Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-06-08
FROM WASHINGTON.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Alexandria Gazette.l
WASHINGTON, June s.

Dy SQ0il uIeu ny Iue Spahieiuo AZ VIZ
recent bombardment. The President
was in consultation with a Senator
when he received a press dispatch to
that effect. He promptly handed over
the dispatch to be read and remarked
that it was nonsense" and that there
WAS no reason to believe it to be true.
The President has signed the war
measure keeping lighthouses along the
Atlantic open throughout the year.
The sentence in the case of the court
martial which passed upon the charges
against Civil Engineer A. G. Menocal
has been approved by the department.
The officer was found guilty of negli-
gerce in correction with the construc-
Ilon Of the big dry dock in the New
York navy yard and was sentenced to
suspension from duty for three years
on furlough pay, which is 81 ,25O per
annum, while his full pay was $4,000.
Nine of the ten members of the court.
martial recommended the exercise OF
clemency in this case but the depart
ment disregarded this accommodation.
Secretary Gage sent to the House to.
dav a recommendation for the appro-
priation OF $3.50, 600 for the payment o.
wsges of workmen and the contingent
expenses at the minis in coming gold
and subsidiary silver during the next
fiscal year. together with an elaborate
statement of the gold bullion now in
the treasury and the need for its con-
version for prompt uses. The appro-
priation is to enable the minis to con-
vert large part of the gold bullion
now on hand as we'll as to coin the cur
rent domestic deposits that will be
made. The secretary calls attention to
the S97 100000 held i'll the treasury on
June l and the apparent necessity for
its conversion into coin at an early date
to be available for disbursement by the
treasury in case it should be required.
Secretary Alger this morning posi-
lively declined to say whether or not
the United States troops had sailed yet
from Tampa for Cuba. He holds thst,
notwithstanding the alleged "bottling
up" of. the Spanish squadron in San
tago, there are still good reasons why
every precaution should be adopted to
prevent the Spaniards from obtaining
information as to the departure of
troops. Careful inquiry at other places
in the War Department where informa-
ton as to the movement Of the troops
might naturally be expected developed
the fact that no word had yet come of
the departure of the military expedition
from Tampa No further word from
Admiral Sampson was received at the
Navy Department. The bulletin made
public by the department last night in
confirmation of the press reports of the
attack upon Santiago last Monday is be-
lieved to be merely skeleton stale
ment of Admiral SIMPSONS cablegram,
which il is surmised contained a good
deal more information than it was
deemed prudent to make public. Ma
val officers to-day expressed the belief
that about all of the forces landed Mon.
day from SIMPSONS feet were marines
and that their purpose was not so much
to take military possession of the land
ing as perhaps to spike some guns and
destroy some batteries that might have
been reoccupied by the Spaniards to
| advantage after the retirement of the
American fleet from the action.
Secretary Alger has sent to the House
request for an appropriation OF SAC. 600
for machinery, ETC., for the Spring feld,
Mass, arsenal.
Hugh G. Preston, of Radford, Va
has raised a company for Col. Pettit's
regiment of immunes. The Colonel
told Representative Otey to-day that
be would send Capt. Preston all the
blanks and instructions, and while he
could not say the company would be &C,
cepted ne hoped it was all right. Mr.
Otey also called on Gen. Greedy to
place Mr.. F. B. Gordon, of Elliston,
Va, who is fine Spanish scholar and
as had large experience in Spanish
American countries. Gen. Greedy had
no appointments except for persons Of
technical knowledge.
The republican members of the con-
ference committee to whom the war
revenue bill has been referred are eau.
cussing, and their report will depend
on tbs result thereof. Such was not
The way by which conference reports
formerly were made. Some of the re-
publican Senators from tobacco States
are assisting their democratic colleagues
in the effort to prevent the insertion in
that bill of a retroactive clause.
A Southern republican here to day
says he has critically observed all the
recent army and navy nominations,
but, so far, has been unable to find that
a single republican from the South has
been appointed.
The protocol recently signed by the
representatives of this country and
Great Britain relates solely and entirely
to differences between the United
State and Canada.
j. Hoge Tyler, jr., son of the Gov
ernor of Virginia, is an applicant for q
commission in the U. S. army.
A prominent citizen of Loudoun
county, Virginia, here to-day says he
knows of but two men in that county
who enlisted for the war and that one
of them, he thinks, has regained his
senses and gone back home.
A good many of the under age
soldiers from Virginia are being dis
charged on the application of their
parents and guardians. They joined
volunteer companies without any idea
of being sent out of their own towns,
but were deferred from withdrawing,
lest their courage should be impugned.
The Senate committee on post offices
and post roads to-day authorized fav-
orable report upon the bill providing