The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-06

caualled natural capabilities, Its bad emi-
nence, are the legitimate points of the
teaching of its public press, and anything
YOU can he able to contribute towards Its
reformation will in the highest degree be
scrviceable to the cause Of the country
and of humanity. But, gentlemen, let us
act with moderation and discrimination,
for though prostituted press Is one OF the
greatest calamities, free aud vlrtuous
press is one Of the greatest public blessings,
the greatest ornament and support OF puD-
lie virtue.
Al the conclusion Of the charge, the
Grand Jury retired to their room, and Mr..
w. B. Reed made the following appllca-
ton:
ADDRESS OF MR.. W. r. READ, COUNSEL FOR
MR.. DAVIS.
MAY it please your IIonor, beg leave
to present myself, in conjunction with my
colleagues, as the counsel OF JEFFERSON
Davis, now prisoner of State at Fortress
Monroe, and under indictment for hlgn
treason in your Honor's court. we una
on the records of your Honor's court an
indictment charging Mr.. Davis with tins
high offence, and it has seemed to us due
to the cause of Justice, due to this triDu-
nal, due to that feeling of one sort or an
other which may be described as crystal
izing around the unfortunate man, that we
should come at the very earliest day to
this tribunal, and ask of your Honor, or
more properly the gentleman who repre-
sents the United States, the sim
pie question, What is proposed to
be done with this Indictment is
ii to be tried? Is it (and this is
question perhaps that l have no right to
ask), is it to be withdrawn? or is it to be
suspended! If it is to be tried, may 1t
please your Honor, speaking for my COL
leagues, and for myself, and for my absent
client, / say with emphasis-did | not say
it with earnestness--that we come here
prepared instantly to try that cause; and
we shall ask no delay at your Honor's
hands farther than is necessary to bring the
prisoner to face the court, and to enable
him, under the statute in such case made
and provided, to examine the bill Of indict-
ment against him. Is 1t to be withdrawn ?
If so, Justice and humanity seem to us to
prompt that we should know it. is IS TO De
SSpended-poStponed ? If so, may it please
the Court, with all respect to your Honor
and to the gentleman who conducts the
public business here, your Honor must un-
derstand us as entering our most earnest
protest.
We ask speedy trial on any charge
that may be brought against Mr.. Davis
here, or in any other civil tribunal in the
land. We are n0,o here representing, may
1t please the Court, q dying man. For thir-
teen months he has been in prison. The
Constitution of the United States guaran-
tees tohim not only animpartial trial, which
am sure he will have, but speedy trial;
and we have come no slight diStance-we
have come in all sincerity-we have
come with all respect to your Honor-we
have come with strong sympathies for our
client, professional and personal-wc have
come here simply to ask this question
address it to the District Attorney, or /
address it to your Honor, as may be the
more appropriate: What dispositions pro-
posed to be made Of the bill Of indictment
against Jefferson Davis, now pending, for
high treason!
REPLY OF THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
Mr.. j. T. Hennessey said that he had
previously been altogether ignorant OF the
nature Of the application to be made by
the honorable gentleman who had just
spoken; and in the absence OF Mr.. Chan
dler, the United States District Attorney,
he was mprepared to answer the ques-
tions which had been propounded. He
stated that he hoped that Mr.. Chandler
would arrive on yesterday TUESDAY
evening, and would telegraph to him i'm
mediately. If fMr. Chandler did not, how
ever, arrive by this "wednesday morning,
he (Mr. Hennessey) would be prepared to
answer himself the questions that had been
asked.
In answer to.a question from Judge Un-
dcrwood, Mr.. Reed then said that this an
swcr was perfectly satisfactory.
LAWYERS PRACTICING IN THE UNITED STATES
Mr.. j. II. Gilmer then arose and ad-
dressed the Judge in relation to practicing
in this court. His remarks and the reply
of Judge Underwood will be found in an
other column.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE COURT.
At the conclusion of Judge UnderwOOd's
remarks, Mr.. Davis's counsel left the court
room, and shortly afterwards the court adj
iourned to meet this morning at 10 o'clock
precisely. -