The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-01-08
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il. D. DlS PA I'll :.
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ssTHE n ALLs OF COnGR ESQ.
rtsasew senate Chamber at Warrington 10
ERASED ~ bs!pg IL good taste. elegant and com.
fossAhie--as csatsAstiag meet favcrshiy with q .
gsaay Hall on thc uouse OF Representatives TITS
- gratifying fcr II wonsd have been unfortunate
aodeed IL both the Halls Of Congress were OBJ
nex.us 10 tbs serious objections which exist
against the largest OF the two.
Tae senate IL small body, and may be accom>
modascd 10 room not too large for elaboration.
Rat the nambce Of Representatives 10 20 large
that With the present arrangements for their &C :
commodatien, their Hall must be too immense for
their o~a comfort, aud f,r the escient aad sasis.
fsesory discharge Of business. Whatever might
hare been he tasts, and however appropriate it~
st.le, II would nevcrtheless Be noDstrous arena,
more at for exploits Of Athiets than for debates
Of D Legislative assembly.
II may Be- asked how could Its proportions be
reduced whom 90 many members must be provided
fort Very plainly and easily, by banishing the
desks, those abominations Of deliberative bodies,
from the Hall. Take the decks out. and space
about one third the size Of the present apartment
wouid comfortably seat the entire body
There are more evils growing out OF the intro
dnc,jon NJ dasks oto de,iberasive bodies than
be Imagined by person who is not familiar with
the proceedings aud the duties OF such BODIES
Those little articles of furniture, which would be
conceded By nearly all to be very useful and very
convenient, aod very harmless, have produced a
revolution In every body which has adopted them.
They have spread the members over . wider sur
f.ce diminished their social Intercourse increased
tha dsiicuity Of hearing, detracted from the Dig
nifty and order of proceeding. converted the Hail
Into place for attending to private matters an1
correspondence, instead of elaboration, AID pro
n,cled delay and insccuracy in legislation.
The Hall Ia which the represen tatives meet
should never be numbered with desks. Ii 10 pre-
sumed that committee measures have been
fairly investigated and the proper bills and reports
digested and prepared. When these are reported
fcr the action of the whole body, they should be
attentively heard from the Clerks table, consd>
cred, debated and amended. Ia order that these
duties of deliberstion may be faithfully discharg
ed the minds of members should be unoccupied
with other mst.ers-they themselves should be
arranged az compactly and rs conveniently for
hearing and observing everything as possible
every member should be under the convenient OBJ
exertion, should be andibie In all parts of the
Hall, as should be tho voice of every debser. bo-
dy OF meu thus arranged aud disposed Is In con'
di,ion 10 deliberate 1t can observe, hear and NJ.
ders.and what is going on. As it cannot be other.
wise employed. 1t must attend to business and,
being compelled to devote its attention to the OBJ
Ject for which 1t was elected, it will not likely
tolerate frivolous delays and idle debate. The
If henrhes "a n the old Housa of DAfea
gates of Virginia, and in the British House of Com
mons secures these important advantages.
These are truths which We are sure every man,
familiar with the history of the Virginia Legisa-
sure for the last twenty years, will endorse. The
Introduction of desks into the House of Delegates
has completely revolutionized that body. 1t has
lost its ancient dignity and decorum. 1t has
become less genial, more selfsh,-less orderly,
and less efficient. The new constitution, by its
restrictions upon the Legislature, has increased
the evils that the desks inaugurated, aud now the
Legislature of Virginia, once model delberative
assembly, commands little respect aud no admi.
rs,i)n. .. ..
The defects, however, OF our own General A.
sembIy, dimisish greatly when compared with
those of that babel, the House of Representatives
Ia Washington. In looking upon that body, We
cannot but think how much better were the men
who occupied q smaller apartment! The CANDY
decorations of the vast Hall, suggest rather that
march In Extravagauce which keeps step with the
march of Corruption. The spectator from the
gallery cannot fall to be struck with the picture
before him. There is in it that sort of magnif1s
eence and proportion that with the hues that
prevail, give it a fash of Babylonish taste
column or two, with as many bulls to grace
them, would help the resemblance; and Martin
might easy fancy scene that would fire his mind,
aud bring out companion to the destruction Of
the cities Of the plain. Retiring from the gallery,
We glanced back on the scene-the speaker and his
platform-the groups behind him aud to the right
aud left of him--the disorsery assembly in their
gaudy chairs with their gaudy desks-and the
brilliant decorations around and above, aud 1t was
fearful to imagine upon the wall the illuminated
letters, "MEsE MEME, TEKEL UPHARsIN!"