Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-01-28
TELEGRAPH NEWS.
SPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THEGAZETTE
PROM WAsHINGTON.
Virginia-BefOre the Reconstruction
Committee.

| the room or the Rec0nstroctioh O0
this morning, was as large as usual ana Ia Tue
crowd were noticed Charles WhlttleSeY' II. NJ
White T, D Harmon AMI Josiah AIllard, OF
Alexandria. But six members OF the commit
tee were present-indeed 1t seems as though a
full committee would never meet. Charles
Wb;t,Jesey resumed his remarks suspended
yesterday at the expiration OF the hour deVot-
Cd 10 committee business He urged that the
noGtical disabilities should not be removed
| from Judges Shelley aud Thomas, and from
the Second Auditor of the State, General Asa
Rogers, and stated that the decision OF the
first named of these gentlemen, IN the case OF
Caesar Griffin, was a sufficient reason for the
continuance of the disabilities under which be
labors With regard to Judge Thomas he
said that he had been frequently informed by
loyal men that they despaired of receiving JUS
tice 10 his Court. and said that his refusal to
admit negro evidence in certain case ought at
least be ground enough for declining to remove
his disabilities. He also stated, which Induced
smile among those who heared him, that the
Radical PARTY of Virginia We're disposed to ex'
ercise iberality towards the people of that
State, and had recommended the removal OF
the disabilities from many non officials de
stated that the main objections offered by the
mine" to the Underwood Constitution were
to those sections of it that related to disfran
chisement and ineligibility to Office, and said
that those sections had been framed IN accor
dance with the spirits of the laws OF Congress;
and that unless Congress should determine
that such was not the fact, that constitution
should not be changed, but should be submit
ted to the people OF the State Tor adoption or
rejection. He said toe, that the qualifications
for Jurors made by that constitution were emf,
uently wise and proper, fer without them,
justice was farce in the State
He also thought that the correctness Of the
motives which had actuated the mine in
their appeal to Congress, was the subject Of
reasonable suspicion when words and not acts
constituted the only basis upon which they
stood, and when at least one half Of the press
of the State repudiated them; and said that
the Disciples would not receive the Apostle
Paul until by his works he had proved himself
to be worthy of admittance into their member
ship; and, in the name of over one hundred
and seven thousand loyal people besOught the
committee and Congress, that now, In the
ninth hour, the advantages resulting from the
war, and the acts of Congress passed since,
should not be rendered nugatory by removing
disabilities from those to whom was chiefly to
be attributed the crimes and cruelties OF the
rebellion, and to permit vote to be taken
upon the Underwood constitution as it stood.
Col. Baldwin then stated that the earnest
and vigilant efforts of the gentleman who had
preceded him, as mentioned in his remarks to
tie committee, made yesterday, concerning
the legislation of the State since the war, had
resulted in the discovery of faults in only two
laws--that relating to contracts with labor
ers, and that known as the vagrant law, and In
sh ort time explained to the apparent salts
faction of all the committee. present, except,
perhaps, Mr.. Norris, that the first of these
laws was passed with reference to asslmilate
hiring regulations with the orders issued upon
that subject from the Freedmens Bureau, and
not until after the committee that had report
ed it to the Legislature had had conference
with Col Brown, Chief OF the Bureau in Vir-
ginia.
MIR Whittlesey here interrupted COL Bal
win and said that the point he had made was
cot the improper auimus that had influenced
the Legislature 10 the enactment of the law,
but in the practical workings of that law,
Mr.. Boutwell, remarked that certainly no
fault could be found with legislation conducted
ia the interests of whole community, even if
in few individual cases, owning to unavoidable
circumstances, its effects were not such as the
legislators desired.
With reference to the vagrant law, COL
Baldwin said, that the Legislature having had
to deaf with matter 10 which they had no ex
perience and being DESTROYS that no cause OF
Complaint should rest upon them, had copied
almost verbatim the vagrant law In the statute
books of the State of Pennsylvania; and that
men were never more surprised than We're the
members OF the Legislature VIXEN they read the
order of General Terry multiplying that law
He was tree to say that he was not altogether
certain of the beneficial effects TO result from
the adoption in the extensive territory, but
sparsely populated State of Virginia. of the
school system in the Underwood Constitution,
but he could assure the committee that the
people of his State won Id be willing to give it
4 4 T. pAl.s L, (
tumacy that had been brought against gentle
men who held Office in Virginia, who were dis.
qualified by the l4th amendment, he said that
such gentlemen regarded Virginia as III trans
ition state, aud that the offices they held were
but temporary, and that the provisions of the
I4th amendment, or hardly any other provi-
sions, could properly be made to apply to them;
aud concluded his statement by reading extracts
from the eloquent address he, as Speaker Of