The merchant expressed his delight at the mode of procedure, as detailed by the Judge, and said he was ready to make the preliminary affidavit at once, and in a week would return to Alexandria with his books and witnesses to substantiate his claim. The Judge drew the necessary affidavit; the merchant subscribed and swore thereto; the Provost-Marshal was sent for; the order for attaching the goods put into his hands; and within one hour from the time when the New York merchant entered the Judge's office, guards stood in front and at the rear of the building, to see that no goods were taken from the store-room. The young man who had the keys was then sent for, and told to write to his employers, and inform any friends of his employers who might still be in Alexandria, of just what had been done thus far, and that the court had appointed one week from that day to hear the case. If they, or any one for them, had any defence to make, they should be at the court-room at ten o'clock of that day and should then be heard. He thanked the Judge for his courtesy in sending for him, and for the timely notice given for defence, and was about to retire, when the Judge told him that he might hand the keys over to the Provost-Marshal until the case had been disposed of. This he at first refused to do, but a few words from the Judge satisfied him that wisdom was the better part of valor, when he took the keys from his pocket and handed them to the Marshal. In one week the trial came on. The New York merchant, on behalf of his firm, appeared with his books and with the clerk who had sold and delivered the goods. The defendants were not present, but were represented by their clerk, by the secession lawyer of the city, heretofore spoken of, and by about a dozen other gentlemen, who were friends, if not relatives, of the absconded debtors. The plaintiff proved that the books before the court were the original books of entry of the firm of which he was a member. By his clerk he proved the sale and delivery of the goods, item by item, as charged upon the books. By himself he proved that the debt was now due, and that no part of it had ever been paid. The court then asked if there was any person present to make a defence in this case, if so, they would now be heard. The clerk then arose and said he "was instructed by the attorney of the firm to say, that while they had no formal defence to make in this case, yet they desired to enter their protest against the jurisdiction of this court, and to reserve to and for themselves whatever rights they might have under the laws of Virginia." He added, that he himself "was aware that the firm, of which he was formerly a clerk, had purchased goods of the New York firm represented in this case, and had no doubt that the amount they claimed was due them; but that it would have been wiser and more honorable in them to have waited until the war was over, when they