Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-02-03
VIRGINIA NEWS.

eument in the case Of Foster & 20. W. Bank
If the Valley, was concluded. Time "as taken
bv the court to consider. The case OF the wash,
inctcn, Alexandria and Georgetown Railroad
C1mnanv W, Washington AMI Alexandria
Railroad COMPANY, was again taken up, when
Mr. Gilmcr concluded his argument on part OF
tho appnI!ccs, followed by Mr.. James 7. Brad
lev, Of Washington, Tor same
Col. Samuel Il. Coodson, one Of the most
7va.lthv and nrominent citizens Of s outhwest
ern Vircinia, died ut his home in Bristol, on
Tuesday night, after long illness, at the age
ri soventv seven yeara Col. Goodson was the
Gtbcr Of the town Of Bristol Goodson, which
was named in part after him, and was one Of
the foremost and most energetic pioneers of the
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.
The programme for next Tuesday, the Sth
instant, is as follows: The General Assembly
will meet al - NJ; the Governor message
will he read, after which both houses will al
i,urn: thcreupon, the Governor will deliver al
inarruraI address, afterwards holding 4 public
rcccption at the gubernat0rlal mansion, and
finally, ut night, there will be 4 grand ball IT
one Of the principal hotels.
\ letter was received on Monday from l4u.
Glen Beard, the horse thief, who was taken
from Lynchburg, carried to Richmond, ard
released on "straw bail, stating that lie was
on his way TO the West, and had shaken the
dust Of old Virginia from his feet finally: and
would not appear to stand his trial III kich
mond. The letter vas p0stmarkct HaTEer''
burg, West Virginia.
The Washington House, on Maiu street 10
Norfolk, with most of the furniture, was deS'
troved by fire yesterday. The loss is about
| 500 OOO partially insured i'll the international,
| Manhattan, Albemarlc and Liverpool, London
| and Globe Companies 1t IS believed the house
was fired by an lncendlary.
The building on the corner Ut Main and
Nineteenth streets, in RichmonI so long
known as the "Union'' or United States Ho-
tcl'' has been recently sold to the Freedmen $
| Bureau, and will be used a. an Academy for
colorcd people
The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad will here
after run 4 Sunday morning train bctwc en-
Richmond and Gordonsvihe, connecting with
the Orange and Alexandria trains.
CoNFIsCATIoN CASES In the Supreme
Court oil the United States at WASHINGTON, on
Tuesday last, Y. p. Garrett, Claimant, vs..
The United States, and William n. Nc
Weigh vs. the United States Error to the
Supreme Court of the District ct Co!umbia
and the Circuit Court Tor the district OF Virgin
ia,-Thcsc cases were argued togcthcr on their
merits, motion made on Friday last to dismiss
the case OF McE cigh having been denied. The
proceedings in the two ciSes OF Garnett tone
| claiming real AMI the other personal property
were in the courts OF the District OF Columbia,
where the property was located, aud the lntor.
| District Court of the State OF Virginia. the
property being situated in Alexandria. In all
| the cases the seizures were made under the
| ContiscatOn act otJuly, 1862, and Tic proceed
| ings were made to conform 10 proceedings IN
| admiralty and revenue clSas rs nearly as pos
sbc, as required by the seventh section Of the
act, the trial being had without jury. The
| DEGREES were for the government, and the cases
are now before this court for review, the claim.
ants contcndAg that there was MT SubStan.
tia compliance with the admiralty rules made
| by this court, and maxim" various other tech
nlca objections aS TO The regularity OF the pre-
ceeIIngs in the courts below But the main
| question brought up is the cOnsiltullOnaIlty Of
| the act, the Claimants insisting thar Il was CT
acted to punish treason, AZ indicated by It's
| title, and that being such the provision Tor the
| trial OF the 0ifGhicr upon the charge ui crime,
| by a proceeding against his property 10 be
| tried without Il Jury, Is unconstitutional. The
offence OF treason can 10 tired only n nrC:crIb
ed in the constitution, by jury, and then there
| can be no conviction without the testimony oil
| two witnesses 70 some overt ACT, or confession
in open court. The punishment Of crime, ii is
submitted, by proceedings in rem. and by de
| Iauit las was the Tact IN one ul these Ca:Ca, Is
| at war with all the provisions Of the conslIG
| ton in respect thereto. II IL cnntCndcd that
| unless he crime Tor thc punishment Of which
| the fifth and sixth sections 81 the act inject
| to forfeiture Of property, shall he held 10 be
| treason or felony, these srGtInnHo! the net I'm.
pose excessive fines within the meaning OF the
eighth urti Gle Of the amendments to the con-
stltulion and if the crime be TREASON Or felony
the accused cannot be held to answer except in
strict conformity with The requirements Of the
| fifth article of the alnrnlmcn:s to he c1nsitu
ton.
The Attorney General maintains the c>nsti
tutl0nallty ct the act, and insists that ia Tie
exercise OF It's municipal and sovereign rights
Congress had the right to prohibit, under pen
a!tiCs the offences named in the filth and
sixth sections OF the act, and to provide that
these penalties should b; enforced by proceed
ings in rem
q. W. Brent, G. y. Wattlc4, Caleb Gushing
and B. r. Curtis for the plaintiffs in error
Attorney General lloar and Assistant Attorney
General ". 4. Field, for the governments ~.
y. WcroW.
ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. Capt. T.. +. Hall
proposes to undertake another voyage to the
Arctic seas. lie says: Il now have returned
to my country determined 70 devote my hard
making one more voyage, and this for the spc.
ciaI object of geographical discovery from lati-
tudc eighty degrees north up to the North Pole
by way Of Jones sound, or Smiths Sound,
purposing, however, to make trial first up the
former My plan, in blief, is to have two
small! vessels, Of about one hundred fifty tons
cacIl-onc stcamcr,thc same to be sailing rig
gcd-tha other sailing vessel: and each officer.
ed and named by twelve men. My purpose is,
on getting into the Arctic regions to lose no
opportunity OF acquiring the fresh provision of
AZ Il