, 1876-12-05
HISTORICAL.
CONGRESS FROM THE nEdtSHtNG or THE GOVERN
MEHT.


Special Dispoteh to 7Ae Tribune.
WAsntSGToS, u. o., ncc. 4.-Thcrc hare
been two distinct periods In the h!story OF con-
grcss, that If tho Colonial Congrcss md that Of
tho present form, provided for In the Const!tu-
tion. The first continued from Sept. 5, 1714,
until 1850, pnrt Of year later than thu latu Of
the adoption of the Federal Constitution In
1850. There have bern forty-four Congresses Of
tho new form, Of which thc SECOND sesslun Of
the forty-fonrth began to-day.
THE CONTINENTAL cokGHEs5
was comI,osul Of delegates from the th!rtfen
original Colonies. It was a creature Of c!rcum-
stances, AMI held It's meetings nj different
rtuccs, according to tho changing exf-
gcncics III tho uncertan days 'of tic
Infancy Of the new Republic 1t was he'll ut
Philadelphia, at New York. Mt baltimore, ut
LANCASTER anil Yorkstnwn, Pa, at Annapolis,
Trenton, nlltl Princeton. From several Of thcae
places 1t ,lca before armed opposition, or was
removed tn pycscryc It from tic assaults OF
foreign foe.
TIE COLONIAL. G0SHIlE3s
had for the nlost t,art but unc work to o,-to
provide the ways nnd means fur the creation Of
the 1,rH Government Which It In tsInfunt stagea
represented. That work saw the beginning
Of its eld In the signing Ut the Articles OF Gun
federation on July q, It's, by the then fnrty-
eight Representatives Of the Coouial StAtcs.
Tls WIS followed IN the sau,c yrar by t!lu Tati-
tlcati.u, in popular cnnrcntlnll. composed nt
delegates from these Colonial Status TT the
Constitution whicl. was 50 long discussed, Gen.
Washington presided At ts conssftational c.
consisted Of scycn nrtlclcs, II was speedily
approved by Congress anl submitted to tle scy-
cTal State Legislatures Tor ratification: IT, Wis
I Fn.F'a1n lat
! Important amendments. Under It's own 1'ro-
visions tic tlrst President af the United Suites
| mud tile members III the first Congress- Of the
| Aew era were elertc'l. .-...-.
| THE vllssr FEDERAL CnS0MEs..
| The first Congress .! thu new era, Congress
| nf tle Federal Constitution, assembled In New
york March 1, 1T69. There WuEe three scsslons
Of this Congress. u wl!ic!. tile tn! first were
Congress continued to asteln9lo ~ rhtladeiphia
uutil tie secuuu session 1T the Sixth Congress,
wtcu, Nov. II, 1900, TT n@corln.cc with ati MT
which i,ad neen passed. ten years betors tisat ,at
rrW Government, the sixth Congress rsafsela-
bicll at the rresclt Eat[nnal Capital. The cir
cumstauccs Intending tho passage ot t'!u net
providing for the p'r'l'a!!ellt laca1tloil =, Ut
CouGress sl,ee it, 6rsG removal here has co.,-
tlnlctl It's Sessions III thu Caplto! Building, with
The exception 1T the perlad t1hlll lolt tu l6lD,
| when, oisns to this liarttAl destruction nf thu
k4Lttol DhillllIIA ny iHo Iltlsa 1lt4.N!si &t'it-
porary quarters wGrr faund ~ tho building nu"
immediately Iaclnis tc east Capltol raF., whet'
IL used ns buarslttig.lousc.
CHANGES IN TIIE CAPITOL.
There hare been lis nluny clanIes Il, tic form
and appearance Of ti.u Captul building ttsc!f
since Its early days as there have heel III tho
outward appearance u,Ia IN the political eonlp'i'
cations Of the nation Itself. Tho present
chambers Ut thu two Houses al Congress ure nf
| comparatively modern date. They arc located
in tile nnw wings, whic. wrrc tlrst uccllptsa III
| lbIi. The e"hsons Ut tllc c.rlicr Congresses
wcru held In tho old al! now Eorlll[nG part Ut
ihu ern.tnl portion Of the present e'n'hl-
inE, Tho Senate Chanetr being Wcup!ed ny
tEsu unltet! Ssatra Supreme Court ros'Ells, atl,l
tho old llalis 1T The llousu VI Representatives
Icing devoted t., et!cetI,ns VI 4tatuary, usltl
tttslgtatcL Statunry Hall"
| yANpAL1sA.
This lust hall, ultil this summer, contafhah q
striking rv,nIer Ut tho Oil period In the uilyient
gallery and Tho antique iron railing ut Unc sid,
Tt,r architect Ut the Capitol during the present
sun1icr, inbtigatcd BY the spirit Of inodet,'
IcOnoclast, but oatcnsLhly for the sake Of great
ur harmony In thu proportions 0f tho new statu
ury l1nll, hxs caused tlla ulu gallery t0 lie III
stfoyed, und has removed the ahgient railuE
For thtrty-nlno years tho tungEossoa Vi the Fel
eruk Constitution ussenlllrl III thGsu Old halls,
| whcn they were tcn1nyel to thclr new quarters
l:ICHEAsE Ur REPRESENTATION.
The second session OF the Furty-fouEth Con
gresa conllnel,cell to-day. Thu First CousEes@
was composed of s!xty-hyo menlhcrs,
representing the thirteen original States
In tho sccoud Congress three States
Vermont, Kentucky, aud Tennessse. Were addsa q