Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-01-03
From Washington.
Correspondence of the Alexandra Gazett'.
Washington. d. c., Jan. 3.

merce Commission 10 tue ohi 1H31 ".o
elimination in railroad rates may be
suppressed. to secure the passage OF APP
propriate legislation at this session. There
must also be some legislation for the
p,nama canal zone and the question Of
statehood for Arizona aud New Mexico
and Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory NAV be disposed Of In the Senate
the friends of the statehood bill and
the champions Of the pure food bill will
endeavor to secure right of way for their
favorite measures. The steering COM
mlltee favOrs the consideration Of the
statehood bill in advance of the others,
and it will probably be made the unfin-
ished business to be taken up from day
TO day. Senator Hepburn, of Idaho,
will oppose the statehood bill with
the pure food bill and expects to
obtain speedy consideration for 1t,
In the House the bill to improve cur
rencv conditions remains on the calendar
as continuing special order, and 1t IS
the intention to bring it to a vote this
week. Friday will be devoted to war
claims and if the House should remain
in session on Saturday, the Notifications,
appropriation bill will be submitted for It's
consideration. An effort will be made
shortly again compel consideration OF
measure defeating the Pension Building
TO the uses of the inaugural ball, but
this matter will probably not be brought
up before Monday of next week. There
will be interesting additional chapters 10
the Smoot and Swayne cases soon. The
House committee will meet on the 9th
to formulate articles of impeachment
/ against Judge Chas. Swayne of the north
ern district of Florida and the House
will take them up for consideration next
week. perhaps. In the SmOOt case,
| hearings before the Senate committee on
privileges and elections will be resumed
January TO- The prosecution has con-
cluded its case, and the defense will now
have It's inning.
With the certainty of Geo. B. Cortel-
ou'sappointmenta as Postmaster General
upon the Inauguration of President
Roosevelt, the prospects Of place Tor
Robert J. Wynne, who will retire from
the Office, are being scanned by his
friends. AIR. Wynne asserts that he
doesn't know where he WiH be sent,
but it is understood he has received
such assurances from the President
that he is not worrying. One thing is
certain and that Is that he will not
resume his old position as first as
sistant postmaster general. Mr.. Wynne, II
is said, is to be given one Of the choice
positions of the government abroad.
The fact that for several months he has
been one of the members of the Presi-
dents official household preclndes his
taking a su coordinate Office 10 Washington
1t is not improbable that the Office OF
Consul-general in London, now occq
pied by II. Clay Evans, will become va
cant after the Fourth of March Mr..
Evans was given the place by Mr..
Roosevelt, but it was a heritage from
the Mckinley administration. Presi'
dent Mckinley promised the veterans
that Evans would be removed from the
Pension Office. He had been an able
commissioner, however, and MIR. Roose-
welt felt that he should be rewarded
with consul-generalship. The London
consular office is one Of the most lucra-
tive. as we'll as important, stations IN
the consular service, and should MIR.
Evans resign it seems likely that his
successor will be appointed from those
who have been close to the President.
1t is believed that Mr.. Wynne will be
sent either to London or one of the i'm
portant continental consul-generalshlp,
possibly Paris.
Government clerks who have teen IN
The habit of making considerable money
by the collection of fees from the govern
ment for work as notaries public, receiy-
ed today a notice that in the future no
fees for this work will be allowed. An
executive order to this effect was today
received by the heads of all the executive
departments and promulgated for the
information of the clerks Disobedience
Of this order shall be ground for dismls-
sal from the government service. 1t Is
generally understood that the President
himself issued this order, the custom OF
n0taries in the government service to
charge the government fees having re-
Gently been brought to his attention.
On complaint filed by prominent
firm of attorneys in Idaho through Sen
ator Dubois, the Secretary Of the Inter
Tor has dispatched a special inspector to
investigate what is said to be syste-
matte defrauding of the government in
the matter in timber lands OF greater
magnitude than the Oregon cases. The
charges, says Senate: Dubois, involve
four prominent citizens, one of whom
has been an almost lifelong friend of
his. He is acting in the matter merely
as an Intermediary having no personal
knowledge ofthe situation. The charges
were accompanied by youminous afii-
davts, which if true represent fraudu-
lent transactions to the extent of nearly
a million dollars.
President Roosevelt has not finally de-
cided upon the time of calling the extra
session for consideration of tariff
changes. While it has been stated
that he had determined upon October
as the best month for converting the
lawmakers, there are considerations that
make an earlier date more desirable in
his eyes and the consequences may be