Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-09-20
VIRGINIA NEWS.


that the legislature had not altered the old
Code so as to admit of it, and advised them to
appeal to the Legislature, which meets next
month.
Mayor Eyson has lett Richmond for a tour
of the principal cities North, to investigate the
public school system there and how it may be
applied to the new system in that city
The Richmond Wing says: ut is authori-
tatively stated in Republican circles that ex
Mayor George Chahoon positively declines
being again a candidate for the Mayorallty.
even if an election should be ordered this fall.
The State Journal says: "Wo understand
that at the next term of the United States
Circuit Court suits for damages will De instltu'
ted against prominent citizens tor defamation
of character.
Luther Lee. Jr, Collector Of Customs at
Norfolk, has been designated by the Secretary
of the Treasury to be the proxy Of the Govern
ment in the transaction of all business relative
to the Dismal Swamp Canal.
The Secretary of the Interior has suspended
Geo. 0. Sutton, Jr., Pension Agent at Rich
mond, Virginia, and has appointed in his place
Andrew Wasbburn,
The police OF Richmond have arrested Henry
Burton in the act of pounding metal into coun
|
quantity Of pieces were found.
| A SpECEMEN.-W find the following
in the editorial columns of the New York
World, and give it the prominence in our own
which it should have. Such are the men that
have been forced, BY the Reconstruction laws
of Congress, upon most of the Southern States,
| virginia being about the only exception. The
World says
"Some days since We had occasion 10 expose
the infamous malfeasance OF Harrison Reed,
reconstructed Governor CT F,orda and 10 a
letter appearing in an obscure portion 0! yes
terday's Tribune, as if even that Journal were
ashamed OF its correspondent, his surrepll'
tious E2cellency denounces our exposure as
| false Facts arc the best answer, anu We
therefore say
II When Harrison Reed came into power,
in ,]nne. 1868, as reconstructed Governor OF
Florida, the debt OF that Sratc was 1923, $50.
e5. all told. Booked end authorized, that
debt is now $l4, 1893, 544 II. Of this Sl3
96S,OO0 arc in the form OF eight per cent,
gold bearing bonds, the very interest Whereof,
as six times greater then their Whole annu al
taxation heretofore, the people OF Florida are
unable to bear.
I'll. On the 3lst of May, 1869, one George
W. Swepson, railroad lobbyist, writes to
Governor Reed thus :-'Y GU remember, when
in New York, our agreement Was this: I on
we're to call the Legislature together, and use
your influence to have our bills passed as
drawn by US, and il you we're successful in
this you were to be paid twelve thousand five
hundred dollars 10 cash, out Of which amount
was to be deducted the seventy-tlV hundred
dollars you have heretofore received, leaving
balance OF five thousand dollars, to be paid at
au carly day..
Iii, On tho 18th OF February, 1870, four
out ct five members OF an Investigating com
mittee appointed by the Florida House Of
REPRESENTATIVES reported that Governor + Led
ought to be impeached for bribery, cmoczze
ment of public funds, and corruption general
ly; and the fifth member, while declining to
favor impeachment, reported that there was
evidence OF irregular and ndlscrect action Oh
the part of Governor Reed which may be con
sidcred rcprchenslble, and not deserving, OF
approval.' So direct was the evidence that
Mr. Reed only escaped before his own recon
structcd Legislature by the close vote OF 90
to %.
NV. At the session of the Florida Legisla.
ture which Governor Reed received Sl2 500
for calling, there was passed an act to incorpo
rate the Great Southern RliIway Company,
! with capital stock of 10 00O 900, and as many
acres OF Florida lands as Congress might grant
in United States land, Harrison Reed being
a chlet corporator. At the same session was
also passed an act to incorporate the Jackson
vile Ferry Company, Harrison Reed being
again corporator, and the company having
exclusive privileges for six miles UP and down
the St. Johns River, adjacent to and opposite
some real estate owned upon its bank by said
Reed. Likewise at the same session YES pass
| ed an act to incorporate the Jacksonville and
St. Augustine Railroad, to run from Reeds
ferry as aforesaid to ST. Augustine Harrison
Reed chief corporator as usual, and the road
receiving from the State $50, 900 acres Of land
and Endorsement on its bond to the extent Of
$500000 And still furthermore at this same
session we're appropriated $4,000 q State
contingent fund 81 900 to pay tho Governors
impeachment expenses; and SAG 900 for State
printing, to be executed in an office owned BY
the Governor.
"V. Succeeding this campaign, and on the
close of the session, Governor Reed sets out
for Washington with q document purportog
to be 40 act of the florida Legislature and en-
titled 'Ap act to authurze the Governor to ask
for and receive from the government o! the
United States the Agricultural College land
scrip to which this State may be entitled under
and by virtue of the act Of Congress of July
2,lS62, providing for agricultural colleges in
the several States the truth being that no
such act was ever introduced into or read
or voted on in either branch of the Logis
ature, the act itself and the signature
thereto of the President and Secretary Of tho
Senate and Speaker and Clerk of the House
being as sheer torCeries as it Is possible Tor vii
lainy to conceive or crime to execute. Armed,
however, with this act, Governor Reed push
ed on to Washington, and doubtless wcu!d
have secured under it the valuable land scrip
due Florida had not one OF the Florida State
officers, provided with the Journals of the
Houses and an opinion from the State At'or'
ney General, followed on after and exposed the
fraud.
"Such, then, is the frontless carpetbsg Gov
ernor who, from sly corner in the Tribune,
ventures to impupn the accuracy Of the
World. '-Lgach Fug.