The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-01-10
An Important Decision.

An act Of the Legislature of West
Virginia, entitled AN Act to prevent
,he Prosecution. Of Suits by Persons en-.
.a.rI in the Rchcllion," passed Febru.
.ry 2S.h, 1868 roads us follows:
Be il enacted by Ike Legislature Of West Virginia:
|. lf,he Defendant, or one Of the dcfendanis
his agent oratt"rncy, inanyMc' 'ioh or suit now
prntiuc, nr which may hereafter he brought.
in nuy court. or before any Justice make on'h
That he has COOL cause 10 believe, TINT the
ncrson for whose nse or heneft. IN" nction or
mi, is prosecuted, is, aiding or ahc,tina, or
L,s hcretoruc g at my time aided or nhrit"d
,hc 50 called Confederate States Of Amrric'.
mr. tbe rebel S,nte government at X chmond.
in any hostile action against the Unle'l States
or ,h;s State, the court OF justice, if such do.
fcndnnt 50 require, shall mhHe nm order gu
rsctirr the attorney for the pininiitI, Tor IT.
,hrrr he more than on" attorney Tor tn" p'nin'
III su.h one or more Of them ns 10 the court
ar iurt 60 muv seem. rr"nHr) 10 disclose upon
ouih within such rrnsonnhle time, Ia h" drsig
nn,rl in the sail order. ns the court or Justice
m.v urroinr. for wlusr ms" ar hnrf, th" said
! ,c,i,u az SUIT il prosecuted md slnll dismiss
.hc sad action or s'ii il such or Ter he ho'
u,
! :, was nat. And the court or irstic" shall
further make an ORDER. IL the said delcnd"nI
., r,u,,irr, ,iismissiu. the action or suii. un
/ 'r.s the person for whose h"nrht the same ~
rro> ccurml within surh rcms"nnhl" time mot
less Il an thirty days. 4" he 'rS .'na'rd IN such
,rl.r. MS the cnnrI az justice may nppnint.
fake the affidavit prescribed hy th"nci passcI
r.hrna,v eleventh, eighteen hundred nn'l six
Il u
! ,rt srrtnns Awrnty three, twenty seven hn'I
twenty cight. Of clnri"r one hundred nad
fifty oac, and section thirteen Of chnpt"r on"
! hnnlrc,l mnd srvcniy-0nr OF the Code OF Nir
rimia." an! file the same in the papers of the
cause. &c.
/ There are scvcr,,! ;nriicr:rl and cx
rianaturv >rrtinns 20 has act. The act
! # Feb. llrh. lSGI referred to above.
provides that the oath t" hr taken hall
embrace The fnll"u;ng prints: "f'fM
rA4, such plaintiff never voluntarily
.nrr arms against The Government "f
the United States. the re orgari2"d gov
ernmcnt Of Virginia a" the State Of
West vir.inia. Seemed. Thnt he never
,luntarily gave all or comfort /" per
IN. engaged in armed hnsri!ity againSi
the United Stat"-. the rcorGrnIz'd gov
rrnm"nr Of Virginia. or the State ct
Wr.t Eir"inia. hy r"nn'"nancln", co III.
,.iiu. nr rnr",.r.@i". them therein
THird. That ,urh r!aInitT ucrcr S"u=h'.
.rr. prr,l nor n,iru.,icI to rx"rri>c any
,fcr or ~ I.nintmrnr. whatever, civil "r
nrii airy. un.irr amy "uth"rity ar pre-
rndr,l nuilnrirv hn>tiIr To the Unite"
i .i.s. the rrnr. ,m;2ri y"' crnm""t al
| Viryini. "r the St.t" IL West Nir"In''
| fsu,lh. That III h plaintiff revrr yield
i any Voluntary support Ia amy gov.
.rnmrnt, or pretended yhrrrnm'nt
power ar rnnsli'u,ion Within the C"itri
-,,trs. h, sfiIr or inimlc,l thereto. or
h s.ic or mi inirnl to the r"o"grnIzch
.",c,rm~ut.f + Virginia, or the State It
| W,S Nrr.inia."
At The r~rcnt term OF 'ur Circni'
Court ac.s. Of this kind vas tried. The
.,>c If Eas,cl W. Fox. Mr. Fax. the
lrlrul..nt. ma,l. The nili.lrvit required
hy the act Of rr. IS h of Frbruiry 1860.
r;quiriny The pl.intitf To take the oath
prescribed b. The act of FeIra'ry Ill.,
! 1865
The crusc Cor the plain,ilf was e'aho
ra,e,y argued by Mr.. Robert J1hn>"n
! hn took the grounds that the law " Is
in conflict with the Constitution OF IN"
United St,tc-, a> i, Impaired contracts
further. it Was An rr past .f''ch' ln"'-anh
fur her. th,ti it WAS ~ effect an act q:
ruuli<cA'inn pa>se.l by our State L"sl>la
'urc conflicting with the authority OF the
| United STATES.
Hon. Charles S. Lewis argued tho
cause f"r the defendant with diS'i"-
.uishcL ahil IS, bring,n. u herr an
amount Of ,l!rn; and lrs1d lore that h'rr
been rarely surprised by any JHT'st he.
fare amy Judicial 'ri"unaI in the C'';cd
States. lie took the gr"nnI tat the
law is no, "'r post f;tcto that it doe,
m", impair c"nrra:;s. and proved his p,
sIlion toy numbers Of anlh"rl'''S. a."
iurrh,r took the gr"un'l that the subject
in f. rri'ir. his aIlr= forfeited his
rrutcrtinn. and sustained h;m>rifhy the
highest authorities. He real from tn"
"ld statutes nl' Virginia aud Nr% York
various disabling ats whi.h were passed
| hy tn. l.r.i> 'a;nrcs nG ih' 5" States shortly
subsequent To the Krv"luri"n, sr'louNI!
| hcri,u. those who had bru tories du
ring our struggle for i"dcpcndcn"c.
After tEc arguments. his Honor
Ju l.r Thomas ". Harrison, who de-
Iverrd lcng'hy opinion su,tIining the
,n>,i'u'ium,li,y a.: the lrw, dismissed
he case at the piaiaHt;'s cost.
We will pn''ish the judges very able
npinion ia this cause a, our earliest op
p"r,uniry.-Ch~kSb"ry Telegraph.
EM,GRArloN. - 2n.SIO immigrants
were landed at New York during the