Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-29

ALEXANDRIA.
The Washington correspondent of the New
York Tribune states that "Gen. Grant en-
phatically declared his opposition, in so many
words, to the old Jackson doctrine that to the
victors belong the spoils. In other words, he
is opposed to turning men out OF office merely
for opinions sake" 1t is very probable, that
in few days we shall see this statement 'em-
phatically" contradieted, by some other CORES
pondent.
The "Ritualistic' services in several of the
"High Church" Episcopal churches in New
York, especially at ST. Adams, it is said were
of such nature as to entirely alter the form
prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer
1t is thought that if this state of things con-
tinues there must be- willy nilly, division OF
the Episcopal Church, And it is not only IN
matters Of form, but in doctrine, that the
divergence is increasing.
The workmen in various government estab-
lishments are just discovering that the eight
hour law, passed with so much facility last
summer, was nothing. The orders received at
the Springfield armory to pay them but four
ffths of the regular wages from the time the
law went into operation, has had the effect to
reconcile them to the old system, to which
they have consented to return.
The Washington National Monument So
ciety has addressed an appeal to the pastors of
the religious congregations of the u. S., ask
ing them to cause collections to be taken up in
their respective churches on the Sunday i'm
mediately preceding the 22d of February next,
the amounts to be RENTED to the treasurer of
the society in order that work on the mOnu-
ment may be resumed.
Mr.. Gladstone, the British Premier, in let
ter to G. Edwards Lester, says shat he was
wrong" in his expressions of sympathy with
the South, during the late war, and In his
desire for the success of the South, He thinks
the abolition Of slavery has set all things right,
and that it is for the interest of Great Britain
that the Union should DO kept entire.
1t is said that ex- Governor Letoher, of Vir-
ginia, has been in Washington for some days,
and has succeeded in getting possession OF some
property in that city which be owned prior to
the war, but which had been confscated. The
purchaser, under the confscation sale, restored
the property, on receiving the amount he had
paid, which was only nominal sum.
The announcement has just been made to
the Royal Astronomical Society of England of
the discovery, by means of the speetroscope,
of hitherto unknown envelope of gaseous
matter surrounding the SIM, Of thickness
of seven or eight thousand miles. It's precise
composition has not yet been determined.
During the late war, at Hagerstown, Md,
the Mail newspaper Office was sacked and de-
stroyed by mob. The proprietor has sued
the Mayor and authorities of the place to re-
cover damages for the loss of his property,
and has obtained verdict for 81, 500, about
half of the estimated loss.
The late destructive fire at Lynn, Mass,
which caused the loss Of nearly $500, 600 wor tn
of property, and broke up so many small manu-
featuring establishments, originated from a
furnace in the basement of building, defec-
tive fue &c. These furnaces appear to be very
dangerous appendages to house.
Gen. Stoneman yesterday directed the Mayor
OF Richmond to hold in custody Sally Ander-
son, one of the parties recently released from
imprisonment by Judge Underwood's late de-
cision that the Judge before whom she had
been tried was ineligible under the Fourteenth
Amendment.
1t is expected that the President will send
his veto of the Southern Militia bill to the
House Immediately after the reassembling Of
Congress on the 5th of January. 1t is said
that as the people have the right to bear arms,
Congress has no authority on the subject.
The complications connected with the st.
Thomas purchase are attracting much atten-
ton in our own official circles and at several Of
the legations. Denmark wishes to get rid Of
the island, and holds the U. s. to the treaty
made by Dir. Seward for the purchase.
There can be no doubt, according to the ae-
counts IRON Arkansas, that the State militia,
composed principally of blacks, of6cered by
renegade white men, arc robbing, plunderiug,
and numbering wherever they choose to make
pretext for their predatory raids.
The National Intelligencer urges action on
the part of the statesmen Of Virginia in refer
ence to the proposed reconstruction" of the