Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-02-10

received yesterday.
Vice President Stevenson occupied
the Speakers chair, Mr.. Reed sitting at
his left.
Tellers for the House were Mr..
Grosvenor, of Ohio, and Mr.. Richard
son, of Tennessee; for the Senate this
duty was performed by Senators Black
burn, of Kentucky, and Lodge, of Mas
sachusets.
The Vice President unlocked the
electoral box and took out the envel-
opes containing the certificates of the
electoral college, each envelope being
signed by all the electors of the several
States, and securely sealed. AS each
certificate was opened the vote OF the
Safe was announced and tally was
kept by the tellers of both Senate and
House.
The count was begun promptly at l
O'Clock, the House presenting a most
picturesque appearance, with the Scn-
ators all grouped on the right hand Of
the chair Senator Blackburn read the
certificates in a monotonCus tone very
different from his usual declamatory
style. The length and tautology of,
some of the documents made this pro-
ceeding somewhat uninteresting.
When the counting of the vote began
there were in the executive gallery
Mrs. Stevenson, the wife of the vice.
president, and four friends; Mrs
Francis, the wife of the Secretary of
the Interior, and Mrs. Brewer, the wife
of Justice Brewer, of the Supreme
Court. In the diplomatic gallery were
NJ. Patenotre, the French Ambassador;
Mr.. Chung, the interpreter of the
Chinese legation, and four or five un-
der-secretaries from South American
legations.
Senator Lodge alternated with Sena-
tor Black burn in the reading process,
but without infusing much more ami
nation into the ceremony. AS the
count proceed and the House tellers,
Messrs. Grosvenor and Richardson,
took hand, the reading of the full
text of the certificates was abandoned,
the tellers combining themselves to a
simple statement OF the result as dis.
closed by the documents before them,
thereby much condensing the formal
proceedings.
Senator Lodge infused a temporary
streak of merriment into the proceed.
ings by inadvertently casting the vote
of Missouri for "W. j. Mckinley" in
stead ofW. ]. Bryan, but he promptly
corrected the error.
1t fell to Mr. Grosvenor's lot to an
uounce the nine votes of South Caro-
lima for Bryan and Sewall. As he did
80 an expectant silence fell on the as
sembly, but not whisper of protest
was heard. Mr.. Grosvenor declared
that the certificate appeared to be in
proper form, and it was accepted.
At 1:50 p. m. the official count was
announced as follows For President
of the United States-Wm. Mckinley
271; VIM. ]. Bryan, 176. For Vice
President of the United States: Carrot
A. Hobart, 271; Arthur Sewall, 149;
Thomas E. Watson, q.
The Vice President thereupon de.
clared VIM. Mckinley and Carrot A.
Hobart, respectively, elected President
and Vice President of the United
States.
The Vice President added that this
| declaration was in law sufficient and
| that the joint session was now adjourn.
ed and the Senate would return to its
chamber.
A burst of hand-clapping followed
this statement and the great audience
quietly dispersed.
The postoifices at Broad Bun and
Rectortown, in Fauquier county, Va,
having become vacant by the resigna-
ton of the postmasters, Messrs. Walker
and Robertson, the former having re-
moved to Charlottesville and the latter
to Alexandria, and recommendation
having been made long ago by the Con
gresham from that district for the ap-
pointment of their successors, Mr.. Mer-
edith. the Congressman referred to,
went to the Postoffice Department yes
terday to see why the appointments
were not made. He was not only
greatly surprised but considerably pro
voked when informed by Mr.. Maxwell,
the fourth assistant postmaster general,
a noted cuckoo and bolter, that it had
been determined ''that all such APP
pointments now would be left to the
incoming administration" Mr.. Mere
dith being provoked, it is needless to
say to those who know him that, with
the object of his provocation before his
face, he should have expressed himself
in strong and emphatic language. Mr..
Maxwell attempted an explanation,
but it was entirely unsatisfactory, and
Mr.. Meredith left with the threat that
be would see Mr.. Wilson, the Postmas-
ter General, and learn from him wheth
er or not he was party to any such
determination. Yesterday being Cabi-
net day, Mr.. Wilson could not be seen,
but Mr.. Meredith will make it his bust
ness to call upon him at the first oppor-
tunity.
1t is said at the Senate to-day that
the judiciary committee of that body,
at its meeting tomorrow will probably
report in favor of confirming the NOM
ination of Mr.. Davis as U. S. attorney
for the District OF Columbia. Messrs.
Pugh and Daniel, democrats, and Teller,
silverite, members of the committee,
will oppose the confirmation, and Messrs
Hill, Villas and Lindsey, boilers, will
favor it, but what the other members
of the committee will do is as yet un-
known.
The Virginia Senators have been in-
formed that favorable reports on the
nominations for the pastmasters at Ma
nassas, Orange and Cape Charles, City,
VIRGINIA will be fayorab]y reported