Mr. WADE. I move that the Senate ro ceed to the consideration of Senate hill 0. 280. The motion was agreed to; and the Senate, ‘as in ComWhole, proceeded to consider the bill (S.No.280) to repeal an not entitled “An act to retrocede the county of Alexandria, in the DistCol, to the State of Virginia, " and for other purposes., The reamble recites that the Constitution o“f the U.S. provides that Congress shall exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and the acceptant‘c of conress, beecime the seat of Government of the U.S. that by an act of Congress approved July Ill, 1790, ten miles square of territory was accepted from the States of Maryland and Virginia, as the permanent seat of Government, constituting what was subsequently known as the DistCol, that when so accepted and defined, all jurisdiction over it was, by the Constitution, forever vested in Congress, whose duty it was then and lbrerer after, to preserve it uaviolated and free from all control whatso ever save that of Congress; that experience derived from the recent rebellion, has demon strated the wisdom ot'presorving such ten miles square under the exclusive control of Congress, both for military and civil purposes, and for the defense of the capital fund that by an act of Congress approved July 1), 1840, thatportion of the said ten. miles square lying south of the Potomac was ceded back to the State of Virginia, in violation of the intent and meaning of the Constitution of the U.S., and to the at peril of the capital as aforesaid. The bill, t cretore, proposes to forever repeal and declare null and void the actof Congress approved July 9, 1846, retroceding to the State of Virginia that portion of the districtten miles square, as provided by the Constitution, known as the DistCol, and the jurisdiction of Congress, and the laws provided for the DistCol are put in force, the same as ifthat act ofretrocession'had never been passed. Private and personal property is not to be affected by this act, so far as the rights of parties are concerned; but all public property of which the U.S. were possessed at the time of the retrocoasion of this portion of the DistCol to the State of Virginia is, from and after the passage of this act, to be vested in the U.S. Government, any law, not, or conveyance to the contrary not withstanding, and the Government, through its proper officials, is authorized to acquire, by purchase or otherwise, any and all further property, real or personal, in this portipn of the fDistCol, as may be deemed necessary for public use. Al: suits and actions at law, civil or crimi md. are, from and after the passage of this act, to be conducted and determined according to the laws, rules, and regulations enacted and provided by Congress for the District of Co umbin, excepting muses wherein linnl judgment, decree, or seatenceshall have been ro nounced or passed; in such causes the final satisfaction of such judgments or decrees is to be in accordance with the laws in force in the State of Virginia. But all causes wherein final judgment or decree shall not have been nssed or rouounced are to be in future connoted an determined as provided by this act. All taxes and revenues assessable and collectible on no erty, real or personal, in the portion of the)DistCol south of the Potomac, are, from and after the passage of this act, to berated, collected, and applied according to the existing or future laws of Congress governing the DistCol, All civil offices in the portion of the DistCol south of the Potomac, in the city ofAlexandria, and what is known as the county of Alexandria, are declared vacant; and the vacancies so created are to be filled by new appointments or elections, to be made and held under the laws, regulations, and qualifications provided by Congress for elections and elect ons in the DistCol.