The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-06-10
Reception Of the chinese Embassy
hx the House of RepresentatIves.

Republic. The day overhead was one Of
genial temperature, fair and balmy, and every.
way quite auspicious for the noteworthy and
important occasion.
As we anticipated, an immense crowd was
eongregated In the spacious galleries Of the
House and corridors leading thereto, long be.
fore the hour for the reception Of the Embassy,
and, a. usual, the ssntler and fsirer portion Of
humanity predominated In numbers over their
stsrnsr brothers, all rushing and squeezing 10
to obtain . good look at the orisntals and en-.
voys from the kingdom OF flowers and land Of
the sun. 49,.
tllos O'Clock, Col. ordwsy, Sergesnt-at.
Arms Of the House, announced "the Chinese
Embassy. - Speaker Colfax directed the Clerk
who had just commenced reading the "Jour.
nsl"-to "suspend;' thereupon the COMMITTEES,
consisting OF Gen. Banks, Gen. Schenck, and
Hon. James Brooks, appointed BY the Speaker
to conduct the members OF the Embassy to the
House, escorted the ENJOYS and secretaries up
the centre aisle to the semi-circle In front OF
the reporters desk, wher seats were provided
for them, all the members raising In their
seats a. they walked up the aisle, General
Sehenck having charge of His Exceilency,
Arson Burling smej Gen. Banks, Chih Tagin;
Hon. Mr.. Brooks, Sun Tagin, assistant ENJOYS,
and the other members Of the Embassy follow.
ing up In the order named. Captain Leary
Brown, English Secretary, with Mandarin
Teh; Mons. de Champs, French Secretary,
with Mandarin Fung and the Chinese Russian
interpreter and Chinese physician brought In
the rear. Gen. Schenck introduced the ENJOYS
to Speaker Colfax, when that gentleman, in
behalf OF the House OF Representatives and
the nation which they represented, extended
to their exeellencies q cordial welcome, in q
highly appropriate and well.timed speech,
(which will be found In another columnD also,
Mr.. Burlingame's happy response, one worthy
Of the man and the occasion.
At the conclusion Of the reception speeches
the members OF the House were introduced,
Individually, to the ENJOYS and attaches. At
some old familiar face Of the House-of which
Mr.. Burlingame was formerly a member him.
self-there was q hearty and vigorous shake
VI the hand, Of the "pump.handle" order. The
members Of the House were somewhat eager
to be introduced to the embassy, crowding
round them six deep, making the atmosphere
warm, and causing the Celestials to use. their
fans as rapidly and as dexterously as a nirt.
ing belle OF the evening. Msndarins Teh and
Fung received an unusual amount OF atten-
tion, from the fact that they are well tutored
and versed in the Easlish vernacular, which
was great deal more familiar to the mem
bers' ears than broken China, and the ques.
tions propounded to them about China and the
Chinese, and various other suggestive sub
jects,were hastily put and As quickly responded
to.
After the ceremony OF Introduction ended
the regular legislative business was proceeded
with, the ENJOYS and attaches being seated IL
the chairs provided for them. Stiil the mem
bers remained collected around the embassa
doris, and as soon as 1t was discovered tina
they could write In Chinese, they were imme
diately besieged by the wide-awake pages ant
also by members OF the House, for their auto
graphs, in q csligraphy which to them wal
akin to Egyptian hieroglyphics. Opprcssively
hot as 1t was, they were kept hard at wori
writing "broken China" until Mr.. Burling
sme made a motion to retire, when Gen
Banks conducted the ambassadors to the
Speakers room, where they encountered I
crowd Of fair rousins-(for "one touch Of na
ture makes all the earth akin"p-congregate
there to inspect the Oriental fashions and pa,
their respects to those, the nrst minister
from the land Of Confucius to the Unite,
States, or In fact any other nation. Her
another shaking Of olive-colored hands W IL
|
interchange OF compliments followed, and
| fusilade Of questions and small talk, whicl
| the quick suggestive minds Of our readers car
more readily picture and imagine than we car
hnd time to set II down.
From the Speakers room the Embassy wer,
| escorted to the various points of interes
about the Capitol, excepting the top OF the
dome, the ascent OF which was postponed unit
some other day. The Celestials were highl!
pleased with what they saw and the attention
shown them. Last night they dined with tn
President ofthe United States, and rem aine
until midnight. To-day they visit Mount Yer
non on a revenue cutter placed at their dispo
sition by Secretary Seward.
The Election OF John +. Cook, ESQ
Asa contest has sprung up and is likely Il
be continued upon the question OF the right o
MIR. Cook to his seat In the Board OF Aldermen
| he Claims, and will claim, that, In accordanc
with the right OF a majority OF the Board t.
judge Of the qualifications of its own,members
he Is entitled to his seat; and also, by virtu,
| OF the provisions OF the following bill intro
duced by Mr.. Sumner:
"a Bin for the further security of equa
rights In the District of Columbia.
BE enacted, &C., That the word white
| wherever IT occurs In the laws relating to tn
District OF Columbia, or In the charter or OF
| dinances Of the cities Of Washington or George
town, and operates as a limitation on the righ
| Of any elector OF said District, or Of either O
said cities to hold any office or to be seiecte
hereby repealedi and It shall be unlawful 70
| any person or ofif,cr to enforce or attempt /
enforce said Limitation after the passage ofthi
| act"
This bill passed the Senate December 9Th
and the House Of Representatives on the 10th
and was presented to the Executive on tn
18th. In the meantime there was recess. ]
was held that the recess was equivalent to
final adjournment and that, therefore, the bill
did not become a law. Mr.. Cook claims tina
1t was but temporary adjournment or reces
and being such, any bill In the hands Of tn
Executive must have been returned with
veto within tea days, otherwise 1t became
law by the failure to veto.
| THERE HAS DEEM SOME talk about a con
promise between the President and Congress
So far as we can learn It does not amount /
much. We understand on pretty good autho
ity, however, that the President has dste
mined to let such legislation on the part ,
Congress as he cannot approve slide, or /
other words, instead Of the veto, he will Rllo
the acts to become laws without his signature
1T is STATED THAT MR. SBELBY, proprietG
Of the Metropolitan Hotel, was before MI
Buffers committee yesterday, and that tn
money late In the hands Of Mr.. woolley wa
produced, 1t having been, as we said yeste
| day, on deposit In the safe al one Of our hotel
tMetropolitan.) The money was counted an
found to amount to ti7,loo.
Caucus OF SEN AToRs.-A caucus Of the r,
publican Senators WAS held yesterdav morn
ing In the reception room, In reference to Sen
IA