Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-14
Letter from Richmond.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
RICHMOND, February Is, 1878.

Correspondence OF tue <aleAauuEia 0aIot'e'!
RICHMOND, February Is. 1878.
The House again went TO work today ID
cutting down the salaries of officers and looping
some off. 1t is evident from the way the body
is now proceeding that the members will at
tempt to annihilate several Of the lesser officers
entirely. Mr.. Fauntleroy is the riugleader in
this work. The Office of porter to the Super.
iutendept OF Public Printing was abolished, it
may be said, the provision adopted providing
that the Superintendent of Public Printing shall
only employ porter during the session of the
Legislature aud ono month thereafter.
Mr.. Harvie, Of Amelia, proposed to amend
the bill by providing that judges of County
Courts shall not practice law 10 any of the
Courts of the Commonwealth. 10 advocacy OF
his amendment be asserted that many OF the
Judges of the Comfy Courts were incompe'
tent He read statement as follows. which
he said be could substantiate that in one OF
the counties of Virginia . county judge pre-
pared for his client a bill for INJUNCTION E.; be
also, az a notary public, administered the oath,
and certified it as a notary he awarded tho in:
junction as county Judge. and then appeared
before the Circuit Court aod moved to dissolve
the Injunction on the ground that he (tbe coun-
tv iudge) had no right to award the injunction.
A county Judge in court ordered special grand
Jury, who made two indictments for felony,
which WERE under the law both tried 10 the
Circuit Court, and ten minutes after the indict.
ments were found the Circuit Court assembled
and the Judge of the County Court Immediately
appeared as counsel for the accused and moved
to auash the Indictment on the ground that the
County Court had 20 right to have special
grand jury.
MIR. Harvie especially said, however, that
this did not apply to the judge OF his county
Amelia.
Gen. IaliaEerro, cf Gloucester, proposed a
further mendment-"thatthe Board of Super
yisors shall be authorized to increase the COM
pensation Of the judges Of their respective courts
to an additional amount not exceeding $500. .
Both amendments were defeated.
The Brooke bill came up 10 the House about
10 the Senate. The disposition of the members
seemed to be adverse to the bill, and while it
was being discussed the special order Of the day,
tho Salary bill, came up, and 80 the bill goes
over until to morrow.
hlr. Harrison, of Sussex, leading rea6juster
and author of the term 'Simon Pure" stated
that the Finance Committee, of which he is a
member, was getting ready bill that would
meet with the approval Of all the gentlemen Of
the House. 1t must indeed be strange bill
that would meet with the approval OF all the
members Of that House, and if it does then tho
names of each member of that Finance Com.
mittee should go down to future generations lit
up with light Of glory, 10. The fgutativs
language, ''the lion and the lamb lie down to.
gether." can not be used 10 speaking of that
body, for if there is any lamb 10 it be has not
made his appearance. It is the most warlike
body ever saw-an aggregation OF bald headed
giants. for indeed the number of gentlemen
who are barefooted on the top of their heads is
distressingly large. Some Of them do not live
far from Alexandria Others come from the
cities near tho sea, and others bloom on the
mountain tops.
Richmond has been wonderfully rich 10 50.
ciety scandal this winter. The number OF
elopements in high, low and middle life has
exceeded anything known in the history
of Richmond. But few days sinOe mention
was made 10 the Gazettes Richmond lctter Of
of an elopement in high life here--as. indeed,
many of them have been this season. Ayoung
clerk ran off with one of our bellies. TO night
the news is reported 10 the city of the elope.
ment of another one of Richmond's fairest and
most. popular daughters. from q boarding
school, with student Of tho University Of Vir.
eiuia, yesterday afternoon.
Rev. MIR. Ransford leaves Virginia on Fri
day for New York. learn that be has boon
called land accepted) to take charge of one Of
the largest churches 10 Toronto. Canada. lilo is
enthusiastic in his praise Of the Virginians. lie
is now at the suburban residence of MIR.
Stewart. The young ladies Of Richmond have
made the greatest amount of fuss over him, and
he must, indeed, have been, at least, wearried by
their compliments and admiration, for, 1t is
plain that his head cannot be turned by them.
The average young lady here can tell you more
about him than he knows himself; that he is
engaged to young Eogish lady; that be car;
ries portrait Of her, wbi,h he wears around
bis neck; that she i, not pretty, but worry intel.
leotua looking; that he has visited tho battle
field of Seven Pines; that BIO is the most agree.
able gentleman they ever saw. Mr. Raiosford
is single. and unaffected. boyish, and hearty 10
bis manners, and az popular with the gentle
men as with the ladies' He has pulled an orc
10 the famous Oxford and Cambridge boat
races, and can talk as enthusiastically and
warmly about his school days as could Tom
Brown. No stranger has ever visited Rich.
mond aud made go many warm friends 10 30
short time.
NEW BOOKS.
Wo hsvo received from the book store of Mr..
George z. French, 95 King street, the following
new books
Tho first volume Of the History of the English
People, by John Richard Green, comprising
that portion of the history Of the mother country
from the fifth century, when our ancestors, who
had previously lived under tribal government