National Republican., 1873-11-26
HALLS or ani.n AND LILA,
The Near.At Hand sessiou-An Oa-Haud
Portrait of our National Capitoi-Its Iu-
tcrior Daring Night Debate.

The Near.At Hand sessiou-An Oa-Haud
Pertrnit of our National Capitol-Its Iu-
tcrior During n Night Debate.
tFrom the Daily Graphic
WAsffsuroS, lsI9.-Room for the FJrty.thri
Congressi Approaching land many already here)
the makers OF the national laws and Of all the
aIl'important rules Of finance aud commerce aud
taxation will soon formally convene In their
grest rooms Of lilac and gold. The close-at-
hand -seslon OF isI1-Ti IL being prepared for,
and there arc fresh carpets. new and more nu.
merous desk', and an active army Of painters.
carpenters and upholsterers raising dust and
noise, and making ready, or rather finishing up,
In every part OF the grand edl1ce. -. ]
The spectacle is significant one. From busy
New England, with Its factories, fisheries, teem-
lag villages and towns; from the wealthy aud
populous Empire State; from Pennsylvania, 70.
gion Of Iron aud coal and oil; from Ohio aud the
prairie States and the States that the large lakes
lave; from Missouri and ksusas; from California
and the broad land, towards the Western shore;
and from virginia, Tennessee and Texas, and the
regions OF cotton and sugar; from all the far
and separate parts and locaiitics-Atlantlc. Ia.
lue, the Mississippi valley, and so down to the
Mexlcsn gnlf-come vending their way to Cap
iiol liill the representatives OF the people, aud
the centennial of lis birth and growth.
AutI Mullo lntefebt ami nttcntlOn are so gefe-
rally directed to the forthcoming session OF Con.
gress, trtsnsined by the Cuban news and the
financial problems,) aud whilc there are so many
current scenes Of the national edince would be
new aud opportune, we feel sure the following
portrsithre of some OF these scenes, and Of the
great hall OF the Capitol, aud Characteristic
debate init, Will be acceptable TO all. Our object
10 70 take the reader. as u were, personally with
| us, tuever mindng the wet mighty ascend the
| stsps, ana out OF the iurnlte and varied shows
u Unirt rIWayq bp offered nv n longer
| shorter aession OF the Houses, select one occu.
pyibr ffktn two TO three hours, the view OF
both Of me building aud the methods Of legisla.
OF all who visit Washington, probably nine
character and poinis Of the ruSic baidinss. The
| Capitol
MrsTB SEEN At MIGHT, WE'LL LIT rr.
lie or ske who has not so seen it has not fully
seen it % all. II may also be said that the most
| characteristic session Of the Representatives u
end Of the session, continued after dark, on
some important, wel-contested topic. Very
different are they from the dull and prosy day
Then ssyeyn9g Jumps q me ,hg spseSss p@s,s
| and the place Is full OF nerve and magnetism.
It is thctafore, to such night session and such
debate In the past that we invite the reader to
All parts OF the Capitol-rotunda, corridors,
| stalrways, with the House and Senate Chambers,
Il
when brilliantly lit up-veIy different from their
/ dim appearance by day. They oil need good
deal OF minute study. by day the larger propor-
where It Is TOO dark TO sec It's nne design and
| finish, and surprising beauty OF color. Indeed,
Il Ia this latter particular Of color that the nte-
rlors OF the Capitol get their best effects. Plcn-
tltul gas-ilght has magical result upon all.
Think Of the difference In theatre and all Its
scenery whetheryou view II by night or by day;
only here everything Ia perfect and eennine
work and material, and no sham.
THE FLAG (As NEVER SEEN BKFoRE)
Passing down Pennsylvania avenue and en-
tering the Capitol grounds, the lrst thing that
strikes one u thr ado, beautiful and spiritual,
up sloft there, out OF the darkness floating
with the spangled blue and the white stars illu-
minated, delicate, yery singular and clear, while
all below Is mass OF shade. Our nag looks
well everywhere, bat Is never seen TO more ad-
vantage than heaning there In the darkness, as
n emapatiug Its own light above the great dusky
outlines OF the architecture Of the Capitol.
there are several long lights. The rotnnda
! maEes nne show tonight. There are groups
! OF people around the old pictures In the panels
The dome towers In Its unsnrpassedly perfect
proportions, and you stop TO look ut the AineTi
! can mythology frcscoed on the ceiling.
