The Portland daily press., 1881-12-06
XLVH tn Congress list Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. D.
After the usual interchange of friendly greet
ings by members President pro tenn Senator
Davisiof Ilinios, formally convened the cham
her, and after prayer bykthelchaplaln present
ed the credentials of Senator elect WIN. VIM
dom of Minnesota, to fill the vacancy caused
by his resignation for the term endlng M srcn
3rd, 1888. said vacancy having been Temperate
ly filled by appointment of ex-senator Edger-
ton After reading of the credentials, Win
dom accompanied by Hoar, appeared and was
duly qualified and entered upon his duties.
The hour of meeting daily was fixed at II.
A large number of bills were introduced,
among them the following:
By Mr. Garland, for appointment OF COM
mission to investigate tariff and revenue laws
BY Mr.. Beck for retiring trade dollars and
recoining them into standard silver dollars.
By Mr.. Logan, to place Gen. U. 3. Grant,
upon the retired list of the army.
By Mr. Lapham, for punishment Of attempts
to take the life of the President OF the United
States or others charged with the duties OF the
office of President. The bill fixes the punish
ment for life.
Mr. Frye offered a resolution for a special
committee of seven Senators to take into con-
sideration the made Of voting for President
and VicesPresident and the mode of certifying
the same and report such proposition for a
change in the laws or constitution as may seem
to them expedient. Laid over for the present
Mr. Sherman introduced a bill to provide for
the issue of 3 per cent bonds. This bill au-
thorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to re-
ceive lawful money of the Unite ! States to the
amount of $780, or any multiple of that sum
and to issue in exchange therefor an equal
amount of registered or coupon bonds OF the
United States bearing interest at the rate OF
three per cent per annum, payable quarterly
orfsemi-annually at tie treasury; such bonds to
be exempt from all taxation, to be payable at
the treasury after January l., 1887, and the
money received for these bonds to be applied
solely to the redemption of the three and half
per cent bonds. The aggregate amount to be
disposed of under this act is motif exceed $780,
100000
Sherman submitted a resolution which also
lies over until tomorrow for the appointment
on the part of the Senate of six Senators to
ioin committee of the House to consider by
what token of respect and affection it may be
proper for Congress to express the deep sensi-
bility of the nation on the event of the decease
of the late President Garfield, and that so
much of the Presidents message as relates to
that melancholy event be reported to said COM
mittee.
At LIS recess was taken until q 80 to await
the notification of the organization of the
house.
When the Senate reassembled, Mr. Edmupds
offered a resolution to continue the committees
as they existed last session.
Mr. Pugh moved amendment authorizing
the President of the Senate to decide whether
the committees shall be equally or otherwise
diviued between the two political parties. Laid
journed.
The assembling of the first regular session OF
the 47th Congress had the effect of drawing to
the capital this morning vast number of visit
ors. AS early as 10 O'Clock the approaches
leading to the building presented lively :a,p-
pearance, and by IL O'Clock every seat In the
galleries of the house except in the space reserv-
ed for the diplomatic corps was filed, even the
steps leading tosthem being utilized as. seating
places. On the floor members INDUCED in cor
dial hand shakings and greetings. Mr.. Keller
stood for short time in the rear of the desks
and was warmly congratulated by his coIlea-
CUES upon his success in securing the Republic
can nomination for speaker.
At IL O'Clock the clerk of the house, Mr.. Ad-
ans, called the body to order and announced
the opening of thessession. He then proceeded
to call the sroll commencing with Alabama
Roll call disclosed the presence OF 2o5 represen-
tatives elect and list of the absentees was
called.
Kasson of Iowa called attention to the fact
that the clerk had called the name of Farnum
as representative from the 3rd district OF Yer
mont instead of Grout, and the clerk stated
that itswas a clerical error, which he immedi-
ately rectifed. The roll call was then finished
and showed that 800 representatives had an
swered, the absentees being Morse, Scales,
Mills and Deuster.
Nominations for Speaker being then in order
j WarrenKefer of Ohio was put in nomina-
GlOu DY MT. hOU6SOu, Odluu6i u. hdnudii Vi
Pa, by Mr.. House; and Nicholas Ford Of Mo-,
by Murch. Messrs Burrowes of Mich. Hol-
man. McCook and Ladd were appointed tell
ers. The roll was called, and the result was as
follows:
Whole number of votes cast ...2S5
Necessary for a choice .............. l43
Mr.. Keifer had. ...........,........ lab
Mr. Rainfall had .-...."...........l2S
MIR. Ford had. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Those voting for Mr.. Ford were Messrs.
Rrnr fofM No Ho1o
(of Texas) Ladd, Musgrave, Murch and Rice
(of MOI None of the candidates voted.
Messrs, Fulkerson and Paul, the Virginia Re-
adjusters, voted for Mr.. Keller. The result
having been announced, Mr.. Keller was es-
corted to the Speakers chair by MessrS. Ran
dali and Hiscock, and took the oath of office,
which which was administered by Mr.. Kelley
of Pa, as the oldest member in point of SER
vice.
Before taking the oath of office, Mr.. Keifer,
when the applause which greeted his ascent to
the Speakers desk had subsidized, said: Gentle
men of the House of epresentatives,-I
thank you with heart filed with gratitude
for the distinguished honor conferred
ON me by an election as your speaker. will
assume the powers of this high office with, I
trust, due share lof difidence and dstrust of
my own ability to meet them acceptaby to
you and to the country. believe you will
give me hearty support in the discharge OF all
my duties promise to devote myself faith
fully and assiduously to the work before me.
invoke you and the countrys charitable
Judgment on all my official actions. L will
strive to be just to all. regardless of party or
section. When party principle is involved
will be found to be Republican, but in all
other respects l hope to be able to act free
from party bias 1t is a singular fact that at
this most prosperous time in our nations
history no party in either branch of Congress
has an absolute majority over all other parties,
and it is therefore peculiarly fortunate that at
no other time since and for many years prior
to the accession of Abraham Lincoln to the ex
ecutive chair have there been SO few unsettled
vitals question of national character in relation
to which party lines have been closely drawn.
The national prosperity of the people is in
advance of any other period in the history OF
our Government. The violence of party spirit
has materially subsidized and in a great measure
many of the reasons for its existence are gone,
while the universal tendency of the people is
to sustain and continue to build up an unpar-
alelled prosperity. 1t should be our highest
aim to permanently promote and not cripple
it. This Congress should be, and profoundly
hope it will be, marked peculiarly as business
Congress. 1t may be true that additional laws
are yet necessary to give to every citizen COM
plete protection in the exercise of all political
rights With evenly balanced party power, with
few grounds for party strife and with no i'm
pending Presidential election to distract us
from purely legislative duties venture to
suggest that the present Is an suspicious time
to enact laws to guard against the recurrence
of danger to our institutions and TO insure
tranquility at perilous times in the future.
Again thanking you, and bespeaking your aid
and generous Judgment, am ready to take
the oath prescribed by the law and constitution
and forthwith proceed with my best abilities,
guided by sincere and honest purpose to dis
charge the duties belonging to the Office with
which you have clothed me. (Applause)
The work of Swea, ing in members was, at