Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-01-31
FROM WASHINGTON.
;speo,al Correspondents of the Alexandria aaEeti.
WASHINGTON. D. c.. Jan. 81. 1885

WASHINGTON. d. c.. Jan. 81, 1885
The reasons which impel Senator Col
quit, of Georgia, to oppose the contirma-
tlon of the nomination of Mr.. Emory Speer
for Judge of the U. 5. District Court for
Georgia, are that the bar in many OF the
counties in that State protest against his APP
pointment and because reliable men in the
State charge him with having used his
position to suppress indictments against his
| political friends aud TO have his political
enemies indicted.
The fate of the educational bill is in i'm
penetrable doubt. There is an uldoubted
majority of the House in favor ofit, Even
some of those opposed to taking it up will
vote for it if it can be gotten before the
House for consideration bat there is
where the main difficulty lies, for those who
are opposed to its consideration comprise
some of the truest and most influential
democrats in Congress, and the republicans
are by no means unanimous in their support
Of It.
The Speaker being absent and it being
beyond his power to designate Speaker
pro tenn. for more than one day, when the
| House met TO day it was called to order by
the clerk, aud, on motion of Mr.. Randall,
| Mr.. Black burn was unanimously elected
Speaker pro TEN. After the morning bust
ness, the House resumed the consideration
of the river and harbor bill, Mr.. Mills, Of
Texas, making an eloquent speech in favor
of the improvement Of Galveston harbor.
| 1t is understood that several provisions Of
the bill, as reported, especially those pro-
vding for Captain Eads and for the Hene-
pip Canal, will meet with strenuous OPP
position.
Though Mr.. Randall still refuses even to
hint at the object Of his recent visit TO the
President. elect, that is to newspaper cor.
respondents, it has somehow or other be-
come the Impression that his visit and that
of Mr. Speaker Carlisle were invited by MIR.
Cleveland for the purpose of allowing him
an opportunity of obtaining their views
concerning the men and measures OF the
democratic party. Some Of Mr.. Randall's
friends say that he would not accept the
him, "a he considers his present position as
leader of his party on the floor of the
House more exalted one than that REFER
red to.
The additional force that has been put
upon the now pension building, near the
Court House, has removed all anxiety
about the availability of that building for
the Inauguration ball. The floor will be
ready and the canvass roof will be in place.
The demand for ball tickets is already i'm.
mense, exceeding greatly the most sanguine
expectations. The accommodation COM
mittee say their arrangements are cQmplet-
ed for accommodating all the visitors, no
matter how many they may be.
1t is rumored here by parties from Rich
mond that while General Mahone's assess
ments upon his Office holders last July for
the support of his newspaper amounted to
thirty thousand dollars, not quite one third
Of that sum was collected, the office hold
ers naturally thinking that Cleveland's cleo
ton has cooked the Generals goose, and
that it is better for them TO keep their mon
ey in their pockets than to expend it in a
cause that is already dead. In consequence
Of this affairs are not as prosperous at the
Generals newspaper office as he would
wish them them TO be, as there is no great
or absorber Of money than an Improbable
newspaper.
It is understood that the assessed value Of
the property on the square proposed to be
selected as the site for the new city postof-
flee is S350,0OO, but that the postofflce COM
mittees of Congress propose to give nearly
twice that amount for it..
The President, it is reported, has deter
mined to appoint his personal friend, al
whose palace on the Hudson he spent
portion of last summer, and whose daughter
recently visited the White House, G. II.
Sharp, of New York, Judge Advocate Gen
eral of the Army, vice Swain, cashiered.
The House Committee on War Claims
yesterday agreed to report in favor of re-
turning to the several States the amount
collected in them as q direct war tax The
amount collected in Virginia was s515, $50. |
A private dispatch received here to-day
says that Mr.. ]. K. Jones, member of the
House from Arkansas, was to-day elected |
U. S. Senator from his State, vice Senator
Walker, whose term has expired.
The House Civil Service Committee to-
day determined to report adversely upon
the bill prohibiting the President or any
body else from removing from office any
honorably discharged soldier or sailor in
the federal service during the civil war. In
their report they take the ground that such
q bill would restrict the constitutional
powers of the President. This report, it is
thought, is blow at civil service reform as
prescribed by the republicans, and will in
duce the President elect to believe that his
party in Congress will sustain him in re-
moving republican partisans from Office.
A prominent democratic member Of the
House told the GAzETTE's correspondent
to-day that he understood there was no
chance for the Senate to pass the interstate
commerce bill, and that he was not sorry.
IS its provisions never could have been
carried ont, and that the only reason that
L. r l. L., 49, g.