Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-14

1
| ooMMIrTEE5--THE EXCURSION TO TIE oENTfN
NAi.-A WEDDING IN HIGH LIFR-soMETutN(
foh The LApIEs-A ToRcp-LIoHr PRocEssIof-
fhEPAhATIoKs FOR THE MEEYNd. OF TIE RRpUB
lloAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
From our oiun Co,vsspoadent Al
WASHINGTON, D.,O., Dec. 49,
The principal topics under discussion during
the past week have been Congress, Genera
Babcock, and Miss Oarrolls, Gu sister of The
Countess d'Esterhazy) marriage to Mr.. Dove
ton Haggard, of the British Legation. Up in
the Capitol comparatively little has been done
beyond filling the appointments in the gift Of
the new House nor is 1t expected that any rea
hard work will be done till after the holiday Ire
cess AS predicted in my last letter, motion
has already been made to have the postage on
newspapers, and other printed matter reduced
MIR. Holman having on Thursday last brought
| the matter up in the House, but 1t ia understood
| that this measure will not pass the Senate with
out considerable opposition from Mr..
| hainiln, who Ia the author OF the present rate
OF charge. curious illustration of the
sbsurdity of the prevailing law which that gem
tieinan proposes to defend, il that it costs ex-
actly etgM times AZ much to serve u subscriber
with local newspaper through the city mail
oeiyery, as 1t does to send the same paper to
subscriber residing at the most remote post-of-
nee in the country, or in Canada, for that mat
ter That ID Il feature of existing law which
would seem to require little intelligent yinrii.
cation to reconcile it with common sense ideas.
by the way, strong effort will be made in the
Senate, after the holidays, to elect new presi-
dent pro tenn, to replace Mr. Ferry, and Mr.. Ham
I'm Is mentioned as q prominent candidate. lt is
likely, however, that II Mr.. Ferry iH defeated it
VIII be by MIR. Anthony, who has at different
Times heretofore been elected President, pro
lem and served very acceptably. @e-,lf
since Thursday. last, when the House ad-
1ourned over until tomorrow, the denlzens OF
newspaper row, have been busy making up
states Of what they. suppose will be Speaker
kerr's committee appointments. Not believing
in any guesswork, your correspondent called
upon the Speaker, to-day, and was assul ed by
him that he had not communicated his Intentions
to any one, nor did he intend to do 30 Until the
2Oth or 2lst inst; I; Gust before the adjournment
for the holidays), when the appointments, will
be publicly announced on the floor of the
House, Mr.. Kerr has, during the past week.
had conferences, with Mr.. Randall. Mr.. Cox,
Fernando Wood, and other leading Democrats
and at the caucus which is to take place this
evening, to consider Questions relative to the
policy and interests OF the Democracy,it ID prob
able chat still further conferences will be held,
to enable Mr.. Kerr to complete his "slate."
The defeat of Mr.. Randall is facetiously at
tributed to the fact that he did not marry
schoolma am. Mr.. Blame did, and 30 did Mr..
Kerr; and both were elected Speaker. Indiana, by
the way, has been successful in securing the
Speakers chair. Davis WAS the first from that
State, Colfax the second, and now Kerr the
third.
On Friday next the members of Congress- &C
companied by the Senators and Judges of the
Supreme Court, will visit Philadelphia in 3 body,
upon invitation of the Centennial CoInmission,
FOR the purpose OF inspecting the Exhibition
buildings and grounds, returning the following
day. The Centennial Committee on Finance
has asked for nu appropriation of II million and
a half OF dollars to complete the arrangements,
and it is to examine into the progress already
made (and have nice time generality that the
excursion will take place. The Philadelphia peo-
pie pay the bill out of their own pockets, 30
that part is all right. fEtise
referred, at the beginning Of this letter, to
the marriage of Miss Carroll to member OF
the British legation which was most elegant
affair, at which your correspondent had the
honor to be present. The bride belongs to
an old and wel-known family, and is
connected GO ,,,,.i through the marriage
lily of Austria, and through them, with the Met
ternichs. The groom is a wealthy Englishman
OF noble family, and great favorite in society
here. The wedding ceremony took place at the
residence of Mr.. Henry Randall, Ga relative Of
the bride,) the Carroll mansion being occupied
at present by the Russian Minister, Baron Shls
kline, who /" assisted" as the saying is. Among
the guests were the President, Col. and Mrs.
Fred Grant, Secretary and Mrs. Fish, portion
OF the Corps DiplomatiQue (among them
daughters) and a few others. notable fea-
ture of the ceremony was the arrival OF the Rus
sian Minirter, who was preceded by his Jaeger |
OF Chasseur, q genuine imported Russian, six |
feet in his stockings, gorgeously attired inla |
uniform flashing with gold and silver, and car |
rying drawn sword in his hand. He stood near |
the door still as a statue, and with uplifted |
sword, during the whole OF the ceremony and |
then slowly and majestically took himself off, |
followed by Mr.. and Mrs. SLiskine. The latter |
was superbly dressed in black velvet. overskirt |
OF seal-brown corded silk seal-skin coat trimmed |
with Russian sable, and dark hat, (this for the |
exclusive benefit of your lady readers.) "a |
o. On Saturday night serenade was rendered to |
the Speaker of the House by the Democratic Club
of the District who Subsequently serenaded Sem
ator Wallace and Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvanis,
and Mr.. Cox, of New York. The serenaders
also called at Senator Thurman's residence, but
that gentleman was not in. The procession,
which was headed by the entire marine band Of
forty pieces, carried torches, calcium lights,
DO, and the effect of the long
files marching with hundreds of torches up the
broad Pennsylvania Avenue to Wizards Hotel
where Mr.. Kerr is stopping, was certainly very
Preparations are now on foot for an
other grand torchlight procession, but Of alto
gether different complexion, to serenade the
members of the Republican National Commit
tee, which is to meet at the Arlington Hotel in
this city, ON Thursday, January 18th, for the
purpose Of fixing the time and place for holding
The next Republican National Convention, for
the nomination of President and vice-President.