Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-21

The Senate, In executive session Yesterday.
confirmed the following nominations: j. c. Ban
croft Davis, Of New York, to be Judge of the
Court OF Claims; Clayton McMichael, of Penn
sylyanfa, to be marshal Of the District of Column
bla; Joseph W. Davis, to be justice of the peace
In the District of Columbia; Charles W Watkins.
of Michigan, to be collector of internal revenue
for the fourth district of Michigan; Stanley T.
Puen, Of Maine, to be surveyor Of customs at
Portland. Army and navy-Commodore Ed
mund r. Calhoun to be rear admiral: Masters
II. P. Mcintosh, Of Indiana and C. G. Calk rs,
of Ohio, to be lieutenants in the navy; Passed
Assistant Surgeon John c. Wise and John l..
Nelson to be surgeons; Rev. Chas. c. Pierce OF
Illinois, to be chaplain Of the 9th cavalry; John
7. Baker, of Illinois. to be paymaster with rank
OF major; Surgeon Edward s. BOgart of New
York. to be medical inspector; Ensign David
Daniels. of Massachusetts,, to be master in the
| navy; Third Lieutenant T. W. Benham, of Vir-
ginia. to be second lieutenant in the revenue
service. Fifty-tive pOstmasters were also con-
f1rmed, among them W. II. Aspinwall, WistOn,
W. Va: Mrs. E. L. AchsOn. Wesburg, W. Va;
{. S. krOuse. Culpeper. Va; W. F. Slater
Wytheville, Va; and 8. NJ. Yost, Staunton, Va.
The Free Bridge Question.
DISTRACTIONS IN THE wAY-A STATEMENT BY
Ex-GOv. WELLS.
conference recently held at the request of
Representative Barbour between Messrs. Smoot
and Johnson, of Alexandria. and Messrs Sy-
pherd, Graham and r. S. Lacey failed to yield
any satisfactory conclusion regarding the ques-
ton of free bridge upon the Aqueduct at
Georgetown. Mr.. Lacey, as requested, subse-
quently wrote to the lessees. inviting them to
meet him and others. and elected reply from
ex-GOv. H. H. Wells. Mr. Wells, i'm his letter, sets
out that the lessees have endeavored to secure
the fullest protection Tor the interest of the
Alexandria canal, and for that reason had given
their consent to what was known as the 'Com-
promise" bill, simply granting the United States
the right to use the piers for free bridge; that
those In control Of the canal company secured
the defeat OF the measure and the adoption of
much less favorable bill-the act known as the
law OF 1881. AFTER its passage" continues Mr..
Wells. 1.-The lessees, much against their interest,
gave their consent to the provisions Of the law
(1SSl), knowing as they did and still do, that a
public interest demanded and eventually would
have the use of the piers for free bridge. In
addition to such consent they have made argu-
ments, persuasiOns. and solicitations without
number to officers Of the canal company and it's
prominent friends to accept on behalf of the
canal company. Where we then stood we still
stand. We were then and are still ready to ac-
cept the provisions of that bill. and if the canal
company do the same promptly. the bridge can
speedily be built under the law In question. !
may add further, that while the bill now before
the House of Representatives, known rs the
condemnation bill. is still more unfavorable to
the canal company. and possibly more unfriendly
to our interests In the premises, we will. If
called upon, accept Of its provisions. for il the
canal company or the city of Alexandria per-
sists in inviting still more unfavorable legisla-
ton, we cannot afford to join therein, and what
we say to them privately we are as willing to
to Congress- and the pubfic rpnprallV"