National Republican., 1873-02-08
RETROCEssION.
Meeting OF Citizens Of Alexu ndrln Couu,

hectinE ot titiycns OF AteNn ndrin County.
A meeting Of citizens OF Alexandria county,
virginia, Independent Of politics, was held on
Thursday evening at the Columbia school-house;
Mr. ". A. Roe In the chair, and y. S. Wright
secretary.
The Chair stated that the meeting was an al.
Journed meeting OF the citizens Of the county
called for the purpose OF discussing the question
Of retroccssiOn pro and con, and called upon the
secretary to read the minutes Of the last meet
ing. Not having them with him he proceeded
to give a synopsle OF the proceedings, when he
was interrupted by Austin Syphax, who stated
that he tSyphaN) had offered resolutions (pub-
lshed In the REPUBIICAS,) at the last meeting
retroceding the county back to the District OF
Columbia, and his resolutions having been
adopted the county hah committed themselves
The chair again stated the object Of the meet
ing
meeting could commit the county to the cause Of
retrOCessiOn. THIS question required great
deal Of cool dclihCtatiOn; on the one hand was
the heavy debt Of the State, aud on the other
hand wa. the heavy taxation Of the District, and
went on To compare the Resources Of the State
with those Of the District.
Mr.. Bartlett stated that he was In favor of re-
PROCESSION, because II the county was taken back
into the District, the District Of Columbia would
do something In behalf Of the schools, &c.
Mr.. II. d. smith stated that the taxes Of the
county were double what they were before the
retrOcession OF the county to the State, and the
political status Of the State Il such that they
must necessarily he Increased still more. As 10
the legality OF retrocesslOn, 1t was proposed to
test the case In the supreme Court. lie was In
favor Of retrOcesslOn.
j. II. stevens defeated candidate for the
county clerkshlp, supervisor OF the poor and
other offlces too numerous to mentlon) stated
that the question was flrst agtated through the
columns Of the NATi0SAL REPUBLICAN; that the
paper was opposed to the measure, and con-
tinucd to abuse the reporters OF the RErUBIICAS,
when he was interrupted by cries OF 800 on
Cato, go on, Cato, you report for the Chronicle"
lie then got very much excited and said that the
men who are the greatest opponents OF retrocea-
sion are those who are all the time seeking Otfce
Mr.. 4. H. COrbeU said he owned about three
hundred acres In the county, and that, In his
opinion, the only legal manner to proceed was
for the citizens to petition the Legislature OF Viz
gina TO hold convention, AMI vote for or against
the measure proposed, and then to petition Con-
gress TO take the necessary steps carry out the
Will OF the people; for as to the legality Of the
last retrOcessiOn, II had been ratified by a
contract between the state OF Virginia and the
General Government, and II that was Illegal the
only redress was In the supreme Court; hut ac.
ton should nrst he taken In the State Legislature
Addresses were made by several other gentle
men, when
Mr.. J. II. stevens, OF the Treasury Depart
ment, offered resolution indorsing retroces-
sion, but which he Afterwards withdrew amidst
much laughter, owing to Its ungrammatical read
ing, and motion was adopted TO appoint COM
Inlltce OF three TO ascertain the Views OF the
citizens OF Alexandria on the subject anil report
next Thursday week. The meeting was attended
hy nearly all the property owners In the county.