The National tribune., 1885-05-07

Wylie, of Virginia, the associates. The Chief
Justice is still on the bench, Justice Oiin is
dead. Justice Fisher has resigned. and last week
Justice Wylie retired. The President appointed
to succeed him a noted lawyer of Maryland,
Hon. VIM. T. Merrick, and this appointment is
now the subject of much criticism. While un-
doubtedly lawyer of fine ability, Judge Mer-
rick has history that does not commend him,
and he is far from being popular with the other
members of the District bar. He was one OF the
District judges in 1863, and SO strong were the
sympathies OF that body with the South, and
ii made so much trouble for the Government,
that Congress finally legislated the Whole Court
ont OF Office and formed q new one Judge
Merrick also came into notice in 1860 by his
determined effort to rescue Mrs. SuTatt IRON
the hangman. He is now IS years old. end the
Judiciary Committee has heretofore refused to
confirm the appointment of any Judge over 60
The law requires 10 years service before Judge
can retire. which would make Judge Merrck
7S at the period of his leaving the bench for
private life.
READJUSTING THE DISTRICT BOUNDARY.
Every school-boy knows that the District of
Columbia was originally 10 miles square or 100
square miles, made up of territory coded by the
States of Maryland and Virginia That from
the latter State included the ancient city OF
Alexandria, which is the southwestern corner
of the boundary of The Federal territory, as the
old writers termed it. Subsequently, Alexan-
dria came to the conclusion that she was being
injured commercially by being cut of from
political relations with Virginia. and agi-
tated SO successfully for retrocesslon that IN
1Si6 the United States gave back to Virginia
all that portion of territory originally coded
from the State, and which lies along the south
bank of the Potomac. This was about IS square
miles, or 16, 600 acres. which was organized INTO
the County of Alexandria. In this territory
the Government subsequently, gained the estate
of Arlington. which was about l,100 acres.
which, with what is taken out for the corpora
ton of Alexandria leaves but about $1,000
acres to support e County government. There
are many disadvantages connected with this
| arrangement. and the people of the retroceded
territory are now quito anxious for the retro
ceSson to be retroceded and be restored again
to the District of Columbia. They say that
the original act of retroceSsiOn was clearly un-
constitutional. as Gen. Scott discovered in 1861.
He was believer in States rights, and, embar-
raised by the idea of moving troops into
sovereign State, tried to get around it in very
attorney-like way by having Alexandria and
| the south bank of the Potomac recognized as
Federal territory, so that he might begin his
operations there which he did after Chief JUS
tice fancy decided unofhcially that the retro
cession of the territory to Virginia was, in his
opinion, unconstitutional and void
HARD WORKER.
The new First Deputy Comm issioner of Pen
sions, Col w. Z. Mclean, of Terre Haute, Ind,
impresses one as steam-engine in energy and
industry. He has entered Office with genuine
enthusiasm to do his duty TO the Government
and his old comrades, and his chief regret is
that the day has not As hours instead of "a in
which to accomplish all that he vents to do
between rising and going to bed
THE ETERNAL ROW OVER PRECEDENCE
has broken out again in grand sulk by Mrs.
Hendricks at not being invited to stand at the
Presidents right at his receptions as the First
Lady in the Land. She is said to threaten to
terminate all manner of social relations with
the occupants of the White House, but so far
the report cannot be said to have seriously af-
fectcd the wheat market, and the prospects for
good peach crop in New Jersey are believed
TO be unusually fine.
CALLERS AT THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OFFICE.
Serg't VIM. Maher, 9TH N. H.; Capt. Ed. La
Fay, Co. f, 62d n. Y; Maj. Ezra S. Dodd, 1S4th
Ohio, Toledo, o.
]. d. Matthews, Lieutenant, l35th Ohio,
Stratford Iowa.
MISCELLANEOUS CHAT
Several tall, stalwart Indians appeared ON the
streets last week clad in the imposing uniform