Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-02-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.

recently the postoffice committee, OF
which Mr.. Chandler is acting chairman,
has been criticised for holding up noml
nations. Mr.. Chandler says that in all
cases where the Senators from the
State have been able to agree and
where there has been noinjustice done,
the nominee has been reported without
undue delay. A count of the noml pa-
tons shows that there are still with the
committee a total of 1S5 nominations
that have recently become presidential
bv promotion from fourth class owing
- increased receipts of the office. In
almost all of those cases the President
his nominated the incumbent and re-
plblicans say that if he we're again con-
lirmed the official would be given a
term of eight years, which would, they
argue, be unfair. In some cases also
the nominees have been named to sue
coed men who have been removed.
Three of the nominations SO held up
are those for the offices at Cape Charles,
Orange G. II. and Manassas, in Vir-
GINA.
u. S. Consul General Charles de Kay,
at Berlin, anticipating evidently the
speedy determination of his official
duty at his present post, has addressed
to the State Department caustic crit
icism upon German commercial meth
DDS, intended to exclude American pro-
ducts, which the department has made
public.
There are no new developments at
the Postoffice Department this morning
concerning the alleged periodical
stamp robbery. The Chief Postoffice
Inspector is still investigating the mat
ter. The probabilities are that the affair
will be allowed to die slowly.
Reports of national bank failures are
received at the Treasury Department
almost daily. Two such were received
today, the Great Falls, Montana, ma
tional bank and the Ohio national bank
at Franklin.
People from Leesburg here to-day
say that at the election in that district
yesterday the drys carried it by st
majority, that majority being given al
the Leesburg precinct, the Goresville
precinct going wet.
The report of the House committee
on elections in the contested case o
Watson VS.. Black from Georgia, viii
be unanimously in favor Of the con
testee, 20 member being able to sci
anything in favor Of the famous would
be candidate for the Vice Presidency.
Among the visitors at the Capito
to day was Mr.. George S. French o
Alexandria, who was there to see i
the Senators and Representative from
his State could do anything by which
the attempt to put a tariff duty on rock
plaster could be frustrated. Alexandra
has extensive fertilizer works, in which
plaster is largely used. Plaster ha'
always been on the free list, but it i;
understood that by the new tariff bill {
duty of dollar and half ton will b,
put on it for the benefit of some plaster
mines in the far West. If this be so
it is feared the plaster mills and fertili
Ter works, not only at Alexandria, Blu
in all the other Atlantic cities will b'
seriously hurt.
The State Department has received
full report of the Keilett affair a
Chiengmai, Siam, from Minister Barrett
which indicates that it was only s
trivial affair greatly exaggerated in i'm
portance and altogether that mount
ain was made from an exceedingly
small mole hill. 1t appears that there
has never been any occasion for sendin!
a United States gunboat to Siam on thi
account, and certainly no additiona
ship will be sent; nor is there any anti
cipation of the slightest strain in the
relations between this country ant
Siam. 1t seems that Mr.. Kellett, who
is an unpaid official appointed by the
Consul General, had sent two of hi
native servants at night to post letter
and one of them carried cane, contra
ry to law. He Was arrested and taker
to Jail, whence Mr.. Kellett proceeded
and endeavored to rescue the prisoner
without formality, and in the resistance
offered by the sergeant Mr.. Kellett was
struck about the head and had his face
scratched. Later in the evening the
servant was released by the Siamese
Commissioner, who sent servant to
inquire after Mr.. Kellett's injuries. Mr.
Kellett said he had no reply to make
until he communicated with the minis.
ter at Bangkok about the insult that
had been offered him. No doubt is ex-
pressed at the State Department that
the matter has been satisfactorily ar.
ranged by this time. the department
taking no action whatever.
Three lawyers from Alexandria,
Messrs. Brent, Bendheim and Waters,
called upon Senator Martin at the Cap
itol to day with request that he
would vote for the confirmation of Mr..
Davis, who has been nominated for U.
S. Attorney for the District of Colum.
bia. 1t is almost needless to say that
neither of the Virginia Senators could
support the confirmation of any such
nomination, as the President has
removed efficient democratic Off
oials in their State for accepting
the arbitrament of the national
convention of their party, and
refuses to appoint others of the same
sort, who, as private citizens, exercised
the right of crticizing his official acts.
If the republican Senators desire to
confirm the nomination of Mr.. Davis,
they can effect it, but if the democratic
Senators can defeat it, they will surely
do so. Democrats can hardly agree to
vote to confirm deserters, who called
them anarchists.
1t is now almost certain that no bills
appropriating money for any purpose
in Virginia will become laws at this