Litchfield enquirer., 1858-07-15
From the Washington Union, June 29ih. SALE OF THE CHAIRS IN THE OLD

From the " ashington Union, June 29ih.
 SALE OF THE CHAIRS IN THE OLD
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
 Notwithstanding the sacred memories which cluster around the old hall of Represent atives, the sanctity which it has obtained by reasone the great deeds accomplished whithn it's walls, there was a scene witnessed there yesterday morning entirely unprecedented. In that grand old place eloquence of Clay, Calhoun, has charmed-and electrified the nation, but never before has the full, round voice of the auction eer appealed to the cupidity or acqaisitiyeness of an audience. Devoted exclusively to the legislation of the whole Union, who could have thought that the time would cone when all its appointments would be sold under the hammer to the highest bidder
 By ten o'clock at least one hundred persons were in the. hall, a number of them ladies. The interest manifested fn the sale the patience with which the spectators and the purchaser followed the auctioneer from desk to desk and chair to chair sWas worthy of imitation. The furniture waseof solid mahogany, and the pr- ces, instead of being uncommonly lew, exceed ed the expectations of many who thought to paocure great bargains. A considerable DOT tion of it was ill a damaged condition, and so great was.the .coinpetition, where competition asIast expected that single arm chair with writing accompaniment was knocked down at ten dollarsand . quarter, instead of the five or six dollars that the purchaser had made up his mind to give. These old chairs, many of them with screws loose, brought an average of three daitarss apiece; and the carpet was sold at about eight cents yard.
 The ope1ing announcement of the auetion= ger, Mr. Fishcr-" terms cash, nothing .deliy- cred until paid for"-we feared would dampen tlse spirits of bidders, but as that worthy gen tlcman commenced with andirons, (Congress- ional androas, mind you, which were knocked down at q very low figure, confidence seemed to be perfectly restored and from that time to the end of the sale there was TO fagging, no hesitation in the bidding. The first of the desks of the old members sold was that occu- pied for so many years by Hon. Joshua R. Giddngs, of Ohio, who until the last session of Congress, was remarkable for his persistent opposition to the institution of slavery and it's extension. When the desk was put up, we looked around for Black Republicans, suppos ing. that they would be. eager to obtain the prize, After moments pause, one of them went. :" Q sdollar-and-a-half,n a second feebly, cried !" dollar seventy y-ive,'" whilst third aftlcuiateu IWo uoildIS. u 4Wls lIeIc tHdt we thought the bidding would cease, so long did the .auctioneer dwell upon that word two dollars, going, going, going," but just as the words gone" was struggling for utterance, q fourth gentleman. bid " twoand-a-quartef," and tho desk was sold.
 The desk and chair occupied by Hon. John Quincy Adams brought $50. The bidding for this. furniture was quite animated, and it was remarked by the by-standers, that in Massa- chllsetts it would command $500. The desks occupied by Colonel Benton and Mir. McDuffie, of South Caroline. brought .$6a5 apiece the desk occupied by Colonel Brooks run up to $9, and that used by Governor Wise sold fer $7. Upon the. remainder of the furniture the bid diifg was very brisk, and the competition be- came very great. We understand that the to- tai sales amounted to between two and three klouoa nd dolarc