Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-04-28

Senator Vest, whose bitter in7ectiVes
agsinst Secretary Morton have been
features OF the Senate proceedings for
the past few months.
A bill was to-day favorably reported
by the Honse military committee per
hitting the detail of so oficers and %
non-commissioDed officers, TO act as
instructors in military drill and tactics
in normal and public schools where
such instruction has been authorized
by the authorities in charge. AT pres
ept these instructions are gwen only IN
colleges and universities.
No official information has reached
the State Department OF the condemps-
ton of John Hays Hammond, OF Cali
forpia. Secretary Olney was at the
Cabinet meeting wheh the Ie1s was re-
ceiyed here and he was Immediately
informed OF it. There is general sup
position that the State Department IN
derstands that whatever forms may De
gone through by the Beers to upnold
their lava and constitution, neither
Hammond nor his fellow prisoners Will
be executed.
Among the visitors at the Capitol To-
day was an old democratic resident OF
this city, who after sitting awhile IN
the gallery of the Senate, came down
to the Office OF the Secretary OF that
BODY, and to friend he met there, drew
a comparison between the present and
the past members of that body by no
means favorable to the former, winding
up by saying tina. one of them was not
even entitled to the name he bore, aud
that such would be the case with an
other one next year.
The Benning's race track people are
distributing free tickets to their track
by the five hundred, but still the at
tendance continues small and the rae
ing is miserable. The Belmont stable
will 20 back to New York to. night.
The season has been great failure in
every respect. People here say the
newspapers Of this city have been the
only bene6ciaries of the season, and
they and the Washington board OF
trade broke up the tracks in Alexan-
dris county.
Col. Ludlow, chairman Of the board
of engineer officers, which last SUM
mer investigated the Nicaragua Canal
project, detailed to the House COM
merce committee this morning the ma
ture of the observations made by them
while in Central America, the circum.
stances surrounding their work and
the conclusions reached as to the cost
and practicability of a canal. What he
said did not by any means impress the
committee fa7orably in respect of the
canal or of an appropriation for its
construction.
In the river and harbor bill, as report
ed to the Senate late yesterday evening,
the appropriation for the preservation
of the Island of Jamestown from the
James river floods is fixed at S15, 900.
The provision for making available a
previous appropriation OF $4,000 for
improving the harbor of Charles City,
Virginia, is stricken out.
John T. Cole was appointed post
master at Straightstone, Pittsylvania
county, Va, to-day vice L. G. Ragland,
resigned.
The real estate spectators here who
have been anticipating large profits
from the sale of land for the extension
of streets through the unsettled SUBJ
urbs of this city received knockout
blow this morning from MIR. Mcmillan,
chairman of the Senate committee on
the District of Columbia, who informed
them that 80 far as his committee was
concerned, no appropriation would be
recommended for any such purpose.
The pension bill that passed the
House this evening by an almost solid
republican vote will greatly in
crease both the pension list and the
amount of the pension appropriation,
and under its provisions, deserters, ma
lignerers, beats and bummers and those
who never smiled a battle even from
afar can obtain comfortable pensions.
Though General Fitz Lee has been
confirmed as consul general to Cuba,
nobody at the Capitol has heard any
thing about the time of his de-.
parture for Havana. A rumor was
in circulation among the Virginians
at the Capitol to-day that he
would not go until after the national
democratic convention, to which his
friends hoped he would be one of dele
gates-at-large. Capt. Fowle's nomina-
ton is still held up in the room of the
Senate's finance committee, and will be
until the Virginia Senators request that
it be acted upon.
In tho House elections committee
No. 8 to-day Mr.. Mccall, the chairman,
read the report in the case of Yost vs..
Tucker, from the 10th Virginia district.
AS anticipated in this correspondence,
it was in favor of the contestee. 1t was
determined that il a favorable oppor-
tunity occurred, the report in the case
of Thorp vs.. McKenney, from the 4th
district of the same State, which is in
favor of the contestant, would be called
up in the House tomorrow and Mr..
Thorp be sworn in, and be entitled to
draw about seven thousand dollars
from the sergeant-at.arms.
The naval appropriation bill was taken up
soon after tho Senate met and will consume
tho remainder of to.day's session, if not Ion
GER It is reported that Senator German may
make some remar ks during its consideration
that will DO Objectionable to some people.
An unfavorable report was made to-day by
the House judiciary committee on the
bill making cigarettes transported into any
State or Territory for cale or storage, upon
their arrival, subject to the local laws in the
same manner rs though they had been pro-
duced in such State or Territory.
COMMUNICATED.