The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-03-12
CONGRESS. |
scenes ana Incidents Attending rs Closing
Honrs


The close OF the Forty tlHd Congress
was unmarked in the Howe " special
incidents, save that which flowed the
final address of Speaker Blnia When
his last words and the hamnefell, there
was scene which the Oldest lembers of
Congress DO not remember tbave ever
witnessed in the hall OF 10 House.
DIembers-elect, ladies, IN visiting
strangers thronged the floonyery foot of
which was occupied. As ha beech con-
cluded, the immense audl1ce on the
floor and in the gallaries mffested the
greatest enthusiasm, and 4ered until
it seemed as if the applaus you'd never
end. Blaine himself, rehd pushing his
gayel and his chair, deebded to the
desk of the reading cldf and was so
moved by this spontaneous manifestation
of nen-partisan approve That for mo-
ment this strong man bGfd his head to
conceal his emotions.
Just prior to the ajournment the
Maine delegation in Cogess had placed
on the Speakers tabl b large morocco
jewelrycase containin;h present from
that delegation as Acknowledgment
of their high regard. Jhe case contained
a silver gayel and tanlafd.
An amusing ipcidgt of the closing
minutes was the Sispqsch of messengers
from the House to tie Senate with the
enrolled bills, in ordec that they might
receive the signatures II the Vice-Presi-
dent and the President before Congress
should end. House pages, as the bills
We're hastily signed and presented to the
House by the Speaker, would snatch
them one by one, dash. through the
crowd i'll the main aisle, traverse the
length of the Capitol and arrive breath
less at the Senate Chamber. Gen. Chip
man, delegate in Congress, closed his
career by acting in this capacity. A bill
to incorporate the Inland and Seaboard
Coast Company of this District, which
passed the Senate last session, had re-
ceived verbal amendment in less than
ten minutes before the Congress eX-
pired. The House concurred. In this
brief space, the bill would become dead
document or law. Chapman previously
enItlled il with his own hand, had it APP
prdred by the Committe on EArolled
Blk, presented it to the Speaker, and
snaching it with the signature undIied,
himself ran with the bill to the Senate
and saved it, it being signed by the Pres
ideat rs the minute-hand reached the
hour of noon. This incient was not
without It's lesson upon the House. It
showed, as the most experienced legis-
lators are agreed, that the present method
of enrolling bills and the processes OF
final legislation are exceedingly imperfect
and dangerous. The enrolling-clerks of
Congress for the last forty-eight hours
have sat at their desks without sleep, and
almost without food, engaged in enamel
ing upon the cumbersome parchment the
bills which became the basis OF the laws
of the land. Last year, slip of o comma
in this parchment enrolment cost the
Treasury millions of dollars in the silk
ribbon cases. The miracle is that those
clerks, working with almost superh'lniaatn
energy in the closing hours, DO not MAKE
blunders of the gravest character. In OIL
this haste, every must be dotted and
crossed, and compared with the original
bills. This is done under the super
vision of standing committee of both
houses. No one who should watch these
processes of enrolment would fail to dis
cover an opportunity for intentional
fraud. The pressure of time is too great
for knavery. The danger is from the
accidents incident to haste and fatigue.
1t was remarked by the Oldest enroll
ing clerks that never III the history OF
Congress have so many large bills been
presented for enrolment or completed
in so short time.
1t is not possible tonight to state in
exact figures the aggregate amount OF
money appropriated at this session OF
Congress. The Clerks of both houses
are so entirely overcome by the exhaust
ing labors of continuous session OF
nearly three days and three nights that
the footing has not been made. A very
near approximation, however, is posi-
BILE. The approximate appropriations,
from which it is thought the official foot
ings viii show very slight deviations, are
these