Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-07-30
From Washington
Especial Correspondence of the Ale1a. GAZETTE
WASHING TON. D. c., July so. 1855.


rsneciaI Correspondence of the AleIa. GAZETTE
WAsHINGroN. D. c., July so. 1883.
AS anticipated in this correspondence,
Representative Browne, of Virginia, not SAT
isfed with Secretary Vilas's answer to den-
eral Lees resolution respecting the oecre'
tary's refusal to grant Mexican pensions TO
ex Confederates who were once ohcers IN
the u. 8. service day introduced IN the
House the following resolution
Whereas by Act Of Congress passed on the
- day of 1856, NIL surviving soldiers and
sailors of the Mexican war who were honor.
ably discharged from the military service OF
the United States are entitled toa pension
at the rate of - per month; ana Wnere-
as. the Supreme Court has decided that
"those of the regular army or navy VINO
were engaged in the military service OF the
limited States in the war with Mexico, may
be said to have served out the term OF their
engagement or have been honorably dis
charged within the meaning of those terms
as used iu the Act of 1915, when the war
was over or when ordered or mustered out
of the service-See United States vs.. Lieut..
North, q. S. 1l2. page 51O."
And Whereas, Richard l.. Page, citizen
of Norfolk, in the State OF Virginia, was en-
gagged as an officer in the regular naval ser,
vice of the United States in said war and
did serve out said engagement and has
made application for the pension provided
bv said Act bet has been denied the same
by the Honorable Commissioner of Pensions,
as appears by the letter of Hon. Fl. Mclean
herewith printed, therefore
Be it resolved that the Secretary OF the
! Interior be and he hereby is requested to in
| form the House of Representatives by what
precedent said Commissioner has been gov.
! erned 10 rejecting said claim, and if By none
higher than that cited, what has caused the
delay in adjusting this and such cases of a
| like kind which have been and are now
pending before said Commissioner of Pen
sions.
To-day was the day for the regular meet
ling of the Senate Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds, but, as usual, there
| was no quorum, only two members being
present-Messrs. Daniel and Spooner.
| Messrs. Hume and Fox were there on the
part of the Mouot Vernon Avenue Associa-
ton, and Messrs Alexander and Green on
that of the agents Virginia, previous to lite
transfer to the Mount Vernon Avenue AS
ISOLATION, had engaged to collect her claim
against the government for money advanced
| to erect the public buildings here. There
being no QUORUM, of course noihiog could be
done with the bill now before Congress for
the payment of the claim referred to, but
Mr.. Spoouer said he would, if favorable
opportunity occurred, propose the following
resolution as an amendment to the sundry
civil bill now being considered in the Senate !:
"Ten Thousand dollars. or so much thereof
as may be necessary, to enable the Secre-
tary of War to cause to be surveyed and To-
Gated an avenue not le5s than 200 feet In
width from the northern boundary of Ar
ington to Mount Vernon, and the Secre-
| tary of War is directed to cause estimates to
be made of the cost of acquiring the right Of
way of such avenue aud ground on either or
both sides thereof, for series OF parks TO be
laid out and adorned by the several States
and Territories, aud the cost of making SUCH
avenue, the said estimates aud report to be
submitted to the next session OF Congress. Z"
! Mr.. Spooner took occasion to say that he
was iu favor of paying Virginia's claim, and
thought it hard that by the negligence Of
Congress, first she had been induced to offer
a large per cen age to claim agents to
collect it, and finally, Abandoning all hope
OF its payment, TO transfer the whole Of it to
other parties.
| 1t is reported that Senator Malone ar.
| rived here quietly lastThursday night and had
prolonged con snltation with Senator Quay,
chairman of the national republican COM
mittee with reference to the Presidential
electoral ticket in Virginia.
The President before he left, in talk on
the subject with Representative Grain, of
| Texas told him he intended to approve the
river and harbor bill.
10 the House to-day General Wheeler Of
Alabama introduced the following resou
ton: That the superintendent or officer in
charge of the 11th census be and is hereby
authorized and directed in making the
enumeration provided for by law, to take
such steps as may be necessary to ascertain,
report and publish the birth rate and death
rate among pure whites, and among negroes,
Chinese, Indians and half-hreeds or hybrids
of any description or character Of the
human race, who are found In the United
States, as we'll az of mulattoes, quadroons
and octoroons.
Representative O'Ferrail, who has just
returned from his district, says the Presi.
dents low tariff doctrine will greatly
strengthen the democracy in that district
and in all the other parts OF the State, and
that many of the democrats who left the
party on the readjuster question have already
returned to it. He thinks the majority in
his district next fall will be four thousand /,
and that the democrats in the next House will
have eight Of the ten Virginia representa-
tives. He thinks Malone will be the repub-
lican candidate in the Petersburg district,
and in case of Harrison's election he would
be prominent leader In the House, but be-
lieves il Langston also shall run, the demo-
Gratis there will run candidate of their own
and may elect him, but hasn't much hope of
such result, as he thinks means will be
taken to get Langston out of the way. Re-
specting what are known as the Malone
kickers in Virginia, he says they have no
strength and don't amount to much.
The House to day after little unimpor
tant business took up the deficiency bill, but
will hardly reach the section providing for
the payment of the French Spoliation
Claims to day. The Senate after short