineness Of her loyalty to the Constr
tuition and the Union, many Of her so-called
loyal sisters Of New England. y
A bill was reported in the House of Delegates
to-day, from the Committee on Finance, chang
ing the usury laws so that the legal rate of in
serest shall hereafter be 10 instead Of 6 per CT.
Der annum
The i. S. DIRECT TAx-Both branches
Of the Legislature are impressed with the need
Of relief from the direct land tax levied by the
y. S. Government for 1861 Mr. Woodsen
offered resolution in the House on Monday,
appealing to the President and Congress f"r
a suspension of it's collections for the present,
and to permit the State of Virginia to assume
the payment of the same.
Mr.. Grattan said the Governor was under
the impression that its collection had been
stopped BY order Of the Secretary of the d.
s Treasury.
Mr., Woodson replied hat collections We're
now going on in the Valley of Virginia,
Several member said that their constituents
had paid the tax, and they did not want them
to pay it again, by the States assuming the
debt-that it would add $500 900 to the tax
bill Of the State for the year
The resolution was finally referred TO the
Financial Committee.
The Senate Committee had an interview
with Gov. Peirpoint on Monday, and reported
that, the Governor saw the Secretary Of the
Treasury in October, who informed him that
he had suspended the COLLECTION Of taxes in
Virginia He did not say for what length of
time. The Governor proposes yevlsting
Washington during the recess OF the LegsIa-
ture at which time be will seek a personal III
terview with the Secretary OF the Treasury
and ascertain on what terms the acceptance Of
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