New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-06
N THE SENATE CHAMBER.
INTERESTING scINl,-rnE Full DRESS C'eICNLS-
MI. wHtLLf;s I>~TAILATIpN.

MI. wHtELr;'s I>>IAiLATl"N.
Tpf riifsttrH TO I.iE IalBuNG.l
WAsmNGr " March Din the opinion of Wash
iprou and of lie stranger, within her gate, III Tee
Ouadreuuial feature Of the passing Of PoW-: TO
new Administration. the cream of the ceremony is
tl.it part which takes place within the Senate
Cbamipr This /, for the select and fortunate few,
willie the procession on the aycHue and the address
from the eastern portco OF The tapito! are for the
multitude 4 hundred thousand people Voa.d like
70 get in If they cuuli, but the chamber holds only
about a thousand So the lucky pu>Sc>sor5 OF t'NeH
consider themselves the aristocricy of the OCCASION
il always brilliant assrnblacc, for il includes
the chief uIci9,of the different departments Of in'
Government, cltlzons of distinction from All parts
o. the country and the whole force of foreign rep
I,scntatN,s. No other event IN America brings TO-
g.th,r 50 many men of great influence III political
affairs.
To-day the gathering was in some respects less
spectacular than that OF four years ago. The army
WIS ONLY sleudrrly presented III numbers. Gen.
sherman Nlljcr-Gcn. Hancock, and Majol-v'cn.
Terry. all men OF remarkably fine personal appear
aucc. came in fun uniforms aud sitting III row
back of the seat, If the Senators, formed a con
hpicuous and distinguished looking trio. Bat he~hes
the half dozen staff officers who accompanied them
the military service had no other representatives..
No naval officer was observed. Admiral PoIteI's
s3,h inraads into the ranks of the Rear hdmrHls
stationed in Washington and the retired list, il Is
probable that there no one eft who came wiihh
the limit of the invitation and had received the
thank. Of Congress in person. The failure to make
the nyiaiou more liberal kept many officers OF DIS
tipcton away and made the audience much less
brilliant than al former inaugGrations.
There were other absence, which had political
Significance which 10 one could overlook Nh'h
tle in,tcc, Of the Supreme Court marched mo th'
cushioned chairs assigned them IN front Of th"dekN
the black-robed procession va; not 81 IT'S aN'M
length. Neither justices Clifford nor fled was
there. Their absence might have been attributed to
other causes than thc stubborn and vehement pa'-
tisso.hjp they displayed as members Of the hl@"-
torl Commission had il not been for the fact that
scarcely a Democrat could be found IN Che dense
mas. of members of the House packed closely 20
prthcr on orc side of the chamber. Mr. Holman
AID MIR. Clvmcr were the only prominent Democratic
Erurcsentative, who could be found. There seemed
to be a tacIt understanding among the meh"cI' Oh
the defeated party that they would NOT give 'h'
countenaucc Of their presence 10 the uIu'hPho'
their anniversaries. 50 they all stayed a"ay-not
alone the flibu,tcling faction, but the whole
body Of the opposing faction who got
Fla. til. of acquiescentS III the closing
str7pplcs over the count. Probably Jew save Tie
sarpcyed reporters noticed the aliui" Of the Demo
Gratis 10 appear. There were enough to take 'h'ii
places and the senate floor packed from corner
f. corner ONLY little alley leading % the MAN
door was KEPT open for the entrance OF distinguished
guests. .,,,..,,,,. .,,..,.,.>r
The pallrric, all around were slOpug parieIres OF
bright colors. Place arr dame, seemed 10 b. the
rule Of admission there for the ladies secured nearly
all the seats. The wives and daughters OF SENATORS,
Representatives. department officials ana army
ofirer- and other leaders of Washington society
LARGELY predomnated and len: air Of fashion ana
elegance 10 the scene. OF the diplomatic gallery
the Ladies' Of the diplomatic corps had entire pos
session and no man invaded It's pTerincs eXc'p; tie
Turkish Minister ATstarch Bey, who made nasty
call while the company gathering below
di.playinq his bcspanpled costume, je"eicd
cimetar and scarlet feZ TO fine advantage
~ he skillfly executed series Of bows 10 he night
and left Tn. toilets of the titled ladies whom lie
greeted were probably not more elegant than those
of many of the fair occupants OF the Olher ga'IleS
lint they seemed to be, because they were cOu'Pou-
ously displayed against the blue upholstery 81 the
seats All the other galleries were dTaped IN heutra
gray which absorbs color instead Of throwing IL
out. Among the ladies present distinguished IOr
their social prominence III the diplomatic corps were
LADY Thornton. the Hon. Mrs. Plunckett, and MIS-.
Can't. Gore Jones' of the British Legation; Nine
MontilIa wife of the Spanish Minister; the Japan
ese Minister'S wife who, 10 not for her Ofiehta
.ves. might be mistaken for all Italian; Countess
Hrbensteip of the Austrian Legation, and Baroness