Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-05-29
Letter from Leesburg.
! Correspondents of the Alexandria Gazet

LEEsBURu, VA, May 70, Isl L. \ esterday
the House ou the farm of Mr. AtchitaId N.
Douglas, Of Abcmarle county, Which lies about
SIX miles north Ct Leesburg, III tie Potomac
Valley caught lifc from L kitchen chimney,
Which was lower than the house, and the en-
tire building Was destroyed. 1t was occupied
By Mr.. Samuel. Douohoe, who saved nearly
all hi3 furniture.
Las! night The barn Ct Mr. Griffith W. Pax
sou, about ole mile west OF Waterford, was set
fire to and burned a previous attempt to burn
him cut Ly setting fire to his straw stacked
ncar his barn had been frustrated | have not
heard whether they were Insured or not. but it
is highly probable that they we're as the agent
very active canvasser. ....
The vote all over our county is very small !;
some refusing to show their tax bills, and a
great many having failed to pay their taxes. 10
this connection permit me 10 make most hu
initiating acknowledgment in this, namely
there Is great disposition on the part Of poor
u.cn, and u!eD Of fair means aud Of excellent
character, to rcpudiatc the State debt if it can
be douc The taxes arc alleged 70 BE- very
Orcrou1, and The attempt 20 Increase them Will
be resisted to The utmost cEtcnt. | am sorry
to STATE this fact. but it might rs well be known
at once. The tax receivable coupon bonds
seem to ne 10 hold position that canuot be
assailcd; whether they will yield it and accept
q compromise fer interest at four per cent. is Il
question, but the registered and pecler bonds
arc gone goose.
The weather has moderated to considerable
extent; It is now Eat p. Iii. 10 ia the Shade
against about GO yesterday.
Among the justices elected for Broad Run
li*Gr;c is Mr. Alfred Stanton, son of Mr.. &.
p. Stanton, whose residence is near FarmwclI,
at Belmont, the former house OF Mr.. lIud|cll
Lee lie is very much esteemed in his neigh
h0rhoAI.
The recent changes 10 tn, Constitution have
| decreased the numbGr OF elections there will
uc!t spring bc 10 elections outside OF the cities,
except in incorporated towns. Would it not be
we'll therefore for the next Legislature to pre-
scribe b. . general law that all town aud city
officials to BE- elected 10 1878 shall serve for Two
years, 50 M 10 save The cxpanSc o! annual cleo
lions. The county ard district officers recently
| elected sarrc Tor two ytal:; those elected tive
two years ago serve Tor two years more, except
the clerks serve for four years, thus these
elections viii occurin the odd years, 1871, 1879
| 1851, Sc. By The arrangement suggested above
the municipal officer would be elected Ia 1878,
! 1850, 1852, Ne, except the City treasurer
who, by article e, Sec;l0n is, would have 10 bt
elected for three years, aud would thus holt
office till 1881, aud perhaps the Commissioner
of the Revenue, whose term OF office Is not de-
fined by the Constitution but which tern
l.. i I'M .
source OF great annoyance and expense w0ulC
be taken our Of the way. and the term, being :
!ons Que, would most probably be filled atte
more careful selection Besides the municipal
elections would BE- taken cut Of the domain o
national politics and better officers might, II
some cases, be selected This same genera
Law might provide that all Vacancie. 10 Office
should be filed by Councils for the unexDireC
term. aud in that event 4 saving 10 the rcgiS!ra
ton cXpenscs would be effected Tor the c0un
ties the County Court nov ills vacancies. /
strikes me that considerable relief might be hat
in this way. ALQUIs.
che Fairfax Court House Election.
FAIRFAX {. H., VA, May :!:S.--Oue wore
rs 10 The recent election in this district. No
as to the clusca Of the partial defeat Of TIL
CONSERVATIVE ticket, but rs to the political elias
siica'ion b. your Disappointed correspondent
d l;so Of The rarliea elected. The republican
al their dominating convention, without con
suting him, put the name Of Jcrc Moore OIL
thulc ticket, Il more consistent aud better ant
| older conservative than your correspondent
and IT,, without compromising principle, VA
supported by nGt only The republicans but man.
| oh aul u!eI conservatives j. y. Shlpman
rGI Ct The conservative nominees, was put 0l
| the republican ticket aud voted Tor by both par
| Ties, ADD j. Il. Taylor, IN tV0Wcu conservative
who 10 consequence; 81 gross injustice, which h
SAID had been done him, announced himself a
III independent candidate, was endorsed bytht
| republicans, ami beat the conservative nominee
| i. i. I5:fk!ay, one hundred and siXty.two votes
So that really there are five officers c1naorva
;ive politically, elected in this district.
TlIE EGLENroN Rlor. The testimony In TIN
j;Henton riot case now in progress in Charles
ton, proves that the naproes began tho firm!
unon he whites without pr5vocatiou; that the.
| fired with effect; that Tic whites, n0t expecting
the attack, were driven back with scVcra
wouaded; that it WAS afterwards agreed tina
the difficulty should be settled, and that bott
parties should retire; that the whites did retire
and that subsequently, some Of the very party
| CT white men who were present at this agree
| rent while retiring to their homes through :
swamp we're ambuscadcd and fired into by thu
negroes without any warning whatsoever; anc
that the attempt on the part Of the prosecution
to prove aggression on the part Of The whites
has tccn completely ovcrthrow0, it having beer
clearly shown by the witnesses on both side!
that 10 The conference with the UOited States
army officers the desire Of the whites was only
to preserve the peace, and upon the word o
Captain Lloyd. who said he would use all hi
power 10 quiet the blacks, the whites retired
| and distan1cd.
COMMUNICATED.
QUERY. las Christ Church sexton?
50, Why does lie not attend to his business