Alexandria Gazette

Alexandria, Virginia.

TUESDAY. DECEMBER 14.

As mentioned in a Washington dispatch, yesterday, the Democratic members of the House of Representatives held a caucus yesterday afternoon. Several hours were consumed by a general discussion upon the question of raising two committees, one to consist of thirteen members from the House to meet a similar committee to be appointed by the Democratic Senators, to which is to be referred all measures of importance during the present session: and the other, to be a National Executive Resident Committee, to consist of six members of the House and three members of the Senate, and three residents of the District of Columbia. The meeting throughout was in the friendliest spirit. Considerable opposition was made to the appointment of the committee of thirteen. Several gentlemen insisted that the policy of the Democratic party had heretofore been adverse to the caucus rule and they objected to the inauguration. The Democrats of the South appeared anxious that nothing should be said or done which might in the slightest degree excite the prejudices of the Northern people. They were here for one object only--to convince the whole country that the great mass of the Southern people earnestly desired the completest restoration of that patriotic feeling which inspired the thirteen Colonies one hundred years ago to act against the foreign oppressor as a band of brothers. There was no proposition made in the caucus to interfere in any way with the officers of the House in their distribution of the patronage properly belonging to them. There is a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed by members generally at the manner in which appointments have been made, but not more than is usual at every change of administration.