Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-03-29
FROM WASHINGTON.
CONGRESS-.
SENATE,

! WASHINGTON, D. c., March 30, 1885, The
Senate after the morning hour memorials took
UP the Diplomatic Appropriation bill.
The House had retrenched their diplomatic
expenditures Of last year $l65, 900 in The dip
lomatic Corps. This was done by reducing sal
aries 10 few instances, by consolidating the
smaller South Am 'rican and European ms
slous, by abolishipg the III ssiou to l1ayti, &c.
The Senate Appropriation Committee re-
strcted expenditures to the rates of last year.
This acton was defended to day in tie Senate
by the Republican members on the ground
that it Is not allowable to change salaries 10 az
appropriation bill.
MIR. Bayard ami Mr.. Robinson defended the
rctreuchmeut and the debate was continued.
The Senate passed the House Diplomatic
bill amended, putting the salaries back as for.
merly in nearly all cases.
Mr. Norton will tomorrow call M tho Mis-
sissippi resolutions and again aoulue the bloody
shirt.
HOUSE OF REPRES ENTATIVEs.
The House of Representative, during the
nlorning hour, passed bill approprlatlng
$40 900 for extra work at the Philadelphia
Custom house 10 receiving goods sent for the
Centennial Exhibition.
Also bill u relation to allowances paid to-
witnesses before committees of Congress.
The Army REORGANIZATION bill, which makes
u reduction OF $3.50 900, was then taken up
aud discussed aud passed.
Mr. Douglas introduced bill reiunding The
sx.s on land, g., paid to the Uullrd s'Ates
by Virginia aud other States 10 1862, which
was referred.
The House then proceeded to discuss the
Currency Bureau bill, aud refused to strike
cut the resumption clause.
TIE RETRoCEssloS CASE.
The case OF Philips W.. Payne Was resumed
il he Supreme Court to-day, and Mr.. Sheia
ha?gcr concluded the argument III the case.
Tie Court will not announce its decision Tor
several weeks
Mr.. Shellabargcr made the best Of his case.
III II was apparent from the qu Stlnus asked
by different Justices during his argument,
that the Court did not even think the
cousttutoDaity OF the retroccsslon law WIS
the question under consideration. lie made u
most remarks bic assertion whom IN RESPONSE TO
remark by Justic. Miller, to the effrct that
neither tie District OF Columbia, tae State Of
Virginia nor Alexandria were complaluauts
and that the only complainant was an in
dividual named Phillips, he said that so far
from that being the case nearly ererbady III
Alexandria wanted to 20 back to the District.
Justice Miller also anpcned his arlor when,
while he was alludngt to he uaconsitutonality
OF the law of Corg,es. whlch delegated is eg
i,la've capacity TO the cltz,us Of Alexandria
by making the retrocession law depeudaul upoa
their adoption, he asked bum il he vas not
arguing upon the letter rather than tbs spirit
Ut lie law.
Among those present. at tn argument we're
Gen. VI. D. Corse Customs Collector Tuner,
and City Attorney Stuart, of Alex .Ddria.
VAN AUkEN INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Gvude, of Va, THIS morning Instituted
an il qulry at the Treasury Department into
The case Of one VanAukan, an Internal Reeve
uue officer at Petersburg, aud dcfaul"r t.
the State Of Virgins in large auvuil on ac
count Of taxes collected by hl,n in the county
Of Sussex The probability is that VanAu-