Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-03-08
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
WASHINGTON March S.

II Is SAID at the Capitoi 10 Jay .uuo
several really wise and worthy bills
that would otherwise have passed at
the late session of Congress, were de-
feated solely by the character OF the
LOBBYISTS their friends employed 10
urge their passage, Congressman nat nat.
urally supposing that something wa
wrong about them from the TACT tnat
such men were interested IN them:
In the case of Fred. Miller indicted
for gambling in selling pools at the Ben
nin9 race track the court held the
natter under advisement and will
lender q decision probably next week.
The treasury department sent out an
order to-day to internal revenue c'i-
lsctors urging them to hasten their ID,
cn.ne returps lust as if the extension of
lime had been granted by Congress.
Martha F. Hubbard was appointed
postmaster at louisville, Mecklenburg
Co. Va, to-day, vice Laura Hite, re-
signed. !,
Congressman Cannon, Savers and
Henderson have all made public state
ments of the expenditures of the last
Congress, no two of which agree.
Captain Howgate's application for re-
lease on bail pending new trial was
heard by Judge McComas this morn
ing. Bail was fixed at $4,000 which
Howgate's counsel said was excessive.
Chief Postoffice Inspector Wheeler
to-day received telegram from In
spector Edgarten at Philadelphia, an
bouncing the arrest of clerk NJ. o. Sui
Ivan, of West Philadelphia Station,
Philadelphia postoflice, for rifiing ordl-
nary letters.
No information n regard to transac-
tons of an official character in this de-
partment is to be communicated to any
one not authorized to receive it, was a
Treasury order issued to-day.
The continuation of tE tbs argument in
the income tax cases before the Su-
creme Court of the United States to-
day was marked by the presence of a
crowd of spectators that thronged the
chamber to almost the full limit Of its
accommodations. There was liberal
sprinkling of members of the bar with
in the rail, including several members
and ex-members Of Congress. Mr..
Guthrie continued his argument against
the law. he had reached yesterday
that part of his address relating to the
effect of the fifth amendment to the
constitution and he said that ne might
we'll refrain from pressing his argument
on that point in view of the admission
of the encouragement in his brief that
the fifth amendment does require uni
formity in the imposition oftaxs. DO
YOU think the requirement still in force
since the adoption of the 18th amend
ment ?n..asked Justice Gray. "We do"
replied Mr. Guthrie. ut is modified by
he 14th amendment, but the making
of voters of the negro race adds
their number to the total among
whom the tax must be divided. J"
Justice Brown had asked yesterday if
Congress did not have the power to ex-
empt the property of religious, charita.
ble and educational institutions, and
Mr.. Guthrie had responded that coun-
sci were not pressing that point in
argument-they had 60 objection to
urge to such exceptions. Discussing
this point further to-day, he said they
seriously doubted the power of Con-
eress to exempt these institutions.
They are State institutions. Mr.. Guth-
rie asserted that Congress could not Sc
lect one class of corporations in the
States for taxation and exempt others
from the same tax. Neither could
it tax the naked franchise the
right to do business, which the
S ates grant to their citizens.
In concluding Mr.. Guthrie said that
there was no plea to limit or restrict
the taxing power of Congress. "We
recognize" he said, ''that it must be
exercised without restraint, except
constitutional limitations" The next
speaker uas Mr. Clarence A. Seward,
Who also antagonized the constitution
atty of the law. Quoting the provis-
ions of the constitution relating to the
imposition of taxes, Mr.. Seward said it
was now about to be judicially deter
mined whether the words in the consti-
tuition "direct tax and direct taxes"
within the intent of that instrument
and of those who made it the funda-
mental law of the land, meant land tax
only, or other taxes; and if other taxes,
what ones? There is tradition in
the legal profession" said he. "that
once when suggestion was made to
Mr.. Lincoln that q judicial decision set
tied question, he responed with some
firmness that in this country nothing
was settled until it was settled right.
Upon that basis we are here, your
honors, to ask for a modification of the
decision in the Springer case"
A telegram received here this morn
ing from Mr.. Frank Hume, who is
now at Yale College, says his sons con-
dition is favorable, his pulse having
fallen to So and his temperature to 100.
On the black boards of the stock
brokers here to-day shares OF the Bal.
timore and Ohio Railroad are quoted
at 40, the lowest point ever reached.
Ex-C Congressman Bynum of Indiana,
who is still here, said this morning
that the U. S. Supreme Court could
not, legally, decide against the consti-
nationality of the income tax law, and
that if it Should do so, it would not be
quietly submitted to by the people.
Senator Teller, of Colorado, said to-
day he had no faith in the new silver
party, but great faith in the proposed
international conference. 1t
would be time enough, he said, for re-
publicans to be talking about leaving
their party when it becomes certain
that that party would do nothing to
restore the equality ofsilver and gold
dollars.
Sanator Platt. rennhlican. of Con.