Alexandria Gazette

IT is reported that Senator Blair, of New Hampshire, one of General Mahone's closest senatorial allies, has written a letter to a leading democrat of his State, in which he promises to support all the President's nominations if three of his, Blair's, especial friends be retained in office. If this be true, it is not at all surprising to those who know Mr. Blair.

FROM WASHINGTON.
[Special Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.]
WASHINGTON, D. C., August 1, 1885.

There is some talk among the Virginians here and those living in the adjoining counties of their State about getting up a Lee ratification all-day meeting and barbecue at Belmont Park, on the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad. The attendance at such a meeting, it is said, would be large, as both Alexandria and this city would send heavy contingents.

Among the late arrivals in the city are Congressmen Barbour and Trigg, who are just from the Virginia State democratic convention. Mr. James Barbour, of Culpeper county, is also in the city.

A gentleman from Leesburg, Loudoun county, Virginia, here to day, says that Mr. Henry Fairfax, son of Col. John W. Fairfax yesterday bought the fine estate near that town, known as the Quinby farm, including the stock, implements and furniture, for $63,000. The estate formerly belonged to the purchaser's father, and is the one upon which he was born.

The report that Mr. Day, Second Auditor of the Treasury, has requested the resignation of the six chiefs of divisions under him, of whom Mr. Whalon, of Alexandria county, Virginia, is one, is denied at Mr. Day's office this morning. It is said there that only two of the six chiefs have been asked to resign and that their places have already been filled.

Congressman Trigg was at the Postoffice Department this morning, and succeeded in having about a dozen of Mahone's post-masters removed in his district. There is a hang about the postmaster at Abingdon, in consequence of the scramble for the place and it is understood the Department is of opinion that the charges against the incumbent are not sufficient to warrant his removal.

Mr. Eaton, chief of the Civil Service Commission, has received the report of the investigation of the case of Postmaster Jones at Indianapolis, but as yet declines to make it public. He intimates, however, that Mr. Jones had a perfect right to do all he has done.

Virginians in the city to day from the Southwestern section of their State say that General Mahone's candidate for Governor will open his campaign at Newburn, Pulaski county, on Monday next. They also say that the democratic committee of the State will advise their speakers to have no joint discussions with the Mahonites, and that probably the only one who will not adopt that advice is Parson Massey, who is so irritating to Mr. Wise that the latter has already declared he will not meet him on the stump.

In this connection it is just as well to say on the authority of a Virginia republican now in the city, that Mr. Hooper, republican, who represented the Petersburg district in the last Congress, has written a letter here, in which he says that in his county, Prince Edward, where the negroes have an overwhelming majority, Wise will have a small vote. Lt. Gov. Lewis, another Virginia republican, who is also here, told some friends this morning he did not believe Wise would get one hundred votes in his county, Rockingham, one of the largest in the State.

A strong delegation of cattle men are here to-day to urge the President to extend the time allowed them to remove their cattle from the lands they leased of the Indians. They say they have six million dollars invested in cattle, and that it will be utterly impossible to remove them in the prescribed forty days, especially as much of the adjoining country is quarantined.

The executive committee of the democratic party of Virginia will meet in Staunton next week to make preliminary arrangements for their coming campaign.

The following changes in the Virginia Postoffices were announced to-day. The mail route from Harrisonburg to Tenth Legion is changed so as to embrace New Market. The route from Harrisonburg via Port Republic to Harrisonburg is extended to Tenth Legion. New Postoffices have been established at Bybee, Fluvanna county and Lone Gum, Bedford county. At Mountain Grove, Bath co., Mary J. Foutz, is appointed postmaster, vice Mrs. Mary E. Hicks, resigned; Alchia, Halifax county, Jno. R. Mitchell, vice Jno. A. Mitchell, resigned; Amelia C. H., Amelia county, Gervas H. Southan, vice W. T. Vaughan, resigned. The mail that since the first of last April has left Alexandria at 4:40 p. m. for points along the line of the Manassas Gap branch of the Virginia Midland Railway, laid over all night at Manassas and went up the road next morning on a freight train. Hereafter it will go up the road on the passenger train the same evening it leaves Alexandria.

A member of the late State Democratic Convention of Virginia in this city to-day says that he has attended many previous similar conventions but never a more orderly and quiet one, or one in which there was less trickery. He said all the speeches were good, and that some, that of Mr. Holt of Surry, for instance, would have reflected credit upon a Senate. He says that Parson Massey came there with only two counties at his back, but that by his speech he won the whole convention.

The office seekers who will fail to receive appointments during the next six days will have to bide their time until about the middle of next October, as the President will leave here towards the end of next week and will be absent a long time, and will not resume the consideration of applications for office for some time after he shall have returned.

The President to-day received a telegram from Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, saying that he was in Portland, Oregon, when he received word of his selection as one of Gen. Grant's pall bearers, and that he had started immediately for New York.

Attorney General Garland, to whom the Secretary of the Interior referred the question of the power of the Interior Department to authorize the Indians to lease their lands for grazing purposes, has transmitted to Secretary Lamar, an opinion in effect that no such power exists under the law.

One hundred and eighty-eight fourth class postmasters have been appointed to-day.

THE MOON.—The August moon fulls on the 25th. She is in conjunction with Neptune on the 4th, with Saturn on the 7th, and on the same evening Mars. The conjunction is invisible, but the waning moon will be near the two planets on the morning of the 7th. The new moon on the 11th is in conjunction with Jupiter, on the 12th with Jupiter, and four hours later with Venus. The crescent moon and evening star, though not very near each other, will be fair to see on the evening of the 12th. On the 13th she is in close conjunction with Uranus, and on the 31st she is in conjunction with Neptune for the second time in the month.