Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-04-28
FROM WASHINGTON.
Especial Correspondence Of the Alexandra Gazette
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April IS, 1884

WASHINGTON, D. G., April rs, 1884.
Tie famous bill for free bridge over the
Potomac, at Georgetown, was up in both
houses of Congress to day. In the Senate il
came up as unfinished business on the cal
endar. Mr.. Harris ask ed that it be laid over
without prejudice until the committee on
the district Of Columbia could consider
some new information on the subject that
had been laid before them. Mr.. Riddleber-
ger opposed This, saying that the new in.
formation referred 10 was not new, but was
the same old Wells, DUNCAN stuff that had
been before Congress for years. Mr.. Harris
said that il the Senator from Virginia in
! situated that his opposition to the immedi-
ate consideration of the bill resulted from
what Wells, DUNCAN or any body else had
said to him upon the subject that did agree
with his own convictions Of duty, he de-
mcaned himself and was unjust to him, and
had said what was utterlywithout foundation.
Mr. EiddIeberger denied having made any
such iilsinuation, and said he alluded to the
papers which had been laid alike on the
desks ofall the Senators. Then, continuing,
be said, there ought to be difference be.
tween time and eternity in this bill it had
been before Congress for years, and now a
further delay was asked in order to see if a
1OUl tltle COulti I've ODldluGu ~ tllc
bridge, which he knew could not be done.
Mr. Harris said that Mr. Ingalls,, the chair
man of the Senate District of Columbia Com
mittre, thought otherwise, and that he
would rather take his opinion on legal
question than that of the Senator from
Virginia Mr.. Peck, Of New Hampshire,
agreed with Mr.. Harris in thinking that
the bill should go over without prejudice
Mr.. Rildeberger insisted upon taking the
bill up to-day, and on a vote being taken,
the result WAS ayes 26, noes 13. Mr.. Riddle
berger then said that having been sustained
by the Senate, he would be willing to let
the bill lay over for one week or until the
District Of Columbia committee could meet
and consider the information that had been
laid before il, and Mr.. Harris saving that
that had been all he had ask ed for from the
first. it was so ordered. In the House, the
hill also came up as unfinished business
Mr.. Muldrow asked that it be laid aside,
as the Chairman of the Committee on
the District of Columbia who had
it in charge, was absent. This was opposed
by Mr. Btount, of Georgia, who took nearly
the same ground that Mr.. Riddleberger did
in the Senate After good deal of nrang-
ling the bill was taken up and defeated by
u vote of Isl noes to 46 ayes.
The House Committee on Claims today
reported iavorably on the bill for the relief
of Perry Leathcrberry, q resident of Vir.
ginia.
In the House to day there was lively
spat between Messrs. Hewitt and Calkins,
the former making good his previous asser-
ton that The Secretary of the Navy had not
turned into the Treasury the proceeds of
the sale of the condemned vessels until
Saturday last, when he should have done so
as soon as the money was received. Mr..
Calkins did the best he could to defend the
Secretary, and went so far as to call Mr..
Hewitt the assassin of Mr. Chambers
character, but Hewitt had the documents to
sustain all he said.
In short talk with Virginia democratic
member of the House to-day, he said that
no democratic member of the House ever
thought it worth while now .a-days to go to
the postotlice department about the retep-
ton or appointment of postmasters or any
body connected with the postal service in
their State, as nothing in such matters was
ever done unless it had been submitted to
General Malone and received his approval.
By the consular aud diplomatic bill re-
ported last Saturday the salary of Col.