Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-22
Letter from Richmond.
Correspondence Of the Alexandra Gazette

RICHMOND. January II, 1919.
I called upoa Attorney General Field to day
for his vie@s upon the question OF tho State
debt and the duty Of the State 10 relation to it.
The General declined to say anything upon the
subject or to authorize anything to be said 10
his name. He thinks the high position With
which the people Of the State have hoaored
him MAKES it arproI rate that his position upon
all question which may become tho subject Of
litigation, 10 tho courts. should be non partl
san; 80 that, without auy oommittals. he may
be prepared to discharge, as best.he Can, any
duties that the Legislature may impose upon
him. General L. is usually frank 10 the ex'
preston of his iodiVidual OPTIONS upon all
questions affecting the interest or The honor OF
his State, and those who seek him always nod
out his position. lie has baen approached by
the representatives Of other journals tor 40 ex'
preston of bis views, and for permission to
publish them, but has uniformly declined CON-
pliapce with the request While it would al
ford your correspondent great pleasure 10
publish the substance OF the Attorney Generals
views as expressed to him in friendly convorsa'
tiop, he must agree with the General that up
on the great questions now before the lIegis!a
ture, and, which may hereafter be before the
courts, he had better remain uncommltted. so
that he may do what, 10 bis OPINION. an uprighe
and conscientious discharge Of duty may re-
ouirc. The Attorney Generals reasons arc
sound. 1t is very proper that he should not
On into print vet, and give his views upon the
very question he may hereafter have to argue
before the Court Of Appeals But there are
many other gentleman here, who arc not under
similar restraints, tut who could give their
views, and who will not, while those who have
no settled views upon anything, are lavish with
what they have.
The total sum collected in Richmond on the
birthday of Gen. Robert +. Lee, for the bene.
fit Of the Lee monument fund, was only $35.
The Senate to day agreed to appoint tenn
porary page 10 that body on account OF the
illness of Major Writ Harrison. tho Sergeant
at Arms. The page has not been appoioted
yet. There arc about two hundred young men
who want to have the place. Nothing has ever
been known like the Sickness among legislators
here. All Of them arc having chlls which
even au extra allowance of tho old Virginia
mountain will not break of.
Miss Mary Anderson plays at The theatre
Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and Sat
urday matinee Among the plays she was
booked for was "Ion," but her agent informs
me that she has determined hereafter mover to
take the character of lion" again, hor sense
Of maileDly modesty forbddiug it. Ion is a
youth, and, although this has been one Of her
greatest successes, she has determined that it
is not exactly tho proper thiog for young lady
to dress up 10 men's clothes.
MIR. Keyser to day introduced resolution
instruoting tho Committee on Constitutional
Amendments to inquire into the propriety of
amending the constitution 80 as to authoriz,
the Legislature to fix the pay of tho Governor
Of tho State. Five thousand dollars is little
enough for Governor of the State to get. A
man who is not 10 the business has no idoa of
how much it costs for the Governor to get on.
When tho Governor reaches the KS. Mr.. Key
scr will see for himself that it costs something
to maintain the dignity of tho Office.
A bill OF great importance and interest to
land owners and tenants has been introduced
10 the Senate by Mr. Goode. The bill provides
that when lands shall be rented or leased by
agreement, written or verbal, for agricultural
purposes, or shall be cultivated by persons on
shares, unless otherwise agreed between the
parties to the contract, any and all crops raised
on said lands shall DO deemed and held to be
vested in possession Of tho lessor or land
owner. or his assigns. at all times until the
rents for said lands and all necessary advances
made and expenses incurred in making and
securing said crops shall be fully paid. This
lien shall be preferred to and have priority over
all other liens, and the lessor or land owner, or
bis assigns, shall be entitled against the lessee,
or person cultivating on shares. or the assigns
Of either, who shall remove the crops, or any
part thereof from the land upon which they
were made without the consent of the said
lessor or land owner, or his assigns, or against
any other person who may get possession of
said crops, or any part thereof, to the remedies
given 10 an action for the recovery Of personal
property" The bill has been referred to the
Committee for Courts of Justice.
There will be a meeting tomorrow night of
the two caucuses, tho Lee and the Qaesen.
berry. The object Of the CAUCUS is to deter
mine upon what action is to be taken 10 regard
to the election OF officers of tho State We'd
uesday.