Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-05
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette

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The Weather Bureau made another
successful hit of predicting rain for to-
day. There were no signs of it last
night except slight haze around the
stars and after the exceptionally beau
tiful weather of the day it was sur
prise to have sharp sleet storm break
over the city in the wee sma' hours.
The skies are dull and leaden this
morning, and rain falls at intervals.
Carpenters are busy tearing down the
stands and decorations, the latter sadly
bedraggled by their rough usage from
the weather during the night, and the
city is preparing to resume its nominal
appearance. The upper floors of the
War Department. which were the
camping ground of the regular troops
Yesterday, have been restored to sem
blance of order. The Capitol, the con-
gressional library and all the depart
ment buildings are thronged with
sightseers. Until the new Cabi-
net shall be confirmed and install
ed each of the great executive offices
will remain in charge of subordinate
official. Mr.. Rockhill is acting Score
tary of State in place of MIR. Olney, who
remains silent as to his broken relations
with Mr.. Cleveland. Solicitor General
Conrad is Attorney General pro tenn.
The number of visitors yesterday was
not so great as on former occasions and
the effects of hard times were made dis.
tinctly apparent by the fact that few of
them apparently had any surplus
money to spend. 1t was, comparative
ly speaking, temperance crowd. The
saloon and restaurant keepers who, an
ticipating a renewal of the harvest of
four years ago, had made elaborate
preparations to accommodate a rush,
scarcely had more than enough custom
to repay them their extra expen-
ditures. Some irreverent person broke
into the house of Mr.. Eckels, Comptrol-
Ter of the Currency, and stole $500 while
he was rejoicing over the sound money
victory which he had contributed to
bring about.
President Mckinley to- day sent to the
Senate the following nominations: John
Sherman, of Ohio, to be Secretary of
State; Lyman ]. Gage, of Illinois, to
be Secretary of the Treasury Russell
A. Alger, of Michigan, to be Secretary
of War; Joseph McKenna, of Califor.
mia, to be Attorney General; James A.
Gary, of Maryland, tol be Postmaster
General John D. Long, of Massachu.
sets, TO be Secretary of the Navy Cor
nelius n. Bliss, of New York, to be
Secretary of the Interior; James Will
son, of Iowa, to be Secretary of Agri
culture. The nomination of ex-senator
Sherman to be Secretary of State was
confirmed of hand without the formal
ity of a reference to any committee.
This was done as an act of courtesy to
an ex-senator and in conformity with
the customs of the Senate under similar
conditions. The other nominations for
the Cabinet were referredto the proper
committees which went into session at
once for their consideration. Confirm
alton on all the nominations will be had
this afternoon. While no one objected
to any one of the nominations, Mr..
Teller critised the selection of Mr.. Bliss
for the Interior Department on account
of the fact that he was not qualified by
legal training for the business of the
office.
Secretary Olney has just received the
following cablegram from Consul Gen
eral Lee at Havana
"All quiet No excitement here now !
hope TO secure promp trial of all Americans
imprisoned. Those found innocent to be re
leased and those guilty sent out 70 the island"
This dispatch, which came this after
noon in cipher, indicates most i'm
portant change of attitude on the part
Of the military authorities in Cuba un
der orders from Madrid, as guilty
Americans on conviction are to be ex-
PEELED from the island, instead of being
otherwise punished.
1t is learned at the room of the House
ways and means committee to-day that
little if any duty will be put on plaster
by the new tariff bill.
Most of those who came here to wit.
ness the inaugural ceremonies have
gone home, and many of those who re-
main are in bad condition to-day by
reason OF over indulgence and fatigue.
The republicans of the House will
hold caucus on the evening of the 18th
instant to nominate the officers of that
body.
A conference OF the many Virginia
now here was to have been
held in the Hotel Johnson here at noon
to-day. A large number of them as
sembled there, but at one o'clock they
had not organized. 1t was then said
they might to do so at three o clock, but
some of them thought they might not
do so at that time or at all. General
Walker was among those present at
aeon, but he soon went off, and will
start home this evening.
Among the appropriations lost by
the failure of the regular appropriation
bills were those for Richmond College,
for the Richmond Locomotive Works
and for the postoffice building at Nor
folk.
W. l.. Chambers, of Alabama, who
was formerly United States Land Com
missioner of Samoa, has been agreed
upon by Great Britain, Germany, and
the United States as Chief Justice of
Samoa to succeed Judge Ide, who is
also an American. The King of Samoa
makes the appointment and will I'M
doubleday confirm the election.
Mr.. Mark A. Hanna received his com.
mission as Senator from Gov. Bushnell
this morning. Both the Governor and
Mr.. Hanna are stopping at the Airing
ton. The Americas Club, of Pittsbure.
went there to-day with its band to
serenade B. II. Warner, of this city,
who bad charge of the civic parade yes