Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-09
FROM WASHINGTON.
!. CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, December Q, 1872.

SENATE
In the Senate, to day, the chair laid before
the Senate the credentials Of Hon. Oliver P.
Morton, of Indiana, Senator from that State,
from the 4th day Of March, 1878, for six years.
THE VIRGINIA CANAL QUESTION.
Mr.. Window, of Minnesota, introduced re-
solution reciting that portion Of the President
message which calls attention to the Import
snce of providing for the cheap transportation
of produce from the West to the East by means
Of such canals as the Chesapeake and Ohio and
the James River and kanawha Canals, and
then providing for the appointment of. oom-
mittee Of five Senators to consider this subject.
He asked unanimous consent to have the reso-
luton considered at the present time.
Mr. Morrill,, of Me.-Ths resolution had
better go over.
The Chair-The Senator FROM Maine objects.
The resolution must 90 over.
The steamboat bill was taxed up, discussed,
and passed over, and the bill for the admins
tra,ion of justice in Utah taken up, snd the
debate Informally suspended to enable
Mr.. Sumner to introduce a constitutional
amendment combining the President to one
term, which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Under the call of the States the usual nun
Der of bills were introduced aud appropriately
referred to the several committees
Among the bills introduced was one 10 re-
peal all taxes upon spirits manufactured OK
clusively from fruits Referred to the Com
mittee on Ways and Means.
A bill was also introduced to extend the time
Of the session for four years of the Southern
Claims Commission from March next, at which
time the present Commission expires
Mr. Hooper's bill, to secure equal rights,
then came up in the morning hour,
A motion to lie on the ia BILE being pending
was voted down by vote of yeas Is; noes, ll2.
The bill was then referred to the Committee
on the Revision of the Laws.
Mr.. Pratt, of Va, introduced bill to in
crease the compensation of the Collector of
Customs at Alexandria, Virginia. Referred to
the Committee of Ways and Means. This is
the same bill published in the Gazette at the
last session.
A resolution to take recess from December
20th to January Sd, was agreed to.
The House refused to pass bill granting
general amnesty and at 3 p. m adjourned.
IMPORTANT TO ALEXANDRIA.
The first movement in favor of the James
River and kanawha Canal in regard to which
the City Council Of Alexandria passed q resou.
ton some weeks since, was made to-day
but went over under objection. The City
Council appointed committee to forward
the James River and Kanawha Canal scheme,
but as the President, in his annual message
has recognized the claim Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal to be also considered, it is
thought here that it would be we'll that the
utmost vigor should be used to secure assistance
10 carrying the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
to the Ohio river Even the least sanguine
of Aexandrians must see that the completion
of her canal to the Ohio river would be the
fruition of what she had long considered the
vain hope Of her fathers. Such an orportunl-
ty US now occurs, she had given up hoping for;
yot it was the plan which General Wash
ington, in 1884, originated to build up
Alexandria, and to this end organized the
old Potomac Company, which, in 1929 was
merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Co. 1t is emphaticaly the Alexandria scheme
for reaching the West, supposed to be dead,
but now risen again under the auspices Of the
nation.
EFFECTS OF INATrENTlON.
The Senate this morning in that inattention
20 business which sometimes charactcrizcs the
wisest bodies, passed az amendment to pend
ing bill in relation to tow boats on the Mlssls-
sippi river, the effect Of which would have
been to have suspended all laws providing that
all steamboats, should carry the usual safe
guards against explosions ofsteam boilers. The
mistake was soon discovered and the amend
mcnt reconsidered.
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