Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-01-09
ed progress & had leave to sit again.
Adjourned. !,
Extract Of a Letter, dated Washign-
ton, the 9Th instant:


Yesterday a philippic, extremely
severe, and truly Ciceronian, against
the administration, was delivered in
the House of Representatives. by an
eloquent & enlightened member from
Massachusetts. His oratory Ito use
a thunderboH tisurc) /" grasped the
red artillery of Heaven" For keen
invective, caustic satire, and pun
gent sarcasm he was thought almost
to "out-Ranhalph Randolph"
tits said that the members of the
Cabinet are, this H,srning, tailoring
under that gricvous malsdy called
QUINsEY. You know that. in des-
Perate eases, the only remedy for
the disease is what the Physicians
call Bronchoteny. ars'ice. +" cutting
the wind-pipe.' It's suspected that
some OF the state-sur:eons, among
the Federal party, would find no re.
luctance, we're they called in to the
assistance Of the patients. to recom-
mend that critical and perilous ope-
ration.
The Galleries were crowded and
while the Orator was flashing with
his scorpion Whip the Drawing
Room Sy"ophanfs. those miscrean:s
stood appalled,, casting their eyes at
each other. and saving. or seeming
to say. as ii 7? Is it II" The
Drawing Room will not, it is bcliev-
ed. be so numerously attended this
evening as heretofore. the Quinsey
not being confined to the admiaistra-
ton. If the Sycoplsanls should alb
sent themselves, there will certainly
be great falling of as to number.
Drawing Room Entertainments,
once a zcecIs. ! have always consider
ed the most ridiculous arrangement
ira. could be conceived by Presi-
ien' Of the U. S. To prove it SO,
let us suppose that the seat of so
vernment were Philadelphia. ii
those who attend the Drawing Room
here are. en- an average 200. in PHI
ladeipIlia they would be ,:ot less than
1000. Why, Sir. in that ease, the
present salary would be more inccm-
Detent 10 dei'ray the expense !han our
present army is to cosqu"r Canada :;
and a greater augmentation o. eXi'en-
ditHre would BE- requisite 80 sHpri2
the house hold troops t':an Ike Mil
tary forces. Instead OF $4,000 col
lars. 5000 wonid be necessary.
You vii! sly. perhaps. 'e'tKSf the OK.
pense Of a Drawing -Eaem is merely
nominal. that the Refreshments are.
notorioas!y and iamentabIy, scanty
ard renuricus This is granted !;
and it is that circumstance which
completes the folly Of the undertak-
ing. Doctor Qninceg inveished a
gainst those who attended them "to
lick up the sDit.le of the President"
But the fact is, tina, there i. but very
little. If any thing else. to be licked
up there. on these occasions.
TIE 0!ausi',ie. or ostensib!e. rea-
son Of zccaE!y Drawing Rooms is. to
give to itinerant strangers an oppoi'-
tunity Of paying their respects. and
Of behok!ing the persons of their ma
gisters. The same re son w0uldex-
ist if the palace were in Philadel-
pbia.
lam credibly informed That many
inhabitants of the city. who have ne
yer received single invitation to
dine with the Pre- siient, are yet stea-
dy visitors at the Drawing Room
Their attendance once. in order to
CRAFTY ar excUsa.le curiosity. | can
readily pardon. but how any man, or
woman either. can So little respect
themselves as 10 80 in the character
ola guest merely tolerated, is What
I cannot discover. / have. myself.
seen persons there VII" had nc'er
been admitted. as guests. in any other
sentieman's he e. The paramount
emotion exciie1 in their counte-
nanees seemed to be astonishmcnt at
their own teme,ity. They wonder
ed at every thing they saw or heard;
but, most Of all. Ito quote DR.. QHin-
cey) "TEey wondered how the D.
they got there"
TIRGLSJ.i LEGISLATURE.
Yesterday the House of Delegates
resolved themselves into commit