Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-17
From Richmond.

| Correspondence oil the AleAanurla GhIeLLe.J
RICHMOND, Feb l6.-J. W. jenkins who
refuses to testify and 'the truth to speak" be-
fore the Investigating Committee of the House
OF Delegates in the matter of tie alleged
bribery and corruption in the passage OF
the Funding bill, at the last session OF the Leg
isllurc, was brought before the bar Of the
House again to day, when he made Il speech OF
about an hours length, i'll which he took the
ground that he could not be properly held to
he in contempt OF the House in refusing to tell
the name Of the party employing him, and to
state the amount of the fee he received; that
this House had not the jurisdiction to inquire
| into matter affecting only the last House,
and contcnded that the House could not com
nit him to Jail all it could do would be to
place him in the custody of its sergeant.at-
arms, to he held, if it so chose, till the end Of
the present session. and no longer. Upon these
points, however, the House took issue and after
a discussion, participated in by Messrs Booker,
CoyhiIl, Brooke, Clopton and o;hers,a motion
prevailed to postpone further proceedings till
tomorrow, aud the witness was renandci to
the custody Of the sergeant at arms.
The Senate TO day, after the morning hour,
discussed the Debt question: having under con-
sidcration the substitute offered by Mr. Thorn
as of Fairfax.
Mr.. Connally spoke at considerable length on
the subject He contended that the coupon
feature of the Funding act was lrrcpeaable and
argued that the State was able to pay e per
cent. interest, and that without any increase OF
tax, and went on to show that by leasing out
the Penitentiary, by making counties response.
bic for criminal expenses, by Il tax Oh civil
:. suits, by increasing the poll tax by saving IN
the collection of the oyster, tax by tax on rail
roads. &c, the revenues Of the State may be
SO greatly augmented as to leave margin after
paving per cent and all the expenses Of The
government.
Mr.. Prdemore argued that no matter how
the State raised her revenues they had to come
out of the pockets OF the people. Mr.. L. con'
cllded by expressing his desire to pay such
amount of interest as the State is able 10 pay,
but no more, and this only after the coupon
feature OF the Funding bill has been repealed.
MIR. Thomas followed, and explained his sub
stitule. NJ H. argued that there is now money
enough i'll the treasury to pay per cent ana
the expenses Of the government, and hence M
present Inconvenience could arise even if cor-
pons were received in payment of public dues,
an Inconvenience which, he SAID, might Artist
r if it were otherwise. He expressed the opln
ion that if an act repeating the coupon feature
OF the Funding bill were sent alone to the Gov
crnor he would veto it, but that If ii were con
nected with an act providing for payment OF
interest, he did not think that he would veto it.
MeSsrs Brooke, Coghi and Walker have
been appointed, on the part Of the House, on
the committee of conference, on the disagree.
ing votes Of the two Houses, on the sper:a
f Court Of Appeals bill.
The bill to incorporate the Washington, Gin
cinnati, and Ohio narrow gllage Railroad was
to-day placed upon the House Calendar.
Among the resolutions adopted by the Sen
ate to-day was one inqurlng whether the State
has received any portion Of the amour, due by
E the chesapeake and Ohio canal company toI
arrears of interest, and whether the State ha.
paid to private stock holders any portion OF i'll
terest due on the bonds Of said canal company;
and which may have since lecn paid to the
State by that company.
Two or three bills to provide for the payment
Of the interest on the state debt were introdu
duced 10 the House to-day and the speaker
laid before the House q memorial from the
English holders of Virginia bonds, asking that
the funding bill be put in full force and effect.
The Senate to-day passed few bills among
which we're the House bills, incorpora-
ting the Alexandria Passenger railway and
authorizing the county court OF Spotsylvanla to
rearrange the boundaries wherein the fence
: law shall be operative.
La response 10 Il resolution, a communication
was to-day laid before the House from the
Auditor in relation to the pay OF State Judges
before the war and since, showing that in lSGO
the Circuit courts cost So, 80, and the Srl-
preme court $lG,G5S GO In 1871 the Circuit
courts cost $50 ,j4O,0O, the Supreme court
SIG 5O7 so, and county courts $SS, G54, ~. An
other communication III relation to the Oys-
ter-tax, shows the gross amount Of tax re-
ceived for 1862 20, ls7O-'7I, and for four
months of S7l-'72, was Sl5l ,GjG,S9 and the
expenses of collecting the same were so, I95,
81, leaving only $50, sci 50 net. ---
The House to day day had under consideration
at the lime of adjournment, the bill to reduce
the pay and mileage of members OF the Gener-
al Assembly. BY many it is considered that
the time occupied in its consideration had bet
ter be applied to other matters insonluch as 1t
is not likely it will ever get beyond that stage
The dogs having escaped general tax, Il
bill was to-day introduced in the House aI-
thorizing thcssu pervisors Of counties to impose
special tax on them.
Information has been received of the escape,
on Wednesday last, of three white Penitentiary
convicts employed on the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad, at Lewis tunnel
The committee appointed by the Conservative
members of the Legislature, in caucuSes, to re-
port plan for rcdiatrictiug the State for mem
bers Of the House of Representatives under the
new apporIionment bill have agreed upon re-
port which will be submitted to a conference OF
the members at an early day. BY this plan the
seventh district would be as follows: Frede-
rick, Clarke, IIoudoun, Fairfax, Alexandria,
Fauquicr Warren, Rappahannock, Cu pepper,
Madison Orange. Stafford, King George,
Prince William, Westmoreland, and Spotsy
vania are thrown into the first district. 1t is
not at all likely that this plan will lie adopted
q.
Letter from RappahannOck Co.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette. !
WASHINGTON, RAPpAHANNOcK Co., Va,