The Republican journal., 1876-02-17
Letter from Washington.

I'LL congress IN session, w aSllHStOH
is happy. Just what this fair city would
be without Congress one dislikes to think.
With it, it is one of the jolliest, gayest,
most exciting of places for about one half
the year. The recognition Of all this al
Turing round of pleasure, this constant
succession of novelties and new faces, and
the feverish thirst to be one of the gay
gilded throng, and mingle, il only for a
while, in the fascinating dazzling lite is
more and more apparent every year in the
throngs of idlers that come in increasing
numbers, seeking happiness and amuse-
ment in the glttering restless, ever-chang-
ing attractions. Visiting the Capitol and
its Congressional Halls. the first naturally
suggested query is where do they all come
from ?-but the answer is readily to be
found in the vast extent of the country, in
its iorty-tour millions of population, and
the numberless easy, convenient and com
parativcly cheap modes Of travelling. The
House and Senate galleries with seating
capacity Of two thousand or more, are
nearly always filled to their utmost capac-
ity, whilst upon the floor of both legsa-
tive branches, in the cloak and committee
rooms, corridors, library, rotunda and Su-
preme Court room, as in fact through all
the departments and public places, crowds
OF well dressed, apparently nothing-to do
visitors are continually coming and going
The House seems always the ultimate
point Of everybodys wanderings, drawn
thither, no doubt, by the more frequently
recurring opportunities, than are to be
found in the slower and more stately Sen
ate, for witnessing a regular Congression-
upon his teet and commences the task of
demolishing his political opponent in
fourthlies and filthlies. by first heaping
him with all sorts of honorary titles and
supplementary adjectives, such as "My
honored friend, My respected colleague
etc, etc. always grading bis politeness by
the amount of abuse he intends to put on
atterward
For the better understanding of the eX-
act positions of these Olympian hurlers OF
the intellectual thunder and Lightning, as
they stand under the admiring glances of
the ladies and lazzaroni of the galleries,
shaking their little bills at the hurrying
pages and busy Mr. Speaker, or popping
an unexpected whereas upon the "other
side of the House." one must imagine an
immense hall, parailclogram in shape, of
and thirty-nine feet long. ninety-three feet
wide and thirty six feet high. On the south
side of this hall, is the platform holding
the Speakers and Clerks desks, raised
three feet above the surrounding floor
From the wall on the Speakers right, to
the wall on his left, run the seven semi
circular rows of desks tor the members,
furnishing three hundred and two seats,
arranged in groups Of two and three in
the front, and three and four towards the
back circles. From the front of the Speak
er's desk extends the broad or main aisle,
which divides the desks and also the House,
that part to the right Of the Speaker being
known as the Democratic side OF the House
and that on the left the Republican On
either side of the Main aisle are still four
other narrower passages leading from the
semi circular space in front to the floor
beyond the outer circles OF seats, where
sofas and lounging chairs are placed for
the visitors who are entitled to, or may
get permits to this privileged position OF
the hall. The seats and desks of polished
oak are also numbered commencing from
the wall and goingto the centre aisle, then
back again to the wall, and 50 on, one
hundred and iiity-one members on either
side. On the Democratic part Of the House,
the first, or front row of seats, twelve in
number, are occupied by Messrs Hewitt,
Odell, and Schumacher of New York, Cald-
well Of Tennessee, Vance of North Carroll
ma, Clymer of Pennsylvania, Bright of
Tennessee, Cox of New York, Holman of
Indiana, Blount of Georgia, and Milliken
Of Kentucky, in the order written; thus
Cox has Holman for his right hand neigh
Dor, and Bright on his left. Directly back
of him is Randall Of Pennsylvania, so that
this trinity of Democratic captains may
consult each other without leaving their
desks. Proctor Knott, the great humorist
OF the House and country, and chairman of
the Judiciary Committee, has desk number
eighteen, and is thus brought directly back
Of Vance, making with Clymer, another
trio of leaders in close proximity. Wad
dell of North Carolina is Just across the
aisle from Knott, and in the same circle of
seats are Swami of Maryland, and Hunton
of Virginia. In the fourth CT middle cir
Gle near the centre of the House is Fer
nando Wood, and the famous opponent OF
Ben. Butler, John Young Brown, and in
the next circle three seats back from Knott
w. X, Morrison, the chairman Of the Ways
and Means Committee is to be seen Frank
Jones of New Hampshire is in the same
circle, five desks back from Cox Sayler
of Ohio, Tarbox of Massachusetts,. Ander-
son of Illinois, who claims with Banks the
honor of being the only independent no
party member in the House, and Goode of
Virginia. all have desks upon the outer
circle. Lutrell of California, and Lamar
of Mississippi, as we'll as many other dem
ocrats, are accommodated on the repub-
lican side, having numbers sixteen and
seventeen, whilst Banks occupies the cigh-
teenth making conspicuous trio at the
left of the Speaker that are always eager
ly enquired for by strangers. A little far
ther round toward the broad aisle, but in
this same circle of seats are Frye of Maine,
and ropmor of Mi,b;roo nc,