Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-26

ALEiA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER.
,(FoR THE COUNTRY
Published regularly on TU ESDAYS, THURS
DAYS and SATURDAYS, at FIVE DOLLARS
PER- ANNUM, payable in advance
The UNDERWOOD CoNSTITUTIoN.-We did
not know until recently what the black and tan
convention, to which we are Indebted for our
present Constitutions cost the old war.worn
State. The Treasurer gives the figures, and
they mount up to the handsome sum Of $l44,-
7136 SO. The bill of expenses"would have been
much higher if the money had not given out.
They took all that was in the treasury and being
then told by Gen. Schofeld that they could
get no more for such work as they were doing
the patriots adjourned and like Judas, each
'wcntto his own place. y though, unlike the
apostatc, they failed to return the money-the
price OF their treason to the best Interests of
Firgioia. II they had only done that, and
then hanged themselves, the parallel would be
complete. 1t is hardly necessary to say that
We do not apply these remarks to the minority,
who resisted the effort to fasten upon the peo-
pie of Virginia the most expensive, and the
most iDtolerable constitution that any free peo-
Pile ever lived under. 70 the fact that We were
able to expurgate some of its most obnoxious
provisions, and to secure Conservative ad-
ministration, whereby the expense it was de-
signed to entail upon the taxpayers to provide
for numerous Radical oHicehoders, was done
away With, is due the comparative immunity
We have enjoyed from the oppressive taxation
that had been prepared for US. As it is the
State has paid in taxes, during the eight years
and five months that have elapsed since the
war, the sum of $l46l6,236 81, which does
not include the millions paid on account of Fed
eral and municipal taxes, which would be large
ly in excess of the above This is not bad
exhibit for people who were as utterly pros
ta.ed as we we're at the end Of the great con-
tllct that was waged, chiefly, on our soil. If
We could do this in our half-ruined condition,
what may not the State, under the Influence
AID power of that rapidly advancing recupera-
ton that is even now clearly foreshadowed, be
able to accomplish? When our mines shall
bc developed and all OF our vast resources, now
latent shall be utilized, We will have State of
almost uuequalled wealth and prosptrty.-
LynchJurg Tryiaian
PARIs-SoME OF ITS MYSTERIES. In the
Dcbats, journal of high standing and style,
came to light the first fruits OF the night-shadc
growths indigenous to- the, social caverns into
which Sue had, wormeG. his way. There APP
peared, In the feuileton form, the opening
chapters of the "Mysteres de Paris. The ef
feet was prodigious: Soon it came to pass that
any one who passed by the printing office of
the Journal in question at 3 in the morning
might see the marvellous sight of crowd of
noudescrpt persons, livery servants, commls-
siouaires, maids of honor and booksellers boys
competing eagerly for the daup-sheets as they
issued from the press. A story is told of a
waitipe-maid who was found bidding two francs
Tor copy, and, when twitted for prodigality,
answered proudly, Madame, the marchioness
has plenty of money to pay for her pleasures
with :" and then began to deplore the inevia-
be duty imposed upon her by her august ms
,ress, of coming, rain or shine, to get copy OF
the Debats early enough to be laid upon her
table, so as to greet her on awakening. On
further questioning however, the grumollng
damsel owned that she had already devoured
a couple Of columns of that mornings fueille-
ton MYSTERIES by the light of the gas-let in the
street. Sue obtained it is said, for the
MYSTERIES de Paris, 100000 francs and that for
the edition published in the Dcbats only. Pub
fishers We'd with one other for its after. pub
lication, and the stage obtained dramatized
version for itself ln Belgium medal was
struck 10 honor Of Sue and subscriptions came
pouring 10 SO fast that in few days the cost OF
the medal was far exceeded, and the balance
was employed 10 the getting up OF magDlh
cent edition of the Wandering jew which
was OlStrlDUtcu kCauS auOue1lHC pCoPiC.. !" III
his French publisher Sue fnally concluded a
bargain, by which he was to receive 100, 1000
francs year-somewhat more than our au-
reate is allowed during fourteen consecutive
years, on the understanding that ne would sup
ply matter without ceasiug at the rate OF ten
volumes year-London Society.
FROZEN IN A BoAT.--The Detroit Free Press
relates the following :" Sunday morning two
farmers and their families, who were driving
to Maiden to attend church, noticed, when
about eight miles east of the town, ship =
yawl on the lake heading toward the beach and
about half mile away. They could plainly
make out q man in the stern sheets steering the
boat with an oar. Passing the same spot on
their return the men found the yawl hard on
the beach, and the lnan sitting stltf and motion
less in her stern. Leaving their wagons they
asccrtaned that the man was liteless and frozen
hard as rock He sat bolt upright on the
seat, the oar out behind, ,and both hands clasp
ing the handle, and it required hard work to
wrench it from his death grip. There was much
water in the boat, but the craft did not snow
rough usage. The mans legs were almost GOV
cred with ice as far up as his knees, and the
spray had dashed over his back and shoulders
aud frozen there. There was no name on the
boat; aud the person who brought the Informal
ton to Windsor could not say that anything
was found on the person of the man to reveal
his identitv. or to show how he had been cast