Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-03
Fro" JSjehrnnnG.

CORRESPONDENCE Ol III "SS e
RICHMOND, Feb. In the Senate to-day
among the bills reported upon favorably were
the following. Senate bill Tor the relief ol M
thaniei Prince, Of the county Of l.oudouu with
a substitute. Senate bill for the relief Of the
~sureties of j.. b. Robertson, late sheriff OF
Page county aud to incorporate tie New Mar
ket Bank Of Virginia.
An adverse report was made upon the bill &c
amend the law, so as to establish depnsltorles
of the public funds in the cities OF Richmond,
Petersburg, Norfolk, Lynchburg and Alcxan'
dria.
The Senate bill to authorize the taking OF
the sense of the people at the November cleo
ton on the question OF amending the conStltu
tion of the State by the calling of a new con.
~vertion, was taken up, discussed and then lalo
on the table.
The Senate bill to change the jurisdiction o.
| County ard Circuit courts so as 10 lessen the
nav and diminish the jurisdiction of the tormer.
was considered until the hour Of adjournment
In the House of Delegates the bill for the
distribution of the Land Script fund was agar
taken up and further discussed.
The committee on privileges aud elections
reported adversely to the contestants III. ID
Nj. Hunter and B. +. Chishulm) in the Louis;
contested election case, and recommended the
adoption of a resolution declaring Matthew u
Anderson and Thos. S. Watson, the slttiD!
members. entitled to the seats from the county
Of Louisa; which report was agreed to.
The consideration Of the bill to prevent tn
sale of liquor on Sunday was indefinitely post
poned by a vote OF 50 to 80.
The joint committee Of the two Houses OF tn
General Assembly having charge OF the sub
jects, have reported a bill for the establish
ment of Board of Agriculture, Immigration
and Statistics" This bureau is 10 be undo
the superintendence of IA Commissioner, and
State Board composed of the Governor, Secrc
tary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Au
ditor Of Public Accounts and the Commissioner
There will also be a secretary with office a
Richmond, and an agent in charge OF an I'm
migration depot at Norfolk.
Letter from Clarke County.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
WILDWOOD, Feb. l.-Perhaps you may llk
to hear something from this hill-bound, and Il
the present writing, ice und snow bound c"un
try. For several days past it has felt as thong
the north pole had left its moorlngs aud SWUNG
round upon us, or that we had moved a dcgre
nearer to our northern friends. Such Il tlni
for getting ice has not been known. The onl
draw back being the want OF water to freeze
The ponds and many wells are dry, and 1
some instances the streams have stopped run
ming. Living man does NOT remember so dr.
a season: no rain during the INNER and thu
far into the winter.
Sir John Evelyn, in his diary of lGSS, men
tons such a season in England. tie says tn
winter was very late and cold, and what is curl
Gus tells us that the small pox was raging IN dit
fereut places. So seasons as well as history re
peat themselves.
Our excellent Episcopal minister has pu
forth a letter to obtain all for the purpose o
building a church at the White Post-a Inc
mortal church for Bishop Meade. The goo'
Bishop for fifty years tried to convert and brln'
in our people.
At last, we have a good hope that the Shen
andoah NaIley Railroad will come through gu
county. We want some improvement OF tn
kind very much. Yours, 7.
i~CoMMrNICATED.
THE JUDIcIARY.-A few days since, au arti
Gle was copied in tie Eaz-tte, from the Rich
mond Wing, in rcgalu ~ our Judiciary system
to which | desire 10 reply.
The object Of the pro Used law is to break VI
the County Courts; certainly that would be IN
result. because no rlan qualified to dlscharg
the duties of County Judge would agree L
serve for 81 per diem for about Two days il
each mouth. He would be compelled to b
present each mouth, and would thus be EN-
barrasscd in any other business, and. as a con
s, ouence, he could not afford to serve twenty
four days a year for 500.
As to the convenience of the Cnunty Courts
as now organized, it is Beyond all question. \
to the cheap ucss Of that Court, all the fees an'
costs are the same, except that the tlrcul
Court judge gets $1,000, and the Count,
Judge about 1000 per aunun. And il tn
County judges are willing to do the work 70
81, 900, why take it from them and give it t
the Circuit Judges for $4,000? That woul>
increase, not lessen our taxes. There is no dit
6culty whatever in getting good and competen
County Judges at their present salary. 1host
now in Office were not coerced; they all stick,
and if you will compare your County and Cor
~porotion Judges with some Of the Judges o
| the Circuit Courts elsewhere, would the torme
suffer much in COMPARISON L can %certa!Eiy
endorse our Judge ; and our bar not only en-
dorSe him, but they with a single exception
are opposed to any change in the present Coun
ty Court system.
To transfer business from the County to thu
Circuit Court would save nothing because the
expense OF all OHlccrS, jurors anu WltIeosC'
would be the same in either Court, and If tht
| County Judges are willing to do all the worE
for $1,000, why tax us $4,000, to have exactly
the same thing done by another man?
The hobby is retrenchment. Well, each newly
registered voter costs us about So apiece, ~insteac
of 25 cts, and each Legislator $6 per diem, in
stead of 81 or So. The assessors of taxes arc
paid 335 per cent more than the commissioner:
of the revenue were, who discharged all the
duties OF the Assessors; and the County Treas
urers get 5 per cent commission upon all the
taxes, whether they collect them or not, and as
they get the commission in any event, they
don't try to collect, and then we are saddlec
with 5 per cent forfeiture in addition, for the
benefit of the township collector, Now, al
this is law and the Legislature had better adj
dress itself to remedying these and other grIey'
ances, than to overthrowing our Judicial Sys
TEN, and to virtually abolish our useful
economical and time-honored County Courts
Loudouu county, Va. COMMON SENSE.
CONTAMINATED.
THE LIBRARY.-What benefit is a Library to
q torpp r. tho hooks arp not read ? And hON