Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-01-12

MI. Eayctte OCepIO0 uieu d. HIS lcoiueHo0 IL
Lynchburc on Saturday morning. Mr.. Step
toe has been engaged in business for many
years. He was an upright, honorable mau
and possessed the respect and confidence OF the
community. (
Congress.
| In the Senate yesterday, MIR. Sherman IN
troduced bill providing that any judge of any
court of the y. S., who is now seventy years
or whenever he shall arrive at that age, may
on his written application to the President, BIZ
retired from active service on full pay. When
Judge over 70 years will not retire from office
an additional Judge is to be appointed. The
credentials of Mr.. Miller, Senator from Geor
eia were referred to the Judiciary Committee.
A bill to define and settle the staff rank OF the
navy, and a bill to regulate the rank OF the
medical staff of the navy, were both referred to
the Committee on Naval Affairs The act au
thorizing the President to take all necessary
measures to secure the protection and safety
of criminals delivered up by foreign Govern
ments, and providing penalties tor parties who
uuiawfuly interfere with the authorities having
charge of the prisoner was discussed and post
poned. The bill for the relief OF Southern 10y
alists was debated, and without action upon 1t,
the Senate adjourned.
Ia the House of Representatives, Mr.. Wash
burne, Of Indiana, introduced bill to repeal
the Tenure Of Office act, and demanded the
previous question on its passage. Mr.. Butler
said it was the same proposition presented by
| himself some time since and referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary. Mr.. Wilson, the
chairman of that committee, stated that the
resolution had the approval of the committee,
and he hoped it would pass. Without further
discussion, the rules were suspended and the
bill was passed-ycas ll9, nays AZ. The Rad
icalS divided upon the question, and the Dem
ocrats voted as a unit in its favor Mr. Bout
well, with the approval OF the judiciary Com
mittee, reported bill enactlng universal suf
frage in all the States to this extent, namely
| Presidential Electors, Representatives in Con-
gress, and members Of the State Legislatures.
| A majority OF the committee hold that the
exercise of this power is entirely constitutional.
under the Fourteenth Amendment. The bill
contains provisions Tor its enforcement by pen
alties for its violation. The committee are
understood to agree that they cannot prescribe
by statute the qualifications for electors for
purely State officers. Legislatures are included
because they elect United States Senators. =
The Committee also reported constitutional
amendment embodying the whole question of
universal suffrage, to be submitted to the
States for ratification The reasons adduced
for proposing both bill and amendment are
that at present, with the amendment alone,
there are not more than twenty-five States that
will ratify it but with suffrage for President
and members Of Congress enacted by law, and
once exercised, the prejudice to 1t will give
way, and it will act as an lnducement tor the
ratification of theamendment. TheiConsular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill was passed.
A. E,,f(i wa n n
quire into the propriety of providing by law
for the appointment Of Commissioners OF the
United States to.issue writs Of habeas corpus
to aid persons in Kentucky 'alleged to be held
in certain form of slavery" The Naval APP
preparation bill was discussed. The section
providing for a reduction of the Marine Corps
was ruled out Without concluding the con-
| sidcration of the bill, the House adjourned.
! BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN THE SOUTH. The
Washington correspondent Of the New York
Journal of Commerce gives the following state
ments in relation to the South:
There seems. to be every prospect for re-
vival Of business interests in the Southern
| States Certainly the evidence abounds thatcapi-
tai is seeking an outlet in that direction. Many
persons pass through here every week on their
way southwark to look for lands and at other
business enterprises A gentleman now here,
who has Just returned from long business
/ tour through that section, tells me that bust
ness is reyiving, confidence is growing as In
creasing prospects of quiet and prosperity are
manifestirg themselves, This is especially true
OF the sea6oard States, and Of the rich cotton
and sugar regions.
The opportunities for investing in lands are
excellent The terrible depresslons of the past
| II / II
auds of acres into the market, under the bank
rupt act and by the action of individual owners
themselves. There is much greater willingness
to sell, both to Northern men and to the labor
ing population Also Judging by the official
advertisements OF land sales under bankruptcy
orders in the Virginia papers authorized to
publish them. there is to- day at least five humid
red thousand acres offered for sale 10 this way
alone. Millions of acres of good land can be
purchased now at small prices. Other interests
are also arousing themselves. Planters find
that with a smaller number OF acres and more
thorough cultivation they do better than was
the case in the old slovenly STYLE Manufac.
turing enterprises are projected, and mining
will be entered into vigorously In many sections
where nothing of that sort has ever been done. I"
| APPOINTMENTS OF STATE OFFICERS. Gen.
Stoneman has made the following appoint
ments: -
Robert A. Gray, Clerk county court of Rock
ingham county. Charles H Lewis, Attorney
for the county of Rockingham. NJ. d. Hig-
gins, Clerk of the county and Circuit courts of
Orange county. j. II. Remington, Attorney
for Norfolk county. James c. Childress OF
Howardsville, Sheriff of Albemarle county.
John R. Tayo Clerk of Hanover county
court. Beverly Blair Bolts clerk of Culpeper
county in place Of Fayette Mauzy, removed.
| George N. Fretz, to be Clerk of Prince George
county court; A. II. Curtiss, Clerk of Bedford
County Court; Charles A. Bowe Attorney for
the Commonwealth for same county w. Boot
wright, Clerk OF Fauquier County Court.