You psss along through the, old hall OF the
. House OF Represcntatlves-now beginning to HI
peopled With statues, surrounded by the heavy
, columns Of notified marble. aud overlooked by a
} colossal and helmeted LibeTty-and entering the
tion makes itself at once apparent. You nfs
notice the pavements you are treading on. en-
, caustic ties, pottery, In colors burnt in-creaip
panding leaves, centre. pieces tesselations-ver,
, beautlful-all through The passages. You scaI
! the great window and door frames OF bronze
and stair-rallings leading below, and chande
tiers, aud broad marble 6aluslrades, either pur,
white or fecked with salmon hurs or chocolate
or pale blue. H'
TUE sorrnwEsr sTAncisH.
You stand q long while to look at the supeil
ana massive staircase that ascends to the CALLER
OF the House OF Representatives, and q longe
while at Emanuel Leutze's great painting |,
iFesco up there on the wall, intended 10 illus
trate thssldea. westward the Star Of Emplr
takes its Way ian emikrant train on the ridge
Of the Rocky nountainsN Nou view both stair
case and r,cture from many points, and feel tha
yon will have to come again to really aesor
alze that here is real grandeur, real architecture
real ART apd that, altogether, IL Y about as mue
as yod can hold for the nonee. Take In well thi
spot-the marble, the fresco, the mass OF coort
the great balustIade, the polish. the spaclou'
ness and finish, the forms 80 free. the imperia
lines and curves-for you will never meet thei
As before said, we cannot better g,ys tina
specimen sample which prbbably best Illustrate
life in the huge White Palace on Capitol I'LL
than by furnishing our readers, as we now pro
ceed to DO, with a running psn-and-ink sketcl
(taken on the apopof n q &. 10
ABrpy Sinnr SESSION
in the House OF Representatives towards th
close Of q late Congress, comprising hot q,
bate on the proposed isisrnal Revenue Isx oil
the Whole on Amendments, TO get the bill int
shape. OF course the friends OF various Intel
eats and PrSdSSss IN SCI
ues are az stale, tA!l comes hack Al last 70 pro
dncts and tsxes.) Tue speeches nro llmited I,
ten minutes-or perhaps nyc-and the bang Q
the Ravel-hammer, at the verge OF the Instant
comes down sometimes with ludicrous effect
Honorable members are remorselessy choppe
right IN two Copies q The s IT, =. white quart 2
desks Of all the members, and are often anxiousl
scanned. 10 the galleries also many Of the " US
general and peculiar rrstling. The whole soec
tacle soon gets to be interesting and even exclt
ing. In fact, the stimulus and magnetism Of
'I's sss 'i:Sp s a. dsss aud Az se1s sese
night.
THH GREAT HALL ANN THR DEBATE.
We hAse entered from the uppsr lobby, threng
noiselen door, opened for US BY slent door
OF s.sfs 20 'sas'w aas Hp
proportional square room, here At night ye
more resplendent than day, while not light
VISIBLE g so%ss from ST ,as sss iSs shaaS
room 70 be 100 feet long, 100 wide, and 4s hlgi
But the light-such plentiful, strong hoods, We
50 soft the galleries around nd US 81 are inll,th
"
drink u the spectacle We have satisfied sens
Y Of oolor-gold, violet, drab, and so On. Over III
Speakers seat are crossed two American legs
| span new, and rather garish. (Cou,dnt they 1n
some old battle-nags TO put there that had asso
clations7) On one side is full'length pictur
Of Washington apd on the other OF lafayette.
As we said. the TAX bill and Its internal revsnu
provisions are under discussion 10 short, Unite,
speeches. Things aro noisy aud cOlloqual
Amid the din VIC hear the acting Chairman
a humble rapidly about an amendment TO a
: smenduient, &C. A middle.aaed acting clerk
doubtiess one OF the best fellows In the world
but with voice liks horse, reals away wha
the members send up 10 him by the himblG
footed pages, their amendments, additions, &c.
But, leaving amendments aud clerk aud chaii
| attention 70 the room and Its htments. Is 1t no
most rich and spacious? Lock At the panels, tn,
frames, the color, there break In some tint
!. Ayes, and then long, rolling storm Of No-ol
n upin the eeneres, esreclAlly the furthe
lcosneSA deep, TAieylnG sfadovS-tthe gentle
man ~ veTmont>-there, down below grea
chatter and confusion: the green doors witt
white knobs, as they continually and noiselessll
. open, evldeauy lead 70 all sorts, OF richly
flniahed apartments, for the luxurious use
the members. More thin Ayes and anothe
The ceiling overhead attracts us, full Of bur
nished aud dead gilt, inside an area OF panels 0
carvsd, and with irodbing keavy Knobs, {bsng
hang bang from the acting ehalrmans ham
mer1 look you, q member Is speaking there, hi
left hand holding the printed tax bill, his rlgh