Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-15
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
FACTS, NEWS, AND GOSSIP.

Private Bns-rhe au,es-ecneraI Rose
craps- Governor GRAY aud ftu Lee
Personal Notes.
From Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, ID. c., December Ia.
Before the Christmas recess two years
ago about eighteen hundred bills were
introduced in the House. Everybody
has come back with pocket full Of
bills, or musty bills have been fished
from pigeon-holes Of the document
room, and their familiar titles would
have been entered in the Journal to-day
(the regular bill-day) IL the old rules
had been in force. Weaver, Of
Iowa, who figured once as the
6reenback-Labor candidate for Presi-
dent, having batch Of labor bills and
financial schemes that he wanted to
launch, tried to persuade the House to
permit the introduction Of bills to-day.
lie had considerable backing, but the
House summarily settled the matter by
adjourning. The main object in ad-
iourning was TO give time for
the printing Of the committees
report on rules and Mr.. Randall's mi
nority report. Private conversations
with great many representatives con-
vince me that bitter feeling has been
worked up against Mr.. Randall by the
rivals whose pet projects he defeated in
the Forty-eighth Congress, and that
Republicans will aid in trying to pull
down the Democratic leader.
GARFIELD's PROPHECY.
In discussing proposed change in
the rules Of the House in the Forty
sixth Congress, General Garfield said
/" the proposition to scatter the appro-
priation bills" was, in his judgment,
utterly ridiculous" The charge that
the committee had too much power, he
said, was just; but it was not the fault
of the committee. Ii was the fault Of
the rule (llolman rule, which, though
wisely intended, had been so extended
and construed as to permit any sort
of legislation to be put upon an
appropriation bill, provided it re-
trenched expenditures. Garfield pro-
phesied then in forceful language that
unless the rule was changed so as to
prevent lacking legislation upon appro-
priation bills the practice would "ulti-
Tuately break down the Committee on
Appropriations" His prophecy will
be verified this week unless the evil he
complained Of be remedied, and the
committee will be broken down by the
adoption of the " utterly ridiculous pro-
position to scatter the appropriation
bills" if Morrison can have his way.
LET HIM BE INVITED.
Governor Gray Of Indiana is visiting
in Washington. In conversation with
party Of Virginians at Wizards last
night he expressed his great gratifca-
ton at the election Of General Lee, and
that he would like to meet him. In re-
ply to suggestion that if he could at
tend the Inauguration of General Lee he
would meet a cordial welcome at Rich
mond, Governor Gray said he would
be glad to attend if he could do so.
WANTS MORE MONEY.
Friends of General Rosecrans, Regis
ter Of the Treasury, are trying to obtain
for him an appointment as Superinten-
dent OF the Coast and Geodetic Survey.
A paper in circulation, requesting the
President to make the appointment, has
been signed by many Senator'S and Re-
presentativeS. chiefly from the South,
including several Virginia congressman.
The salary of Register of the Treasury
is $4,000. The Superintendent of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey receives
$4,000.
PERSONAL MENTION.
The nominations Of Virginians for
Offices sent TO the Senate to-day for
confirmation were as follows Robert
+. Withers, Consul at Hong Kong
Henry c. Allen, district attorney for
the Western district of Virginia (;
Thomas Smith, district attorney for
New Mexico; Thomas W. Scott, mar
shall for the Eastern district Of Vir-
ginia; John p. Robinson, collector of
customs at Alexandria.
Postmaster Lindsay, of Portsmouth,
arrived here to-day to look after his in
teTests.
Congressman Daniel went to his home
in Virginia the other day, and has not
vet returned. 1t is understood that he
will be in Richmond tonight.
Congressman Weaver, Of Iowa, wants
to establish a department of labor,
with a secretary and assistant secre-
tary like the other executive depart
ments.
The correspondence between our
Government and Austria and Italy in
relation to Hon. A. NJ. Kelley was sent
to the Senate to-day by the President.
1t includes twenty-five letters.
1t is thought that Congress will ad-
journ tomorrow week for two weeks.