Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-07-22
Tree. the daring Swedish balloonist, and

SuuclenG blLu6 udS cln poSO ia
ceipt of such q message is inclined to
look upon the report as a canard. Ii
the bird had been freed by Andree
he thinks the ring on its foot would
have been signed. He also points out
the fact that the message was not
dated. Still if it should prove to be
true the news will be especially pleas
ant for Prof. Moore, who on the day az
ter Andree started after a care
full examination of the chart OF
atmospheric conditions and pressure
in the Arctic region for this
month predicted that if Andree reach
ed the pole the air currents would carry
him out on almost the longitude lndl'
cared and land him eventually near
Point Barrow Oh the north coast OF
Alaska. With regard to Andree's means
of locating the pole Prof. Bigelow, the
magnetic expert of the weather bureau,
--ys that he would unquestionably use
the navigator's sextAnt. The sun IS al
WAYS above the horizon at this time ofthe
ear and there would be no difficulty IN
getting observations. OF course at the
pole there is no longitude but he, could
know his longitude until within very
short distance of the theoretical pole.
The magnetic needle would be valueless
practically at such latitude on account
of the swsying of the balloon and the
dip of the needle. The magnetic pole
ia longitude 9S west and latitude 7O5
north. This would render the use OF
the needle still more difficult.
Congressman Walker OF Virginia, one
OF the members of the executive com
mitttee of the republican party OF his
State, says that go far as heis concerned
he is in favor of State convention OF
that party and that if T. msjority OF the
delegates to it be in favor of reorgan-
izing the State committee they SHOULD
be allowed to do so. He does not think
that all the members of the present
State committee, which will meet OF
the 18th proximo at Lynchburg, are
opposed to State convention. He also
says that the owners of the gypsum
iron, coal and salt mines i'll his district
will be benefited by the new tariff bill.
General Walker also says that when he
and some of the other members OF the
executive committee OF his party in his
State recently called upon President
Mckinley in reference to the federal
patronage in their State, the President
very politely excused himself for mol
talking with themion that subject, for
the very good reason that he was then
too busy with matters OF more general
Importance, but said he would see them
again when be would not be so pressed
1t is understood at the State Depart
ment to-day that the attitude Japan
as assumed in respect of the proposed
annexation of the Sandwich Islands
may, after all, be provocative of trouble,
and naval officer has been detailed
for duty at that department to advise
with concerning the disposition of u S.
vessels in the Pacific.
The President sent the following
nominations to the Senate to-day: NJ
Fol aker, marshal of the Quilted States
or the territory Of New Mexico. To be
members o. the Nicaragua canal COM
mission-Rear Admiral John G. Walk
or, U. 8. N; Captain Oberlin NJ. Carter,
corps OF engineers, U. s. A.; and Lewis
". Haupt, of Pennsylvania, an engi
neer from civil life. Albert l.. Elliott,
of the District of Columbia, to be clerk
of the District Court for the district oil
Alaska.
Secretary Sherman was at the State
Department to-day. and while there
stated that he agreed perfectly with the
President in respect of the instructions
TO Ambassador Hay regarding the seal
fisheries, and had been all the time,
and had not been forced to sign them
under compulsion, as has been reported.
The prevailing impression among
Senators and Representatives at the
Capitol to-day is that this session of
Congress will not last longer than the
current week.
Senator Jones, of Nevada, chairman
OF the committee on contingent ex-
penses, to-day submitted the report of
tnat committee on the resolution intro
duced by Senator Tillman for an in
yestigation of the charges of speculat-
ing ia sugar stocks, &c. The report is
against ordering the investigation. The
committee goes at length into the pro-
priety of expelling from the Senate
press gallery or sending to prison news-
paper correspondents who made false
charges, taking position against both
suggestions. They say that expulsion
from the gallery would be dispropor-
Toned to the ofense as the other gal.
leries of the Senate would be open to
the offender. sit might even be, the
committee adds, that the notoriety &C.
quired by correspondent by reason of
such expulsion, instead of operating as
punishment would prove source of
promotion in his profession. While the
right must ever be maintained by the
lawmaking power to protect itself from
assault, whencesoever emanating, yet
the exercise of this right should be re-
served for occasions of extraordinary
Importance. Freedom of the press is
guaranteed by the Constitution, is es.
sential to the existence of free govern
ment and should not lightly be interfer.
rad with" The report concludeslthat no
investigation of any charge affecting
the integrity of the Senate or its mem.
bers should at any time be undertaken
unless such charge be definite and speci
fic and made by some known and re.
,ponsible person not engaged profes-
sionally in sensational journalism.
The President led Colonel Mosby
and Senators Perkins and Proctor to
believe that he would appoint the for
mer to lucrative foreign position, but
he has disappointed them, and the Col
onel, who was here to-day, consulting