Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-01-18

lOH "a P6i v va hGS SS~A SSbSA S~-<S~~s-.
trict Of Virginia, Is here to day and an.
nounces without ''meDtal resel walton"
that he is candidate for the Congress
sional democratic nomination this year
and expects to win. While speaking In
I ndly terms of Mr.. Meredith, the Judge
expresses serious doubt of the earnest
ness of that gentlemaD's candidacy TOR
q third nomination and strongly insists
that he himself is entitled to and will
receive the cordial support OF the pres
ent representative and bis host OF
friends for the nomination in question.
In word, the Judge claims to have the
first "call" on his friend Mr.. Meredith,
and to 'shold the age" on all other as
pirants in the game. His friends claim
that he is an aggressive Jefersonian dis
ciple OF old fashioned democracy; con-
sistent democrat who always votes at
his party's callp and. estimated by his
performances on the bench. is a remark
ably successful jurist, since they say
the record shows that in ten years ser
vice, there has been in the numerous
appeals from his court but two revers-
ais and in neither of those does the
Judge for single moment confess ne
was in error. When asked how it hap
pened in the great train robbery cases
of Morganfeld and Searcey that OF the
hundred or more exceptions taken by
the learned counsel to his rulings there
was not a single one sustained IN the
courts above, he aDsweredlthat the rea-
son was very simple one. eWhy," said
said the Judge, "when the Commor-
wealth has guilty man before me and
I feel assured of his conviction l never
take any risks of reversal by doubtful
decisions on immaterial points. l give
the counsel pretty much all the rope
they want. and hang the prisoner just
the same" This was declared by all
who heard it to be sound common
sense, which if observed more closely by
nisi prius judges in Virginia would re-
suit in good to the State. When last
seen Judge Ashton was still incredulous
as to Mr.. Meredith's candidacy, and
persisted strongly in his expectation OF
that gentleman's undivided support.
People fond of hearing legal argu-
ments by distinguished men will have
an opportunity of doing so here next
week, when ex-President Harrison, l..
D. McKissick, Attorney General Har-
mon, Joseph A. Choate, James c. Car
ter, Judge Baker and Assistant Attor-
ney General Whitney will make
speeches in the Q. s. Supreme Court.
II has been four weeks since Con-
g,ess hurried to pass bill authorizing
the President to appoint q commission
to investigate q dispute between two
foreign countries with which it had
nothing to do, but still that commits
sion has not yet even organized. It Is
said to-day it will do go on Monday.
New York parties who have obtained
possession of the old Borst charter for q
narrow gauge railroad from this city to
the coal fields of West Virginia are
having that route resurveyed.
People from Culpeper here to-day
say that Colonel Catlett Gibson, who
has recently changed his residence from
there to New York, will have for his
partner his sister, n-law, who has been
practising law there successfully for
some time.
1t is q fact that men are being
enlisted in this city for service in the
army of the Congo Free State, in AT
RIGA.
People from the 9Th Congressional
strict of Virginia here to-day say the
Internal revenue agents there are rem
d ring themselves very Objectionable
by the rigorous execution of the laws,
but by their doing SO without exhibiting
any authority for their proceedings.
Senator Daniel is expected to deliver
a set speech in the Senate on Monday
in favor Of the enforcement of the Mon
roe doctrine.
The delegation of Alexandra county
people who went to Richmond to have
the excise and road laws of that county
amended have returned, and some OF
them were here to-day. They say that
the committee on counties, cities and
towns of the House of Delegates, before
which they appeared, agreed to increase
the liquor license tax from 500 to $3.50,
and that the excise board shall meet at
the court house once month and con-
slider applications for licenses that have
been made ten days previously; and
that the superintendent of roads shall
bs appointed by the county judge and
not as now by the board of supervisors.
They say that with these changes the
road money of the county will amount
to $13, 900 annually, and that the roads
there will soon be in good condition.
Mr.. John Goode of Virginia is report
ed to be quite sick at his rooms i'll this
city.
The pension bill that passed the
House yesterday evening had many of
it's Objectionable amendments defeated
by the vigorous opposition of Mr.. Bart
lett, Tammsny democrat, assisted by
some prominent republican members,
but not a single democrat from the
South opened his mouth in opposition
to any Of them.
The democrats will not hold their
national convention until after the re-
publicans shall have held theirs, hop
ing to profit by the latter's possible
mistakes, and it is said that the popu-
lists will not hold theirs until that Of
the democrats shall have been held, so
that they may profit by the mistakes of
both the others.
Under the appropriation for the army
is an item of 81, 1872 to reimburse Secre-
tary Lamont for money advanced to en-
able the paymaster general to pay the
officers and men the money due them
for the last fiscal year ended June 80,
1895. No new legislation is contained
in the bill.
T, r Roberts ras annointed nostmastar tc.