The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-12-21

Fly tney Woulu never otyeS' auen' '"'
facts. .-.
Please notice those elaborately carved
seats on which the members sit. Was my
thing of the kind ever more elegant They
stand in seven concentric circles, cut by
sscant isle. into ten triangular wards. The
members obtain their seats by lot. When
all these galleries are filed with we'll dress
ed ladies and gentlemen, and when the di-
plomats aud their attendants are all out in
full costume, and when all the members,
reporters, pages, porters, and other attaches
are in their places, the scene is fine beyond
description. This we saw on the day of
organization There was III Impressive
splendor about the whole thing that no pen
can paint, or tongue tell. 1t must be seen
to be appreciated.
Now, if you please, we will walk for
time in the grand corridors that surround
the galleries above, aud the Hall below
The floors are all of the finest marble and
Mosaiced in patterns of the most exquisite
beauty. The ceiling is cluster of sublime
arches hung with chandeliers of wondrous
workmanship That of the House is fiat,
but lit with forty suns formed of burning
gas At night the whole is bright as day,
and reminds one of the wonderful Temple
of Aladen. in the Arabian Nights.
1t We go into the Senate Chamber in the
other wing, it is the same thing over again,
with an additional richness and magnif-
csuce, corresponding to the superior official
dignity of that body over the House,
Those numerous empty seats on the right
Of the Speaker, remind US of the absence of
the Senators from the Southern States, and
6ll every true lover Of his country with
solemn sadness The Vice President, Mr..
Hamlin, is in the Chair. There is nothing
extraordinary about his appearance, 50 we
pass him, and listen for short time to the
speech OF small and rather aged, but
sharp man, on our right. He is speaking
in opposition to placing negro soldiers on
equality with white ones, in either pay or
exchange. He is Senator Davis, from Ken
lucky. See that bushy haired Senator sit
ting behind him and occasionally giving
derisive smile at the views expressed by
the speaker. 1t is Sumner, Of Massachu-
setts-a man crazed for years with negro
phobia. And that man on our right, not
far from Sumner, is Ben. Wade, from Ohio,
one of the widest abolition radicals Of the
day.
Since this whole body is negro-mad, let
US go out-and down these marble stairs OF
virgin purity-and along, for great distance
this lovely Hall where we jostls many well
dressed persons as we pass, and through nu.
merous doors that shut Of themselves be
hind Us with crack, into the Supreme
Court room, where we see Chief Justice
Tauey, with host Of assistants on the
bench, presiding over matters OF real or
supposed momentous magnitude Time has
left its traces on the dear old gentleman.-
Soon he must leave all this royal pageant
and go to the marrow house appointed Tor
all living" and himself stand before the
Supreme Judge Of the Universe to be with
others condemned or acquitted of the deeds
done here in the body. Solemn reflection.
Come now into the Librarv-How calm and
still it seems here, shut out as it is from the
hum of the Halls. What books! wonder
full, wonderful Of making them, there
seems, indeed, to be no end. Did Solomon
ever see so many volumes? Doubtful
The sigh. Of thee numerous and well-hlled
alcoves makes one feel as though he had
never read anything! 1t humbles him
Well, humility is rarely in exercise about
the Cspitol-it won't hurt US.
If we go over to the West verandab,
which commands a fine view Of the city, and
Georgetown, and Alexandria, and the Po-
tomac. the Russian feet and Arlington
Heights, with an endless number of camps,
forts, barracks, hospitals, prisons, &C., &c,
and from this descend for three stories by
spiral, marble steps into the basement, where
Chief Engineer, L. W. Emmet will most
cosrteously show and explain to US the
great heating and vsntilating apparatus to
be found here, and which is wonderful in IT
self, put in motion by steam, and involving
ten miles Of heated metallic pipe; and con
suming five tons of anthracite daily to fur
nish carbon suAcient TO warm the rooms
and Halls Of this mammoth establishment.
If, / say, you walk for an Lour IN these
places, you will be astonished at the mag
nitude of the scale on which everything
here seems to be done.
Another long walk amid the colonade
porticos of the East front will serve only
to increase. rather than diminish our adml-
ration, wonder or amazement of the mag
uitude and magnifcence of this huge, cost,
ly, national structure. 1t is worth travel
Of thousand miles to see it, and week
study 20 understand it. But We weary and
SO does the reader. Let US rest, and resume
our walks at another time: for other won
ders are 10 be seen. NJ.