Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-01-08
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

SChelne.. bIilS GIlaL nave DcCO"c
Laws---A Four Hundred Million
Dollar Suit--A Generous Centennial
Justice Done, ETC., etc.
| Correspondence of the Alexandria Gszctte.l
RICHMOND. Jan. I, 1876.
| The Centennial bill was w ia the House TO-
day, and brought ont some very 6ne aud some
very indifferent rhetoric. LIS merits and de-
mests were fully discussed, and pending the
discussion the H,use adjourned.
Mr.. Nicely made very fine speech in advo-
cacy Of the bill.
Some ofthe members took occasion to pitch
into Houcst John aud his partner, Extra Billy,
but these gentlemen did not mind il, and look.
ed at each other and wicked and laughed.
They appear to be ready on such occasions.
A meeting Of the House Floance Commit
tee vas held this morning for the purpose OF
considering the schcme OF Gen. Dick Taylor,
for the settlement Of Virginia's foreign debt.
Ge' Taylor made condensed statement OF
his plan for the adjuslm ut OF the matter The
committee referred the whole matter TO JOINT
subcommittee, consisting Of Messrs. Lawson,
Eubank and Cochran, OF the Senate, aud Smith
OF Eauquier, Watts, Bets and Crump % the
part OF the House.
The following bills were to-day sigucd hy
i the Governor and are now laws: Act 10 amend
the code or 1873, il retercoce to death OF par
ties TO suits; an act authorizing the Board OF
Supervisors of Elizabeth City county TO borrow
money to repair and rebuild the court house
and Jail of said county; au act to amend the
code 10 reference to the docket Of causes 10 the
Court OF Appeals.
The celebrated Jennings case which has so
long been in the courts of England will, am
told. be soon decided jennings was an Fog
lishmln vino died 10 Virginia about hundred
:, years ago. He left au estate in England which
was worth seveuty-6Ve million dollars at that
time, and which now, with the interest and In
' creased value Of real estate 10 the Unltcd
Kingdom, has reached the enormous sum Of
four hundred mlous. FIR this fortune there
are between seventy-tvc and hundred claim
, auts, scattered through England aud the State
OF Virginia. Seven of them i've in this city,
aud several others live 10 Lynchburg. One OF
the principal claimants is a y"uog clerk here,
who is pushing his rights with great energy
II" has as his counsel law firm in George
owo. D. g.; Me>srs. t. L. d lies, j. V Reddy
! anu judge Halliburton, Of this city; aud Hon.
} Judah P Benjamin, of England. He showed
= me letter to day from the last mentioned
: great lawyer, in which that gentleman con-
graduates him on the probable speedy term-
: nation Of the suit, and states that i, will be
e IRON all appearances decided 10 his favor. The
/ litigation has been going 90 for about fifteen
j years The English heirs are attempting to
Q dsprove the identity OF the Virginia claimants,
but it is stated that they will now be bound 10
give way and the Vrcinians will establish
6 their rights to Il show OF the estate. Ii the
seven claimants 10 Richmond get their shares
they will receive the snug Jun Of thirty five
million dollars, or five millions apiece. This
will do to start life on. The lawyers don't get
a cent unless they win the case, and if they
succeed they will get fees far ahead OF the
7 Miller will case lawyer. Ambitious legal luml-
naries OF Virginia advance to tue 'front.'
SO far from having their pay reduced some
of the members will go IL for an increased
daily s.ipead. l heard two arguing the mat
ter to-day, aud they agreed that 10 these days
the services of the average legislator are worth
at least eight dollars per day. They took into
consideration the fact that they were then at
the peril OF their lives, as the members were
dying daily with the smallpox. and if they
survived that terrible epidemic they were apt
to be boret to death by the speeches OF some
prosy members They ought to have eight
dollars day It, worth ten.
Mr. Price, OF King George, day offered a
singular resolution about the Centennial. He
proposed that each member pay Two dollars
. | ,Nnr Il f,rt IL RI f,r M
the Centennial expenses, and the money to be
deducted only from the pay of the members
V ting for the proposition 1t was referred.
Here's au opportunity for the patriotic mem
Ders to serve their country, and it will not &C.
cur again for hundred years. They should
make hay while the sun shines and take ad-
vantage Of it.
La the contested case of A. r. Micou VS..
Commodore the House Committee on PrlYi-
egcs and Elections to- lay reported 10 favor OF
seating the latter Commodore is the colorcd
member from Essex This shows that the
Conservatives can do justice. understand
that Commodore had given himself up for lost
when he heard that his seat would be contested
by white man, and that man Conservative
aud those who believe that the Senate com
m'ttec will not give Knight his seat because
he is Independent and Johnson ConSer-
vative, will be equally mistaken. | believe
that committee will do justice though the
Heavens fall
The Governor and Auditor Taylor have, it
is runcred, made up 10 some way. am ln
duccd to believe that they have DOT. The
Governors maniicsto concerning Mr.. Tayor's
report will be looked for with interest.
Ii is said that wheu TIE Legislature adjourns
The two ex Governors will practice law together.
War claims and sheep killing dogs speciality.
STRONGBOW.
GOLD DISCOVERY IN VIRGINIA Mr. NJ II.
Stowe, Superintendent Of the Ellis gold mine,
10 Cupcper county, 10 a letter to the Rich
uond Wbig. says:
"A few days prospecting in Fauquier county,
on s,!ist is known as TIE Pollard tract has de-