Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-17
Amendments to the COnsfi
fuliOn

10 lS CIfOT VI tHC -ittLtHuHL Cu-cte
LEEsBURe, Dec Il.-Every mau has right
to make au effort, by way of suggestion, towards
an amendment to the Constitution Of the United
States. A year or So before the Southern Coz.
fedcracy collapsed, and while had plenty Of
thinking time, my mind could not but run Tor
ward to the time when would again be Il citi
zen of the United States and III II minority
party at that speculatcd in this wise Il a
President Is eligible to second term, he shapes
his course to the attainment Vi that second
term, aud he does everything that Is only
questionable mot absolutely wrong IN ITSELF
for the perpctuaion of that power b. reward
ing Influential friends, &c. In four years he
can not do more than lDauguratc policy: he
can not see it's defects The remedy for this
is proongation Of the term TO six years
Then the electoral system seemed To lue TO bo
cumbersome The plan that | sketchcd Oat
was Thu: Let every State Legislature select
one person TO be voted for for the Presidency
or Vice Presidency, but with the provlso that
no votes of any State shall be counted Tor It's
own citizen. Thus, New York and Ohio could
not combine with Pennsylvania and cast their
prcpundcrating votes for one ulan. LET the
votes all be given on one day and cuurted with
in one month thereafter and certified to the
Secretary of State Of the United States. The
two pcrsoIls having the highest number uf
votes, provided that vote was wOhilhs or
more OF the whole vote cast. should be by hlm
proclaimed as President and Vice President
for six years from the 4tll OF March next there
after. Should person have the highest uuui-
Der, bur not two-Gtths OF the vote, let the
State Legislatures elect from the t@W having
the greatest number OF votes two persons ioi
those Offices, casting votes To the number OF
the representatives Should any enc 81 select
cd die before inauguration, let the next nigh
e.: man take the place Of the deceased, always
however, promoting the survivor OF those tlrst
selected for the hiSh hest place. The persons SO
selected would not necessarily represent any
political party, aud would have 40 special
friends to reward or opponents TO slight, ard
being ineligible, they would move IL such a
way az to make themselves name as tie man
vino acted for his country good. There are
l,uUU, 900 colored voters and S.UDU.UOO white
voters SO that it would take most unlikely
combination to secure the vote III favor OF Il
cuIurcd uan. Each State Wud select IL best
men, and even little Delaware Or Rhode Island
might stand chance Tor these Gthc=s. give
the above as my contribution to the creation ot
Il better state OF things | am clear Also that
there should bc but Que election III u year, and
that on the same day in all the States, aud TO
avoid the confusion occasoned by mauy uanes
on ticket, | would suggest that State officers
should be elected with Congressman Ill the
even years, and local officers III the odd years,
aud that the latter should serve at least two
years, and | do not see why they should not
serve four years, and judges, during good be-
havior, for six, eight, ten or twelve years
There should b. purging OF the registration
books every year somewhat IN this way: The
Assessor should report to the registrar the
names of all adult males who have died or re
moved from his district Within the year, aud
the clerks of courts should likewise certify to
him the uames of those convicted OF crimes
and these should be stricken off, and new vot
ers coming GU the scene should report them
selves to the registrar Thus few men could
vote on dead mems names, or upon the regis
tration OF uon-resdents The assessment Tor
prepayment of all taxes as pre- requisites To
voting would further diminish the liability TO
fraud ALIQClS.
REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. State
meuts have Just been completed i'll the Office
of the Auditor of Public Accounts, from which
it appears that the number OF white males as
sessed for taxes for the year lS72was Isl ,93l.
and the number of colorcd males so assessed
was 1855 The value of personal prop
crty listed for taxation was S11,S50, $40 Il,
and the amount of Income 50 listed was - 300,
$50. IS. The value of lands aud lots aScertalued
for the year 1872, according to the returns OF
assessment made in 1870, and the alterations
and reassessments made in 1872 under acts OF
General Assembly passed ut the session Of ISL
'72. is 32Gl Al los So which is sl1,1ui 93l ~
less than the value a<ccrtalnrd under the re-
assessment made in 1870.
In the counties of Allegheny, Amherst. Ap.
pomattox, Bath, Bland, Brunswick, Charles
CITY, Clarke, Craig Franklin Henry. Highland.
Isle of Wight, Lancaster. lee, Mcckcubure.
Middesex Montgomery, Norfolk. Northaulp.
ton, Northumberland, Patrick, PittSylvania,
Princess Anne, Pulaski, Bappahannock, Roa
noke Scott, Surry, Sussex, Tazeweli. West
morcland, and York, and the cities 0! Danvle.
Portsmouth, and Richmond, the value o! lands
was increased 81, $40, $50 49, In all the other
counties the value was decreased : As. IS.
LooKlyG AT THE BEST SlDE-Doctor John
son used to say that the habit of looking at the
bost side of things was worth more than Il
thousand pounds year. And not only is this
radiant good nature riches but it is the most
active charity. All other riches must be hoard
cd more or less Our horses, our houses our
pictures our jewels our books, in the most
generous hands can gladden. but few friends.
But our heartsome good nature brlghteus every
human soul it meets, and is reflected from each
to some other There is no end to its Influence
any more than to sunshine. And as it is Law
ishcd it grows sweeter and fuller. 1t is the
beautiful secret of which all the old stories are
alcgories 1t is the clew that opened the hard
labyrinth of life, the spell that tanned savage
beasts the mysterious fountain that conferred
perennial beauty, the sweet smelling apple that
contained the spirit Of health the mag nc glass
wherein all things looked fair, the blossom,
eating of which all care vanished.
The best of it is that this blossom will grow
in the barren soil of the grumpiest spirit, and
multiply exceedingly if it be ourlShed little
at the start But those who wear It ever are