Mr. wILLEY. Mr. President, I rather hope that the suggestion of the Senfrom Pennsylvania may be adopted. I concurred fully with the other members of the Committee‘ou the DistCol in regard to the inexpediency of the act of Congress retroceding the county of Alexandria to the State of Virginia. I thought that the condition of the District, and especially of that portion of it, for the last 3 or 4 years icated vcry plainly the rashness of that proceeding and its impropriety, and that by all means it'it be competent for us to acuire it. again it should be done. I supposet at there would be nothing today to prevent Virginia. on some pretext or other, from erecting fortifications commanding this city and lanting her cannon there, which would enable iier in an issue like that through which we have passed, to destroy the ca itnl of the nation before force could be rallied for its rescue. But still, while I concurred entirely with the committee in the propriety of again jurisdiction of the county of Alexaauc’quniori, n thought there was a very grave question in volved, and I believe that it was wholly and exclusively a legal question, a constitutional question. If the act of retrocesson in 1846 was a valid and constitutional act, then it occurs to me that the matter is entirely beyond our competency and our jurisdiction. In February, 1846, the Legislature of Virginia passed a law providing for the reception within the jurisdiction of that State of the county of Alexandria, provided Congress should pass an act retro ceding it to Virginia, and by an act approved July U. 1846, the same year, that county was retroceded by Congress, which, in the language of the act itselt', forever relinquished the territory and the jurisdiction over it to the State of Virginia. “that was acoustitutional act, what can Congress do now? There is a compact between Congress‘ and the State of Virginia: there are vested rights; there is an executed contract; and it seems to meAhe territory is beyond our reach. if, on the other hand, as I believe myself, the act was unconstitutional, it may be, possibly, that We have a right to repeal the act of retrocossion; but it strikes me that we ought to be veryoertain that the act of retrocession was unconstitutional, and very certain that we have the power to repeal it; because, if we make a mistake in. this matter, Very disastrous consequences may ensue in regard to the rights of, property, in regard to peace between Congress and the State of Virginia, and inlrcgurd to very many othermuterial interests. It seems to me, then, that the Senate should be perfectly clear before it passes any bill of this kind that the act of retrocession in 1846 was without authority of law, was unconstitutional in point of fact. Therefore, sir, while wishing that we could have this territory back within our jurisdiction, believing that it is mar terial in many respects, nevertheless, desiring that the matter may be examined by the committee of the Senate who have such questions more properly within their consideration, the ComJudiciary, so that we may have a thorough investigation of what it seems to me is the only materinl question in the premises. I hope the Senfrom Ohio will accept the suggestion of the Senfrom Pennsylvania, and allow this bill to go to the ComJudiciary with instructions or'otherwiss. as. he may see proper.