Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-12
FROM WASHINGTON.

FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.l
Washington, d. g.. Oct. II.
The Presidents call for the extra ses-
sion of Congress to meet on Monday, No
vember 9, will be issued probably this
week. The draft of his message recon-
mending the ratification Of the Cuban
reciprocity treaty is also ready. Saturday,
November 7, the republicans and demo-
Gratis of the House will hold caucuses to
nominate the Speaker and other officers
of the House. The republicans will nom
mate Mr.. Cannon for Speaker and will
probably renominate the present officers
of the House. The blind chaplain OF the
Senate. DR.. Milburn, resigned at the last
session, and the blind chaplain of the
House. DR.. Couden, desires to be trans
ferred to the Senate. Ifthis is done there
will be vacancy in the chaplaincy OF the
House, which will be the subject OF the
only contest in the republican caucas.
Alexander Mcdowell, of Pennsylvania,
formerly of the House, will be reelected
clerk. Now that Representative Richard
son, of Tennessee, is to retire to devote
all of his time to his duties as head OF
the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction,
the democratic caucas nomination for
Speaker, carrying the titular leadership
Of the minority on the floor, will be given
in all probability, to Representative John
Sharp Williams, ofMisfssippi. Two Mis-
souri, men, Champ Clark and David a..
DeArmond are mentioned as candi-
dates. Mr.. Cannon is to be in Washing
ton two weeks before the extra session,
but will not appoint any committees at
the opening of the extra session, except
those absolutely necessary.
Representatives Grosyenor, of Chic,
and Dalzell, Of Pennsylvania, both
members of the rules, and ways and
means committees of the House were
closeted with President Roosevelt for
nearly an hour this morning. They
came singly and left the same way, and
upon their exit both asserted that their
conference with the President at the
same time was purely accidental. "There
is no rules committee and there is no
WAYS and means committee" said Mr..
Grosyenor al have-no idea who will
constitute these committees in the next
Congress. Speaking to you just as a
private citizen, should guess that there
will be no financial legislation TO amount
to much passed by the coming Congress.
From all can learn the people of this
country are pretty well satisfied over
the condition of things as they are.
There is lots of money in the country.
| myself am Just as near broke as |
usually am, but that has no bearing on
the fact that the country at large has
plenty of money.
The October term of the Supreme
Court of the United States convened
today, with all the nine justices on the
bench. After they had taken their seats,
Chief Justice Fuller announced that
cases on the docket set for today would
90 over until tomorrow, when motions
also would be heard Several applica-
tons for admission to practice before the
court were then received, after which the
court adjourned for the purpose of pay
ing its respects to the President. When
the justices had DOTTED their robes, they
were driven in carriages to the White
House where they were received by
President Roosevelt. The total number
of cases docketed for this term is 43S,
which is 10 less than for the previous
term.
The charge made by former Secretary
of the Navy Long, in a magazine article
lust published, that President Roosevelt,
when he was Assistant Secretary Of the
NAVY. twas anxious to send a squadron
across the ocean TO sink the ships and
torpedo boat destroyers of the Spanish
feet while we were yet at peace with
Spain" has occasioned considerable gos-
sip in administration circles today.
There are those who think that the Presi-
dent should, if the charge is untrue, deny
it in as public manner as that in which
it was made. The Presidents friends
believe that Mr.. Longs well known per-
sonal feeling against Mr.. Roosevelt has
led him, perhaps unconsciously, into an
erroneous statement. There is no doubt
that Mr.. Roosevelt favored the sending
of an American squadron to a point
where it would be within striking dis
lance of the Spanish feet whenever war
should should be declared, but those
who are familiar with his work as AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy discount
the idea that he was anxious for the
United States to commit an overt act OF
war, such as Mr.. Long alleges.
Captain Harry B. Chamberlain,
quartermaster U. S. Army, has been
convicted at Manila of smuggling and
sentenced to pay a fine of $500 or to
serve 100 days in Bilidad Penitentiary.
He was an officer in charge Of the trans
port Seward and was charged with
smuggling goods into the Philippines
from China. The court in passing SEN