Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-06

tee on civil service and retrenchment." Inc
bill is to repeal the civil service law. From
the expressions of all classes and condltlons
of democrats who visit the city from all
parts ofthe country, there's no doubt OF the
fact that if their wishes were consulted Inc
ciyil:seryice law would be repealed at once.
MIR. Gray is Mr.. Bayard's successor IN the
Senate. The fact that so new member
had announced his intention of speaking
was so unusual that many came to the
Senate to day to hear him, an additional
inducement being the fact that he was to
answer Mr.. Beck's recent speech in favor OF
silver. On the silver question, a gentleman
well-informed on that subject, in speaking
of Mr.. Sherman's probably course respecting
it, asked if Mr.. Sherman was not response
bic for "Black Friday" the failure OF Jay
Cooke, and the consequent destructive
effects? ''It is certain" said he, "that MIR.
Sherman was the chairman OF the Senate
Committee on Finance in 1873, when the
coinage act of that year passed; that he re.
ported that act; that the same act contained
two paragraphs of about four lines each,
one of which changed the unit of value
from the silver dollar of 371i grains of fine
slyereinto the gold dollar of 1S49 of 25S
grains of standard gold. Itwas this change,
with the decentralization OF silver, which
produced Black Friday"
In the Senate to-day the president pro
tempore laid before the Senate communl-
cation from the Secretary of War containing
Llans, Specifications and estimates for
large new wharf at Fortress Monroe.
A gentleman from Fairfax county, Vir-
ginia, where an election was held yesterday
for delegate to the Virginia Legislature, to
fill the vacancy occasioned by the resigna-
ton of Mr.. Chichester, who was elected
Judge of the county, said that MIR. Thorn,
the republican candidate, had defeated Mr..
Lowe, the democratic candidate, though
the democrats had carried the county last
November by 3S5 majority. When asked
the reason of this remarkable change, he re.
piled the democrats there seemed to have
lost all interest in politics, and were dis.
pleased with both the Virginia and the na.
tional democracy, and would not turn out
to vote.
In the Senate to-day the answer of the
Postmaster General to Mr.. Hale's inquiry
respecting the distribution of the postotfices
in Maine was read. 1t stated that four
Presidential and eighty odd fourth class
postmasters in Maine had been changed
by the new administration, and that those
changes were not made solely upon the
recommendation of Mr.. Brown, chairman Of
the democratic committee of Maine, but by
other responsible and sufficient endorse
ments. Mr.. Hale made this the occasion
for speech, in which he said the republican
Office holders in bis State expected to be re-
moved when the democratic administration
came into power, but not by system oil
charges to which they could not reply. He
then denounced the manner in which the
civil service law is executed and by which
Brown was enabled to collect money from
the appointees whom he had recon-
mended. In the course of his re-
marks he said he had been in
formed that the whole Indiana delegation
in Congress had remained in Washington all
the summer getting Offices for their constit-
uents, each: one fearing to 60 away lest the
others might get ahead of him. Mr.. Voor-
hees interrupted him to say that he had been
associating with people who did not speak
the truth, and that the statement about the
Indiana delegation was unqualiiedly false.
Mr.. Hale then continued his speech, con-
GLIDING it by saying that the people of his
State would girdle Brown as they do trees
which they want to kill and prevent from
sproutiug. Mr.. Vest replied to Mr.. Hale,
saving that so far as he was concern
ed, he was in favor Of law making
it felony for Senators and Represen-
tatives in Congress to recommend people
for Office, but that the custom of doing SO had
become proscriptive, and that as there were
neither democratic Senators nor Represent
atives from Maine for the administration to
consult with regarding appontments,it was
compelled to consult with somebody, and
there was none to whom it was more likely
to turn than to the chairman Of the demo.
cratic committee Of that State. He said
that during the republican administration,
when the solid delegation from Missouri
was democratic, that administration had O
republican referee in every district in the
State to whom all applications for office
were referred. He might have added that
in Virginia every application for federal
Office was referred to General Malone.
A prominent member of the Virginia Lee
gslature in the city, to-day, says that body
will certainly create special Court of APP
peas for the purpose of relieving the docket
of the present court. He also says the
probable result of the contempt case Of
Auditor Marye, set for the Goth inst. before
the U.S. Circuit Court, would be that case
would be made up for reference to the q.
s. Supreme Court.
Othello G. West was to-day appointed postmas.
ter at Garysville, Prince Georges county, Va,
vice Mary F. Gee, resigned.
NEWS OF THE DAY.
The total receipts from the sale of tickets