Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-22
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Fwashingten oerrsspoadsncs clncinnAti Gazette:
The selections Of seats BY members Of
the House coming on the same day with
the Presidents message, has naturally been
~overlooked but it presented several pleas
ant and amusing features. The members,
It must be remembered, ara al sent In
crowd outside the bar. Then their names,
on separate slips of paper, are shaken up
in a box, from which a-blindfolded boy
proceeds to daw, while the Clerk reads OF
the lucky ones in their order, and they
proceed 70 make choice of the desks. Near
the center of the right hand segment of
the hall IS considered the most
eligible location, at once for having
the [ aio1ists all around for being easily
heard ald for catching the Speakers eye.
Here by one of the small aisles has been
Thsd. Stevens seat from time immemo-
rial. When the old man was not fortu-
nate n having an early choieeyit was al
ways a point of courtesy to reserve this
desk for him. This time to the general
mystifcati0n, his name was the first read
out; and amid a general roar he hobbled
down to the familiar spot. ( Everybody
felt sure that he had in some way cheated
IN the drawing; but he bore bis luck
as he called it, With such a janhty air as to
greatly delight thelHouse, over whom he
tyranizes, and whom he has taught not to
venture often on the liberty of questioning
his performances. oil 5ads h1g Lgas4g
Last year General Garfelds was the
first name down. This time his good for
tune still attended him, and he got choice
among the earliest. He took a seat back
of Stevens, by the side oflthe one which
Schenek had hitherto occupied Present.
" Morrills name was drawn, and he took
the seat Immediately behind Stevens and
beside Garfield. This left Morrilps old
seat beside Stevens vacant and, to every
body1s surprise, Nh. fGrfnnell, of Iowa,
soon got it. Washburne took his old seat
across the isle from Stevens, and behind
him, opposite Morrill,, HenryJ. Raymond
established himself. Schenck was late in
getting q choice, but was still able to Sc
son, of Iowa, Chairman of the Judiciary,
who has hitherto sat with Washburne,
was exiled to the outer row of desks, near
the barber shop, by the hard decision of
the lot. Judge Plantz was, for a new man,
fortunate. He got the old seat of Cakes
Ames, almost in front of the Speaker, on
the Union side = old a-
A number Of Unionists who werelatest
in being drawn, marched over in a body
to the corresponding front rows on the
Democratic side, and took possession of
them in force. Among the faithful thus
colonized are Hooper, Of Boston, John A.
Bingham, Col. Deming, of Connecticut,
Roscoe Conkling, and other prominent
members. Bggleston, Hays and several
other new hands, carried the war still fur
Their into Africa, and are back on what
used to be the Democratic right centre,
where they form on the flank of James
Brooks. Most of the Kentuckians are in
the same neighborhood.s Massachusetts is
pretty well grouped along the aisle lead
ing from the door. on the extreme right
down to the Speakers chair. Near the
front, on this aisle, sits the man who once
presided with such distinction over the
House, Nathaniel P. Banks.
The poor Democrats are hardly used.
They are driven from all the fasorite seats
OF their own side, and are gathered in a
forlorn-looking, broken-ranked formation
toward the centre and outer benches of
the half of the House they used to fill. In
front of them are Unionists, and on each
side of them are Unionists and the very
cloak room which they used to hold as
special property, has been overrun by the
invader. Poor, stranded relics of a form
er era, they are left TO witness the
food wash over their most cherished
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