Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-05-14

| Coupons, &c. We mentioned III yesterdays
Gazstre the recent decision OF Judge Wexford
in Richmond in the Coupon Case An abstract
Of the decision is given by the Richmond cor
respondcut of the Petersburg Index.
The Judge said that he was compelled to
pronounce the act of Assembly repeating
that cause Of the Funding Bill which made
coupons receivable III payment OF public dues,
unconstitutional aud void. That he could not
regard this as an open question: that It was
concluded by the cases Of Woodruff VS.. Trap
nall, 10 Howard, aui Furman vs.. Nichols, 3
f., Wallace He could not see the force OF the
ARGUMENTS that wrrc made upon the other side
These coupons were und,:niably contracts
which the Legislature had authority to make
The Legislature was the general agent OF the
State. acting as it were under a general power
of attorney, and upon the general principles,
governing such cases. the pnblc must abide by
the stipuiations it made He knew OF no PRO
Chile which would ent.lc State any murc
than an individual to an exemption from the
performance OF it, solemn agreement. As Tor
the point that the constitution required the APP,
plication of the capitaton lax TO the school
fund, and it this tax were collected IN coupons,
the school fund could get 10 advantage from 1t;
and therefore that the funding bill itself was
unconstitutional he confessed hllnset unable
TO perceive any force in it. The plain meaning
of the constitution is, that a sun equal to such
sum as might, in the discretion OF the Lcgl'Ia'
ture. be raised from capltatlon tax should be
anpiied to the school fund. If, therefore. the
Legislature assessed IA tax Tor any year which
would be no larger than the sum ofthe coupons
10 be redeemed that Year, and part OF chs
We're capitation tax, it would be incumbent
upon the Legislature TO lay further tax to be
collected in money, equal to what it had raised
from rho capitation tax He was OF opinion
that the act of Assembly Ut ISL. gcuerally
known as the funding bill, constituted COLI
tract between the State and the holders OF tn"
bonds Of coupons issued by virtue Of it. The
only question which could be raised was whcth-
or il was such a contract as the General Assem-
DIV had power 10 make 10 his opinion there
could be no doubt as to this power. The Gen
eraI Assembly had power to do anything and
TO make any contract which was not prohibited
by the State constitution. The cases of Wood
ruff and Trapua and Furnan vs.. Nichols be-
fore cited we're stronger authorities IN favor OF
this powe. than were required to support TINS
proposition. There the State had become sole
stakeholder of State banks and had provided
that all notes issued by those banks should al
WAYS be receivable in payment of taxes. The
Supreme Cunrt Of the I. ). said in those cases
that the contract adhered to each bank DILL as
if there bad been imprinted on the face Of each
bill the wJllS This bill is receivable in pay
mcnt OF STATE dues" In this case the bonds
and coupons were issued by the State herself
and the law required as in fact was the case.
that each bond and coupon should have print
cd on the face Of it that the coupons should al
ways be receivable in payment OF debts, de-
mauds and taxes due the State.
THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION is
10 session at Raleigh Dr. Boyce, President.
and large attendance On Saturday the CON
ventiun was engaged ia the discussion OF the
resolutions to change the meeting to biennial
sessions and the abolition of the Sunday. school
Board Both propositions were discussed with
great warmth, resulting 10 the decision to hold
the session annually and the Sunday School
Board, after protractcd and earnest contest,
was continued.
The Radical journals are highly delighted
with Mr. Voorhees, attack in the House of
Representatives, yesterday, upon Mr. Greeley.
ICoMMUSICATED
Poor South CARoLISA-T people of
South Carolina are almost model taxpayers.
In spite Of the heavy burdens imposed on theul
By the rogues who have united to rob the State
and have quarrclled over the piuuder, they
have promptly met every year the taxes lnI-
posed on them, aud on the 18Th Of January last
there was paid into the Treasury over million
. of dollars, which is now exhausted. The State,
in fact has been utterly ruined and has been
saddcd with debt which it is found jmpossi
bic to pay, and from which there seems no e>-
cape. except by reputation Such is the con-
&c thnr tfott hn Enn
obliged to suspend Oh the first Of May for want
of funds the Deaf and Dumb Asy lum is on
the poiut of being closed the State Lunatic
Asylum, with two hundred and ninety five pa
tents, has latterly depended for it's daily sup
plies on private charity, and even the State
Pententiary is without money enough to carry
it on much longer. This is the result OF Rad-
cal rule, and the only interest the Admnstra
ton takes in the State is to forecast the means
of holding it with rein sufficiently tight to
direct its electoral vote for Grant, whilst harry
ing its counties with Federal troops under the
pretence of arrestlng for ku-klux outrages.
Baltimore Gu=ctte.
clip the above from the Baltimore Gazette,
and yet that paper will run the risk OF the poor
South" being totally ruined by the re election
Of Grant and his party being again IN power
for four years at least or longer That paper
knows, or ought to know. there is no chance OF
defeating Grant and his party, but by the
union of all the opposition upon one man, and
that can only be done by the entire Democratic
party supporting the Cincinnati nomination.
We care nothing especially for Mr. Greeley,
but we do care immensely about the defeat Of
the man and the party that are bringing ruin
and destruction upon our Southern land.
EIRGINIANs.