Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-12-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence of the Alexandria aaHette.]
WASHINGTON, Dec. ~.

Yesterday. and took possession of the
wire, they conveyed to Secretary Oh
new the Presidents approval of his pro-
posed announcement. 1t is regarded
by many Senators as step in advance
~ American diplomatic history for the
President thus 10 assert that he and
not the Congress is the judge when ex-
eculive action should be taken in thu
matter of recognition of new govern
ment. Said Senator Chandler: cit is
the most unprecedented statement l
have ever heard from cabinet officer,
aud no criticism of such conduct Can be
too severe. tits evidently inspired and
comes direct from the President. In
effect he says that if we pass the resn-
luton he will veto it aud if we pass it
over his veto he will defy us. 1t is
worse than the conduct of Andrew
Johnson. The only trouble is that if
we were to pass it over the veto and
Mr.. Cleveland should refuse to execute
the law, there would be no time to i'm
peach him. Thank God, however,
we will not have him in the execu
tive mansion after March the fourth"
Senator Teller declined to discuss the
manifesto, but intmated that 1t would
in all probability be the subject of de
bate on the floor of the Senate, which
he thought was the proper place to dis
cuss such matters. Senator Gear, of
Iowa, was inclined to the opinion that
the statement would make votes for the
resolution and increase the Cuban SEN
timent in Congress. Congress was, be
said, very Jealous ofthe encroachments
of the executive upon its prerogatives.
Consul Wallace. a, Jerusalem, re-
ports to the State Department that &C.
cordipg to the consular records Of his
Office it appears that there are $50 citi-
zens of the United States residing in
Palestine. OF this number 43S are
Jews, who are only nominally Ameri-
cans, having lived in the United States
just long enough to obtain citizens
papers and passports. The ma ority OF
these emigrated from Russia to the
United States and thence to Palestine.
Of the other 80 American citizens,
nearly all have gone there because OF
peculiar religious views, and among
them may be found all posi-
bic shades of Christian beliefs. The
one idea which seems to possess all to a
greater or lesser degree, is that of the
second advent of our Lord. This is by
all considered to be an event soon TO
take place in Jerusalem. Some of
them, during the period of waiting, are
suffering for the necessaries of life, but
are content to endure privation in the
hope of being present and witnessing
the Lords coming. The Spofordite
colony, or "overoomers," as they call
themselves, have recently been in
creased by an addition of III Swedish
Americans, mostly from Chicago. Just
how many of them are citizens of the
United States the consulate is not ill.,
formed, because of their refusal to re-
gister. The leader, Mrs. Spofford, lays
claim to prophetic powers and, claim
ing to be under the direct protection of
the Almighty, is ayerse to having any
human power interfere. As they are
peace and aw-abiding community, or
have been for some years, the consulate
has not been called upon in this regard.
The Congressional committee that re-
ported in favor of the retrocession of
that part of the original District of Co.
lumbia south of the Potomac to Vir-
ginis, was composed of the following
members R. M. T. Hunter of Virginia,
J. J. Mcdonald of Ohio, O. B. Ficklin
of Illinois, w. W. Payne of Alabama,
G. P. Marsh of Vermont, Washington
Hunt of New York, J. G. Chapman OF
Maryland A. D. Sims, of South Caro-
lima, and j. 81. McHenry of Kentucky.
As congressman at that time were
elected on account of their conceded
ability and familiarity with the Consti.
tuition and laws of their country, and
did not buy their election with money
or promises of Office, it is only natural
to suppose that the committee referred
to knew what they were doing when
they made their report, aud that the
other members of both branches of Con-
gress would not have adopted it II there
had been any doubt about its constitu
tionality.
A we'll informed resident of this city,
talking to day about the disorderly be
havior and alleged unlawful practices
carried on near the southern ends OF
the bridges across the Potomac oppo-
site this city, said that if Senator Nc
MILAN would not confine his drives to
the golf grounds near Rosslyn, but ex
tend them along the other boundaries
of the district, and even to Bloody
Land, Murder Bay, Foggy Bottom and
some of the other slums near the
centre of the city, he would learn that
there is a great deal more disorder,
violence, vice and crime in any one of
them than in the whole county of
Alexandria, and that before he at.
tempts to reform that county by an
nexing it to the District, he would do
we'll to try reformatory measures in
some of the localities referred to, all
of which stand in infinitely more need
of them.
No matter what the Senate foreign
relations committee has done in respect
of Cuba, it has become evident that its
report on that matter will certainly not
be adopted before the Christmas recess.
and probably not after it, as the CON
sentative members of both branches of
Congress have sense enough to see and
realize the dangers of such iingoism
and will do all they can to avoid
them. In the House all the
powerful influence of Mr.. Speaker Reed
and Mr.. Hit, the latter the chairman
of the committee on foreign affairs, will
be exerted to prevent the adoption of
q measure so risky and absurd, and it is