Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-09
FROM RICHMOND.
AMENDMENTS TO TIE CONSTITUTION.

RICHMOND, Dec 81 HC Ae6io'oe"io, -
order to meet the urgent demands from SO many
quarters, has agreed to the appointment OF
committee of twenty fve-tcn from the Senate
and fifteen from the House of Delegates, to
consider aud report what amendments to the
State Constitution are needed. /" That many
are needed" is gaiusaid by but few-but that
any will be effected by this method is consider
ed doubtful. 1t is thought the committee is
too large, and the Wing advises it not to meet
but to leave the amendments to the next Leg
islature. The Enquirer, on the other hand,
thinks the move wise one, and that 1t could
not have been made IN more satisfactory man
ner. or at more appropriate time, but advises
the committee not to undertake too much, and
thereby risk the defeat Of everything SO the
pcople are relieved Of the many obnoxious tea-
lures of the present Constitution, and the bur-
deus imposed thereby, it matters little how the
object is effected, and as a Convention, at this
time, would be Objectionable, only on account OF
the expense, however, aud the Legislature has
the power 10 remedy most of the evils, let the
committee do their best, and do it quickly. 1t
is much more important that these great
needs should be attended &c than that sub
jects of less general interest should occupy the
attention Of the Legislature.
TIE PUBLIC DERT.
An unsuccessful attempt was Tadc on FRI
day to have joint committee OF the Leglsia'
ture appointed to act III conjunction with the
Attorney General OF the State and employ ad-
ditiona counsel to test the validity OF the act
passed at the last session of tue General AS
sembly: declarns what shall be received in pay
mcnt Of State taxes. The Court Of Appeals
having the question now under consideration, 1t
was deemed unnecessary to ask for a reopenlng
of the case, and so the resolution, which was
offered in the Senate, only received the sup
port Of the mover, Mr.. Fitzpatrick, Of Nelson,
and slr. Penn, Of Patrick. There are two
cases now pending before the Court OF Appeals
On an appeal from the decision OF Judge Well
ford, declaring the act Of the last Legislature
Unconstitutional, and the other an original APP
plication for mandamuS. In the former case,
under the provision of the Constitution, unless
the decision Of the Court below Is athrmed by
three Judges, that decision Will be reversed; 10
the latter, three judges are required TO sustain
the application. 1t is said that } udge Moncure,
having some personal Interest IN the question,
being the possessor OF some OF the bonds, VIII
not sit on the case. The subject will not
decision of the Court Of Appeals, which Is ex.
rccted Wednesday, If the coupons are declared
to be receivable for taxes then the Legislature
will be compelled 70 raise the rate OF taxatlon,
for their is only a surplus fund in the treasury
of 1894, 2S2 10 pay full interest, according to
the most reliable information, will require,
taxation Of at least > cents on the 500; the
rate is now 50 cents on the 500.
TIE WELDON AND WASHINGTON RAILROAD.
A question having arisen between the lncor,
porators of the proposed Weldon and Wash
ineton Railroad Company and the Auditor rs
to the meaning of the 6lst section OF the lax
law, which provides that on every bill proposed
in the General Assembly for the incorporation
OF any Joint stock company, a tax, proportion
ate to its capital stock, shall be paid into the
treasury, aud the incorporators claiming that
the amount to be paid By them should be 70.
funded in case their bill fails, while the Auditor
contends that he has no authority to refund IN
the event of such failure, to solve the dlttlucul-
iva resolution was introduced in the Senate on
Friday, and referred to the Committee on
Courts of Justice providing that in cases of
the failure of such bills, the deposits made un'
der the new provisions of the Tax bill shall be
refunded. The clause was inserted IN the tax
bill. it is said to prevent the Legislature from
being overruu with private schemes which often
hinder the dispatch of public business The
committee to-day reported, through MIR. Now
lin, that they are Of opinion that the taxes I'M
posed on charters incorporating joint stock
companies are paid absolutely and cannot be
refunded if the said charters fail to become
laws, but that the taxes imposed on acts of a
private character are conditional and must be
refunded if the act applied for is not passed.
They are further of the opinion that the taxes
must be paid before the bills upon which they
are imposed can have their second reading In
the absence Of Mr.. Greene of Petersburg, the
patron of the bill; who was absent from his
seat, the report was laid on the table The
amount to be paid by the proposed W. j. W.
r. r. is said to be $500, which will not be
DEPOSITED until this question is settled. There
is likely to be warm contest over the passage
of the bill, the friends of free railroad law
warmly iavoring the scheme, while the friends
of various other lines Of improvement in the
State will doubtless as earnestly oppose it, and
warm work, for time, may be expected.
LEGISLATIVE.
in the Senate to-day resolution was intro.
duced and referred, granting q certain tract of
land in Port Royal, Va, to the Baptist Church,
by the Board of Trustees of Caroline county,
also a resolution of enquiry into the expedlency
of so amending the act approved March 18th,
,o-I - ,,,l;,to ;,,1 ;oiol ro no opd m prauant