Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-04

CONGRESS.-1n the SCnate yesterday. nlF.
Morrill, made speech in favor of the bill in-
trodueed by him to provide for free banking and
the resumption Of specie payment, in which he
represented the Secretary Of the Treasury as an.
expert acrobat, performing with a balancing
pole the one end Of which was weighted with
gold, and the other with currency. Sometimes
the gold end was depressed, so as to thWart the
plots of Wall street spectators, and sometimes
the currency end went down for the same pur-
pose. At the conclusion of Mr.. Morrilps re-
marks the Senate went into Executive session.
10 the House of Representatives the admis-
sion Of the contesting delegations from Louisl.
ana was discussed, and all the credentials re.
ferred to the Committee on Elections. The
lame l of Mr.. Geo. L. Smith was Subsequently
enrolled as the Representative from the Fourth
District of Louisiana. There was also some de-
bate upon the admission of the Representatives
from West Virginia Two elections were held
in that State, one in August, 1872, and one in
October of the same year, there being differ
encc Of opinion as to which the trainers Of the
pew State Constitution intended to designate
as the day for holding the election. Mr.. Cessna
offered resolution to the effect that Mr. Davis
and MIR. Hagans (voted for at the August cleo
tion) be put on the roll, without prejudice to
the rights of Mr. Wilson and MIR. Martin, who
were elected in October. The resolution was
referred to the Committee on Elections. An
effort was made to get the bill offered by Mr..
Hale for the repeal of the back salary bill be
fore the House, but the consideration of the
contested election cases took precedence. The
House adjourned at 1 p. N.
The committee appointed by the Republican
Senate caucus have arranged the S andiug
Committees Of that body, although they have
not yet reported 10 the caucus. The Commit
tee on Foreign Relations will remain as before,
Senator Cameron retaining the Craftsmanship.
Senator Boutwell, will go either upon the Com-
mittee on Commerce or Finance. The Dcmo-
Gratis are to get the Craftsmanship of the Com
mittees on Private Land Claims aud Engrossed
Bills The Liberal Republicans do not wish to
be excluded from the party fold, and protest
against being ciassed among the Democrats.
Senator Sumner, it is said, will be appointed
on one of the committees. The Democratic
members deny that the resolution in regard to
back pay, which was introduced into the eau
Gus by Mr. Holman, of Indiana, was defeated.
They say that it was ruled out OF order.
LETTER FROM AUDITOR TAYLoR.-The
Richmond papers publish letter trom Mr.. W.
/. Taylor, Auditor of Public Accounts, ad
dressed to Rev. w. H. Rufner, in regard to
the payment of Assessors for extending local
school taxes, in which that official shows clear
y that the charge for performing this service
is not legitimate one against the Common
wealth He is equally clear that the charge is
a proper one against the county, for, first, it is
exclusively county matter, and second, being
county matter, the compensation to the as
SCISSORS is provided for by our revenue laws
Thus "The compensation OF assessors for ex-
tending county and township levies shall be de-
termined by the board of supervisors of each
county, and be paid out of the county treas
ury."