Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-13

- A'ihS.t iilo uiSliiClS corresponding III
number with the representatives to which it
may be entitled" &c. This is the quota
ton in the address" But l will add a
little more from that section, as follows ::
(which shall be formed respectively of con-
tlsuous counties, cities, and towns; be COM
pact, and include as nearly as may be an
equal number of population This latter
part OF this section was not quoted in the
address" 1t would not exactly suit the
proposed bill for the gerrymander. Let me
instance us to population first: By their
proposed bill the 9th district would have
lSI:9O1, and the 4th only 22l $50 population,
IL difference of only 66,27l. Now as to
"compatcness" required by that part of
section Is not quoted in the address. ;"
Mohone's bill made the 9th district about 30
miles wide and 100 miles long; the 10th
district 30 miles wide and 100 miles long.
This is "compactness'' with vengeance.
No one can doubt the purpose of all this
to so arrange the districts as to eject eight
out of ten members in the interest of Vim.
Malone and Arthur and stalwartism to
Congress this fall And we defeated all
this. And for this the address" charges
honorable gentlemen with "ignominors de-
tecllon'-wlth treason, the baleful con-
comltant Of every good cause and every
righteous REFORM
But the general commissioners-sales bill.
| am very certain that no scheme ever con-
cocted in the brain of political demagogue
was ever traught with as much deyilment
as this measure For ingenuity in contriv-
ance, and for the boldness and daring cx-
hlbited IN the attempt to fasten it as law
upon free people, it has no equal in an
Gent or modern political history. do not
wish to misstate anything in relation to it,
but | have not space to quote it uerbatim, as
it ought to be, and let the people know what
this Malone party really intended to do
with them and their freedom by this single
measure.
There was bill, of which MIR. Lady was
the patron, known as Bill No 259. This
bill provided for q general commissioner of
all sales that could be decreed by court.
No one else could sell any land decreed to
be sold no one could collect and disbursc
| the proceeds of sale, it mattered not what
the sale was, provided it was directed by a
court. 1t further provided that the court
contd not. nor could the consent of the parties
interested even by consent of record, assent
to a sale or settlement of their private af-
fairs. This general commissioner was TO be
the absolute master Of every mans business
that should unfortunately get into court.
This officer, heretofore unknown to law in
any country now or heretofore recognized
as Il civilized people-a man to be invested
with power ilimitable in its results for DO
lltical efiect-was to be appointed and re.
movable at will and alone by the Governor
OF the state, one i'll each county and CITY OF
the State. The court was, in fact, to have
no control over him. For malfeasance, it is
ttue' the Judge might venture to move him, but
his clerk was bound by the act to notify the Gov.
rrnor of the removal, and the Governor could mi
nm BACK, III order that rccalctrant Judge mirht
understand that the great Executive was not to b,
| fooled with. But this was not enough This infam
Gus bill was reported iavorably by the Committc,
OF courts OF Justice OF the House. Its patron and
friends were ;lstonishcd when it came up in it.
older on the calendar for consideration to lind i,
| us place another bill shaped very much rs Bil
No: 235,b toisted there bY somebody, and, it was
Said, Somroodg notd member that august body That
bill was called House Bill No 2-ReportrI from,
| Committee Of Courts of Justice" This bill got thr
name of the Spurious Bill" 1t contained nil tbc
| bad features of bill No 259" but a little morn
| II provided that the general commissioner shouId
select newspaper in each county wherein all no.
ticcS OF SAFE orders OF court, orders of publication
ana everything else that could possibly reuuirc mo-
ticc should bcpubished, and that any other way of
giving notice aud the proceeding thereon was To BE-
hht ana rotd The costs of such publication were to
De pald by the unfortunate ltigants and other
persons whose estates should fall within the grasp
oil TINS officer, according to any contract he might
make with the editor of this paper 1t was ftlrth.
CIR declared that any other form of notice sale or
ueed or other mode of executing decree of tho
court II even SO directed by the court should bc
nmt and rod and that the consent of parties could
give 1t no validity whatever. This law WIS in.
senueu l" establish III each county and city of the
state Il partisan newspaper to support the personal
interests of William Malone, and the pponle wnrc
I" be forced to support and maintain it, This WA
obc the practical machine by which The conrts ot
TINS State and the civil rights of the people were
10 nc suhordlnatcd to the will of the thing called
1?sslslh. mere were some men in the House that
discovered the fraud and denounced it. and This
blll was quickly stricken from the calendar and
inc matter was hushcd up. Now, who did this
thing know not but do know that there arc
Mahonc men, and some now candidates for otfirc
on the Malone ticket, who do know, and maybe
inc men themselves, guilty Of this dsgracef,I net
and should be held to account. These two b;IIs
are now IN my possession, and should be published
to the people for their information.
nave not space To quote what the address
says III COMMUNICATION of these general commits.
sioncrS DIS 1t is sufficient to say they are
ciaimea To be everything the people could wish
But the clear meaning and Interpretation of th,n,
is Set forth in the address is simply this that
thiS commissioner was not only to BIZ a general
commissioner Of Salc but to be the executor or adj
milllslrator o every dead man s estate within his
county; that no man coulu die and leave an nv.
ec"t"r IN his will of his own appointment; that
inc heirs OF an lntestatc should not have ANYTHING
to do with the settlement of their own estSte-if
was all to be done by this general COMMISSIONS
elected and empowered alone by the Governor Of
the Statc-yiz.. William Mahone-for nolit;coi
purposes. | ask the people to read these hills
ana the address" and I think they will agree
win III, me in my understanding of them
The Bill No. 209 came IN in tba Horso ~
other spurious bill" being stricken from the chi
endar-and was passed as matter of coursc T.
came to the Senate; Newberry proposed to mo to
adopt it with the amendment that, instead of tho
Governor appointing these commissioners tho
people OF the respected counties aud cities sbonIS
DC allowed to elect these important officers mr.
rather administrators, of estates The bill, with
inns important amendment, passed the Senate,
went back to the House, and there it died as We
expected and intended it should. We wished ~
snow to the people that the source of this Office
ana not the office, was the ruling consideration
us purpose was not the good of the people but r.
add a tremendous lever to the central powerNNa,
none For this we are again arranged As "tra;tors,
before the people in the address"
a,a. ne :ast .hlhs propose to notice in the "ad