National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-23
WHERE DOES ALEXANDRIA BE.
LONG?
AN EFFORT TO PROVE RETROCEssIoN
ILLEGAL.

A. Phillips, citizen and taxpayer Of the county,
tho courts for their decision. With this end in
view, on the payment Of his taxes he filed o writ.
ten protest, and now. by his attorney, Weste,
question: OF course, turns upon the constitutional
ity OF the act Of July 1915, retroceding Alexan-
dfia county and city 70 Virginia.
The following are the papers In the case:
PROTEST AGAINST PAYMENT.
To Charles W. Payne: Take notice that in deliy-
ering to you the sum Of &l65 which you herewith
receive from me as taxes claimed to be due from
me BY virtue Of ASSESSMENTS claimed to have been
owned by me In Alexandria county, and to be
payable to you as collector of the township Of
Washington, in said county, elected under the
and insisting that tho said county, which is my
residence and in which my property upon which
tho alleged assessments are made, is in the Dis
or control of the State Of Virginia, and that you
are not legal officer Of the said county and have
no authority to demand or receive moneys as such
and acts purporting to place the said county Of
Alexandria under the jurisdiction and control of
the State Of Virginia or Of its laws contrary to
the Constitution of the United States, and are
wholly unauthorized, Illegal and void. do not
deliver this money to you voluntarily but under
compulsion, and to avoid seizure and sale and
thereof which the law under which You claim 70
my par, in which you will be sustained BY power
l. IL,
be wholly unlawful. hereby give you notice
that I do not waive any Of my rights as citizen
of the District Of Columbia, but shall immedL
jurisdiction for the recovery Of the money here.
with received by you, and you arc hereby notified
and warned not to pay over the said money to any
officer Of the STATE Of Virginia nor to any person
JANUARY q, 1874.
THE DECLARATION IN THE CASE.
In the Supreme Court of tho District ofcCo-
lumbia, the day Of January, 1874; Robert A.
The plaintiff sues the defendant for money re-
seiv61 ~ the defendant faC the use Of the plain
til, to VII, the sum Of sle5.1s.
the defendant for that: whereas tho territory
known a. the county Of Alexandria, in pursuance
Of the Constitution Of the United States, BY an
ginia Of December 3 l7S9, was coded to the United
States, together with all the rights and iurfsdc-
ton Herewith; and whereas, 2: S, authorized By
Congress was passed accepting such cesslon. and
whereas said county, together with the county Of
Washington, which had been coded to the United
set apart rs the seat Of Government Of the United
States, embracing territory Of ten miles square,
which was ordained, organised and established as
tho District Of Columbia, over which the COnsti-
tuition Of the United States requires that Con-
gress shall exercise exclusive legislation In all
cases whatsoever; and whereas, subsequently,, to
the Constitution Of the United States. and with
out any legal authority, Congress passed an act,
purporting to authorize o vote to be taken by the
said county should be retrocedcd to the State OF
Virginia, and declaring that in case majority Of
tho votes Of said people were cast In favor OF such
and forever relinquishedin full and absolute right
and Jurisdiction; and whereas majority Of said
votes cast in favor Of such retrocesson, upon
which, and without further authority or action Of
Congress, the General Assembly Of the State Of
Virginia passed an act, declaring that the said
county Of Alexandria was thereby reannexed to
thereof; and whereas, since the said act Of 1916,
the said State Of Virginia has assumed to exercise
jurisdiction and control Of said county, and has
said county, among which is the office known as
the collector for the township Of Washington, in
the said county, and under such pretended au.
iector, and now assumes to exercise the duties
thereof as such collector; and whereas
said State has also assumed to inforce
assessment and collection Of taxes upon persons
residing therein, and upon property therein stli-
sted; and whereas the said defendant, claiming
ment had been made, under the laws Of Virginia,
upon tho property Of this plaintiff who resides In
said county, and who is the owner Of large and
which is the property upon which such Assessment
IL claimed to have been made, and that there was
payable to him as such collector from this plain.
handed the payment thereof; and whereas, in
case Of refusal, the said defendant, being SO di.
rectcd BY the said pretended laws OF the State Of
this plaintiff and soid the sans to satisiy saei
the power Of the State Of Virginia, which this
ia, in order to prevent such sacrifice Of his prop
erty thus threatened to b. made, delivered the
said sum Of money to said defendant on the INST
q y It, s%s e ass
exaekion Of such money - Illegal and wholly IN.