Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-01-22
CONGRESS-.

10 the Senate, yesterday, the message Of The
President 10 relation to coast defenses Was re-
ferred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The House bill to abolish the mileage system
was indefinitely postponed. The bill regulat-
ing promotions in the Marine Corps was also
indefinitely postponed. A bill fixing the rank
Of retired officers of the u s.. Army was pass;
ed The Committee on Civil Service reported
adversely 90 the bill reducing the salary OF the
President. The. House bill 10 reference to the
Southern Claims Commission was reported
from a majority Of the claims committee a
bill was introduced to- incorporate the WASH,
ipgtop City and Suitland railroad; also a bill
for relief of certain creditors of the District of
Columbia The resolution proposing az amend
ment to the Constitution of the L. s. abolish
iug the Electoral College, and prescribing the
mode Of cecting President and Vice President
by a plurality of the votes of the whole people,
was taken up, and Mr. Morton made a long
speech 10 favor of the measure. Messrs Thur
man, Conkliug and Edmunds also spoke, and
pending motion to postpone additional de-
bate until the first Monday ir February, the
Senate went into executive session, and at Its
close adjourned.
Ia the House of Representatives yesterday
Mr.. Finck presented the resolutions adopted
by the Ohio Legislature 10 relation to the re-
cent events in Louisiana, and asked that they
be printed. Objection was made Oh the
! ground that the statement of facts on which
| the resolutions we're based was false, aud
discussion ensued on this point The Commit
tee on Commerce was discharged from further
consideration of the resolution 10 relation 10
the construction of a ship canal from the Chesa-
peake Bay to the Delaware Bay, AID the reso-
| lutiou was referred to the Committee on Rail
| ways and Canals. A resolution was adopted,
| directing the Cunmttee Oh. Appropriations to
| report what facilities are necessary 10 the way
! of public bulldogs to accommodate the grow
| ing trade of Baltimore The Indian appro.
| priation bill was defeated the vote subsequent
| " recousidered, and the bill referred to the
COMMITTEES of the whole The report of the
committee Of conference on the little tariff
| bill was agreed to and the bill passed. A re-
solution was reported for the expulsion Of
George O. Cannon, the polygamous delegate
| from Utah.
THE ANTI FUSDERs. -Another "conven-
| ton or conference of "anti-tundcrs' and leg
islators opposed to the payment OF interest on
the public debt took place 10 the hall of the
| House Of Delegates last night Maj. j. Horace
| Lacy, of SpotsyvaDia, 10 the chair. There
were ouly about forty members present, count
ing the white and coored Radicals. This shows
dmiuution in strength since the second and
third meetings. and is attributed to the no.
wholesome reputation the movement has got
ten by reason of its secret proceedings aud
also because some have declined further partl-
cipaton, as the reputation speeches that have
been made by few and gone unrebuked by
the majority were not to their taste.
Soon after the convention that is what
some Of them call it-had commenced bus-
ness last night an enterprlsDg reporter OF the
city press, finding the door halfway open aud
uDguardcd, walked 10 and took position in
the aisle. Major Lacy, the chairman, arose 10
considerable excitement and said, MIR. Door
keeper close that door" The doorkeeper pro
ceeded to execute the command and the re-
porter fell back in good order. in consequence
| whereof some gems Of eloquence that might
have been reported by him will not 60 sound
ing down the corridors Of time.
The first thing that occurred to give interest
to the proceedings, after the exclusion of the
| reporter was speech from Peter K. Jones
| (colored J, member of the House from Green's
Vile county 1t is not always that MIR. Jones
can secure the undivided attention of his hear
ers, but be did last night. 1t was, of course,
expected that he would denouDce the funding
| bill, deride the Court of Appeals, plead the
utter mroverishmeut of the State. the merci-
lessuess of the creditors, and the inability of
| the people to bear an increase OF taxation; but
what was the surprise when he was heard to
utter sentiments quite to the contrary. The
chairman called him to order, and insisted that
he should take his seat Mr.. Jones declined.
The chairman said that Mr. Jones, entertaio-
ing the views he had expressed, had DO right
h. Az If
souabbng, and after several points of order
had been raised, Mr. Peter K. Jones and
fellow member, MIR. Rufus Is. Jones, recogniz
ing the fact that their room would be, to the
majority, preferable to their company, shook
the dust of the funding bill from their feet ADD
departed.
The report of The Committee of Business
was then presented. 1t consisted Of a resolu
lion recommending the passage by the General
Assembly of bill introduced in the Senate by
Mr.. Penn, proposing to ask Of the U. 5. Gov
ernmeut the loan of $4,000, 600, with which
to buy up and retire the outstanding bonds OF
the State.
There was no opposition to this resolution,
and it was adopted. Mr.. Round (RepubllcaD),
of Prince William, urged that the clerk should
draft and all present should sign pledge to
support the action Of the meeting. % this
proposition there was much discussion, and
from the best sources of information at our
command it is believed the pledge was order
ed to be drafted, though it was not signed last
night.
MIR. Round seems to be leading spirit in
this movement, and therefore the views e1-
pressed by him, and understood to be cup
ported at least by bis political associates, are
of public importance. They are, in brief, that
the Constitution shall be amended 80 as to pro.
vide that the debt of the State shall be funded
in six per cent. bonds running twenty years
that no interest shall be aIlowad during the
period of the late war that the bonds issued
under the operations of the funding bill shall
not be paid, nor interest thereon, but the hold
ers Of those bonds may exchange them for
bonds issued under this amendment to the
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