Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-02-16
From tho Richmond Dispatch Of Jan. %


From the Richmond Dispatch of Jan -. 1850
To The editor Of the Dispatch:
There has been so much understanding ..
garding the recent actions OF the cOurts touching
the public debt that ask space to state Just Whist
tn 5, actions have been.
The decisions made b. Judges Bond and Hua hes
at Norfolk are of no sort of consequence as bear
ing upon the real contest on hand. Ii could
have gained the cases, 1t would have cnable! me
to put speedy END to the controversy. Bat los
ing them left me simply where | wsS bet0re-to
prosecute the matter along the beaten route The
cases were attempts TO reach the end by short
cut, in which | was iolled The suits were Sc
tions against the Treasurer in trcspess for his Ie.
fusal of coupons and proceeded upon the lhocry
that by his wong fdl act in refusing them hu had
made himself responsible for all con sGuc uiL-
ries that the Taxpayer suffered aud that the su-
sequont suit against the taxpayer Al ii jUdgmeu.
with costs was ting injury. Tho Court
held that this judgment could not he held all in.
jury in ally legal sense, and that the tax payer
redress was TO appeal from the Judgment OF Oh
State Court and reverse 1t II 1t WAS wrong Ii j.
easy, therefore, to see that judgment in NY "a
vor would have been fatal to the state but
Judgment against me left me where ] wss-to pro.
coed with my appeals snd undo What the Sm'e
Court had done.
But the action OF tho Supreme Court of the
United states last Monday in advancing my cases
unprecedented and of the last importance and
practically ends this protracted litigation FOR ora
side or the other.
The whole o' the ststes fight urder hcr act
known as the con on crusher wss to sue bier
Taxpayers who had rendered coupons in her own
courts, and then to forbid them 20 make any &c
fence unless they produced the bonds from when
the coupons camo. As none Of them could DO hrs
it was Il forcgonc conclusion that she would re-
cover judgment against them with hGsvy pets-
ties and costs. If coupons were rendered In pay.
mcnt Of this Judgment, there was to be another
judgment on this Judgment with additional p'r-
alties and costs, and so on until the ax-psyor D j
his debt so increase that he would be forced 10
abandon his coute.t But TO the success, OF tins
very clever bit of strategy IT, WAS necessary TO
keep the taxpayer from reversing the action ci
her courts which it Was supposed Won be done
by his being unable to get his case heard IN the
Supreme Court for four years ! succeeded in get
ting writs of error from the supreme Court IN four
cases, involving all the essential questions 10
w.t. tho duty to produce the bond, the admiss
bility Of expert evidence, and payment of co Is IN
coupons-on the 10th December The writs OF
error aud citations are returnable the second Mon
day of October, rs the rule of the court require
so that the cases will really not be on the docket
OF that CONT until thon. Nevertheless in view
of The way in which the States authorities welc
depressing her ciGzens ! ventured to move the
Court to modify its rules and have these cases
heard at once. The State by her AttcrncJ Gen-
eral appeared and resisted the notion but tho
Court ordered them 10 be heard within one week
OF the first day that they could po;sib y, uni,r is
rules. be heard.
7 he net resslt IS that tho State is now standing
on her last leg and if win these cases in October
| will break that leg.
So far rs the Courts refusal TO issue its q, rl'
ton is concerned it is OF no sort of nscquence
1t was only question OF $50, which will MT
ruin me- WILLIAM l.. BoYtLL.