Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-05-08
FROM WASHINGTON.
a, rcspondence OF the Alexandris 9axette.

ton of the operation of the civil service
law.
A letter from Secretary Bliss, of the
Interior Department, recommended
that each commissioner of the depart
ment have the right to appoint a pri-
vate secretary or confidential clerk,
and that the chief clerk of the depart.
ment and chiefs of division be exempted
from the classified service. The APP
pointment of special agents, such as
land, timber and mineral land commis'
sioners and particularly special Indian
agents, he writes, suould be more d.
rectly under the control of the secre-
tary, who is responsible for them.
Commissioner of Pensions Evans
recommended that the chief clerk, pri-
vate secretary, chiefs of divisions and
medical examiners aud special exam
liners be exempt from the classified SER
vice.
Commissioner Hermann, of the gen
eral land office, wrote that the chief
clerk, chiefs of divisions, confidential
clerks, inspectors and land commission
ers should be outside the classified SER
vice.
William w. Hill, former assistant
superintendent of the mail delivery,
charged that there had been collision
between the Postoflice Department and
the civil service commission to violate
the law by the employment in 1871
and 1896 of fifty nine spies whose en-
pioyment was not authorized by law.
Mr.. Hill had brought the questions OF
the authorized employment of "spies"
and of political assessments to the at
tention of the civil service commission
and said Mr.. Proctor had told him that
the commission had no Jurisdiction
over the authorized appointments. Mr..
Machen had informed the witness that
former President Roosevelt o. the COM
mission had authorized the employ
ment of the spies. Evidence of the
assessments had been given the COM
mission, including evidence that Mir.
Machen had declared that he would
discharge the men who failed to pay
assessments. The witness had been in
formed that the commission made a
report discriminating Machen and Bell
man, but that the attorney general had
quashed the charges. An affidavit
was read from ali employee OF the Post
office Department that Mr.. Macben
had withheld money from the salaries
of "spies" for political purposes.
A delegation of about thirty repub-
licans, representing the Bowden faction
in the Second Congressional district of
Virginia, had an interview with Post
master General Gary to-day. They
protested warmly against the efforts OF
the Wise faction to secure recognition
aud denounced what they called the
Intervention in Virginia politics Of
Joun S. Wise, of New York, who was
spokesman for the Richard a. Wise
delegation that was recently here. They
said their speakers were Virginians and
that all three members of the State
C, mmittee from that district supported
Bowden. They were headed by Col,
John J. Dyer, recent candidate for Con-
gress; ex-Mayor Banks, of Norfolk;
State committeeman H. B. Nichols, of
Norfolk; Thomas Lowry, chairman Of
the Norfolk city committee; Col. 81. B.
Clay, of Newport News; Chairman S.
L. Burroughs, of the republican con-
gressional committee, and G. P. Corri-
gan, colored orator. They asserted
hey represented the republican organi-
zation of the Second district, the origi
nal Mckinley settlement of Virginia,
and were opposed to the Lamb and
Wise faction forcing a bogus organiza-
ton on the administration"
The following Virginia fourth class
postmssters were appointed today:
Batna, Thornton Stringfellow; Conrads
Mills, G.. H. Hurley; Crockett, J.
S. Dix; Friendship, Jacob Ingram;
Hallwood, S. G. Abbott; Holston, W.
G. Lilly; North Garden, G. H. Cham.
berlain; ProHitt, S. M. Cox; Pungo.
league, ]. w. G.. Ayres; Tappahannock,
w. E. Todd.
The republican members of the Sen
ate committee on finance to-day fur
uished the democratic members of that
committee with estimates of the reve-
nue. to be derived from the tariff bill as
compared with the House bill. The
stimates of revenue and importations
ire given on each item separately but
10 computation as to the general vol
ume is made either for the entire bill
Or for individual schedules and are
therefore very unsatisfactory.
The republican Office seekers from
Virginia still crowd the Hotel Johnson
aud the pavement in front of that hotel,
and their secret and public conferences
ire going on ell the time, and their
visits to the different departments are
frequent. Mr.. Agnew, member of the
republican executive committee of his
State, arrived here last night, and was
much sought after by them. 1t is un-
derstood this morning that the recent
appointment of Mr.. Blair. son of the
ex-Attorney General of Virginia, to the
position of Assistant Q. S. Attorney of
the western district of his State, not
only without the endorsement, but
without even the knowledge of either
one of the republican factions in Vir-
GINA, has startled both of them and
wrought a sudden change in the atti-
tude toward each other, and Mr.. Treat
says, that now they are in perfect &C
cord, and that the souls of Congress.
man Walker and those of the "dia
mond four" have but single thought
and their hearts beat as one.
The postoffice Department will, on
Saturday next, take the mem
bers of the international postal
conference, now in session here,
to Richmond on special train.
Should they be invited by Alexandria