The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-16
The Inanguraiion Ball.

cussion:
By unanimous consent the House con,
current resolution granting the use ol
the rotunda and certain other poFtions
of the Capitol for the use of the man
ayers of the inauguration ball was taken
up. .;
Mr.. Grimes asked an explanation.
Mr.. Fessenden said the committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds had al
ready considered the matter, and were
all but unanimouS in favor OF II. Ii
was for tho unofficial ceremonies at
tending the Inauguration, the ball &c,
and it was impossible Tor hulIalhS u
be put up large enough: oc
MIR. Sumner suggested the Patent VI
fee: il had been used four years ago.
Mr. Cattell said tho Patent Office was
full of old traps, which could not be re-
moved.
Mr.. Pomeroy asked if there was any
law which obliged ball to be heldi
Mr.. Fessenden replied that there was
a law so far as public opinion was con-
cerned. =,
Mr.. Cameron thought no good could
come of this matter, and he opposed
the Senate taking any part IN this use
less pageant. He did not want any ball
or any dance in these halls. When
Jefferson was inaugurated be got on his
horse, rode up to the capitol, hitched
his horse to a stake and walked into the
Senate chamber and took the oath, and
then went home again.
Mr.. Nye asked if there was anything
to prevent General Grant from doing the
same thing if he conld find the stake 7
Laughter. =.
Mr.. Cameron was willing to pay his
of ball expenses; supposed 1t
would cost them $50 apiece: he did not
mind this, but he did not want any of it
in the Capitol. Four years age we were
disgraced in this chamber in the eyes of
the world, and the foreign ministers in
suited, and although he had no fear of
a repetition of this scene, he thought
it was better to avoid all these ceremO.
nies. The next thing we might have a
President who would come up here and
demand to have q ball in the Capitol.
Mr.. Trumbull thought it exceedingly
inappropriate to hold ball in this
building. 1t was said that there would
be no liquor in here, but he apprehend-
ed that liquor could be obtained very
near, and it was not desirable to have
any bacchanalian orgies in the Capitol.
Mr. Ferry thought it very meet to
have a merry making at the inaugura-
tion. and saw no objections TO the cVTe-
mouy taking place here. The whole
kuildinp would be under the control of
the sergeant. alarms of the two houses,
who had most efficient police under
their charge.
Mr.. Sumner said the question was not
whether TO have the ball, but whether
that ball should be held in this Capitol.
This +, solution was essentially bad in
itself. and would set bad precedent.
Peoplq would want to dance ut other
times than the Inauguration, and there
would be no end to the applications
that would be made for the use OF the
Capitol for dance.
Mr.. Patterson, of New Hampshire, be.
loved it would offend the prejudices of.
A large portion of the American people
to give up this building to such a pur-
pose. lie would sooner dance in tent.
Mr.. Fesseudar-Can'g got one big
enough.
Mr.. Patterson-Wcll, then, let them
lance under the tent OF Heaven.
Mr.. Hendricks asked whether the
Capitol had ever before been used as
lance housef
Mr.. Nye was sorrow that the rel'Etoue
Dreiudices of the Senator from New
had been aroused, but they
had scriptural authority for dancing.
There had been dancing before the ark,
dancing after coming out of the Red
Sea, and various other times when
dancing was permitted.
Mr.. Doolittle asked if there had ever
been dancing pursuant to act OF Con-
gress Laughter.
Mr.. Patterson, OF New Hampshire,
asked if it would not be proper to have
an amendment providing for show in
connection with the other ceremonies;
the Black Crook for instance.
Mr.. Nye-There have been many
worse shows here than the Black Crook.
Mr.. Doolittle asked if the Senator did
not know that large portion Of the
people of the United States, who owned
the Capitol as much as we, were op-
posed to danCiug-the Presbyterians,
BaptistS and MctA0d;sts particularly.
Mr.. Nye was born 20 Presbyterian, was
iudicially u Baptist, by habit an Epis-
copaliau, and by inclination Metho
dist, great laughter; but despite all
this, and old as he was, lie felt like
dancing himself. ILaughtcr.l He i'm
agined that the great trouble with his
friend (Mr. Doolittle) was that the
dance was for General Grant. Laugh
ter.
Mr.. Cameron thought it would be
much better for all concerned to have
the bail somewhere else. No liquors
were to be had here it is said, and this
would make it very dull; for a dry dance
is no dance at all, Laughter.
Mr. Cenkling remarked that undoubt-
edly large part of tie American people
would regard the giving up Of the Cap
itol to ball as most inappropriate.
The ball would be held of course, wheth
or it was held here or not, and General
Grant could certainly be inaugurated in
presence of the constitution and laws,
even if no ball was held.
Mr.. Fessenden could see no harm at
all in letting the parties have the Capt.
tol. His moral and religious sensibili-
ties might be very obtuse, but he could
see no danger in it, and those who
thought the Capitol might be deSecrat
ed could stay away.
Mr.. Wilson did not think it proper to
give up the rotunda, where John Quincy
Adams fell and our martyred President
lay, to the dance.
Mr.. Yates would welcome the iuaugu-
ration of General Grant with bonfres
and bells, and cannon, but ne did not
want to give up the rotunda for ball .
MIR. Morton believed it would be Just
as appropriate for the gentlemen hav-
ing this ball in charge to apply to the
vestry of any church for the use of their
church building for ball as to ask for
the rotunda. He had no objection to a
ball whatever, but there was propriety
in all things.
The question was taken on the con.
current resolution, when it was rejected
Rousseau in Battle.
From the Dayton Journal
At Stone River, he commanded tn,
reserve division under General Thomas