Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-12-17
FROM WASHINGTON.
+ Correspondence OF the Alexandris GaEeete.J
WASHINGTON, Dec. II.

Ma1Or-Gener3t SnaIteT, WIZ 10 ~"
with the President on his SOUTHERN
trip, has been ordered to report here
and appear before the war investigation
commission. After that General Shafter
and General Merritt, who arrived at
New York from Europe to-day, Will
confer with the Secretary of War rela-
five 10 q Encouragement OF the depart
ment commanders. General Merritt
will resume command of the depart
ment Of the east, and General Shatter
will again command the department OF
California.
The Cuban delegation here has as yet
received no Information conirmatory
of the report that General Gomez Is
dead. SER Quesada has cabled to
Havana for a verifcation or contradic-
ton of the Msdrid dispatch.
Surgeon General S.ernberg was the
chief army man examined this morning
by the House military affairs commits
tee. He said there was much complaint
about the medical department during
the late war. He admitted that medical
supplies had not been landed promptly
st Santiago but he said they had
been sent there, but the transport
had carried them away sgain without
landing them. When pressed by Mr..
Hay to lay the blame on General Shaf,
ter. the commanding officer, General
Sternberg declined, but said the military
situation there was very remarkable,
aud this might have excused the re-
1M IN nnro poon6
The House naval affairs committee
bill for the reorganization of the navy,
will, it is understood, provide for 20,
600 enlisted men and $3.50 boys. There
are now but II 900 enlisted men.
Che following changes in the fourth
class postofices in Virginia were made
to-day Crest, Stafford county, S. G..
Jett appointed postmaster, vice VIM.
NJ. Black. resigned; Tuggles Gap, Pat.
rick county, Willie E. Wood, vice Eli
Dehart, resigned. -r-zz-,rsv
The House ways and means commit
tee are now engaged in an attempt to
discover some means by which to get
over or under the ion of the Con-
st tuition which provides that taxes shall
ne uniform upon all the subjects Of the
United States, in order that different
rate of taxation shall exist in this coun
try and in It's newly conquered prov.
inces.
The fight between the republican
Congressman from Virginia and the
executive committee of the republican
party of their State is still son" and
with no abatement OF feeling on either
side. Congressman Walker has as yet
sent no reply to the response he receiv
ed from the committee to the letter he
sent them asking their help in his con
test for Mr.. Rhea's seat, and the ad
ministration has done nothing to indi
cate that it will not continue in the fu
ture, as it has in the past, TO recognize
the committee as the true representa-
tives OF the Virginia republicans.
1t has become apparent that in the
army bill to be reported to Congress
the interests of the Off GERS OF the regu
lar army are to be promoted first anc
foremost, and if anything be left fol-
those Of the volunteers, why, they car
have it, ofcourse.
The expansionist among the demo
Gratis in Congress are growing small By
degrees, if not beautifully less, as il
is becoming apparent that the great
body of the party, the poor peo
pie of the country, are OPT osed te
policy that unless the Constitution
be changed will put their labor ir
competition with that of millions Of
the residents OF other countries whose
wages are as low as cent and hal
a day, and, as the party will declare
against any such policy, they fear that
unless they sing another tune from thai
they have been singing, they will bt
left outside the democratic bfeastworks
In the House to-day Mr.. Payne, re
publican, tried to get up bill to ap
ply the navigation laws of this country
to Hawaii, but the democrats woulC
not consent unless it should provide
that the labor laws of this country
should also be applied to the province
referred to, and, rather than do that,
the republicans withdrew their bill.
A fair sample of the way the demo
Gratis in the House talk about the an
nexatiOn OF islands in the sea and O!
their barbarous inhabitants is afford
ed by Mr.. Swanson of Virginia. who
says he prefers the old republic a.
home rather than q new empire
abroad, and a safe and prosperous gov
eminent 10 Occident rather than 8
dangerous imp srialistic government in
the ORIENT.
Representative Hay of Virginia will intro.
dlce bill to allow the State of Virginia to
make copy of the rolls of her soldiers in the
Confederate army, row in the War
Department, at her own expense priv.
lege that has heretofore been denied her
Mr.. Hay will also introduce a new amy bill
VI lich will provide for a regular force of the
rcngth of the army when the Spanish WAL
common led and volunteer force for police
duty in the new province whose term of en-
liz mo Il sn4ii &c only for one year, by which
time some people hope the population OF those
provinces will observe the law, if they shall
not obey the prophets.
On the international banking bill which
WAS defeated in the House yesterday all the
democrat members of that body except sew
teen were present, and that, TOO, though the
Chliitmas Holidays will commence next week.
TELEGRApHIC BREVITIES.