The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-05

once Nos. 70 and 81 Fourteenth Street.
ABOUT CONGRESS.
Continued from Firss Page.

Continued from Fiyst Page.
cent hall in which its sessions are now
held. The present Senate Chamber was
used for the first time on January 4, 1859.
PRESENT SENATE CHAMBER DESCRIBED.
1t is the principal apartment in the
Senate extension, one OF the finest por-
tons Of the Capitol, and is on the same
story with the postofiice, reception.room
and drawing-room for tho use Of Senators,
the office OF the Sergeant-at-Arms, OF the
Secretary OF the Senate and OF its clerks
and official reporters, and the sumptuous
rooms OF the President and Vice-P President
OF the United States.
Surrounding the Senate Chamber is a
corridor executed in fine taste with marble
columns and pilasters. At the back Of it is
| the lobby, where Senators talk with out
siders more or less distinguished and patri-
otto. The withdrawing room, which Is
opened into from the Senate Chamber, is
sacred TO the use OF Legislators. 1t Is a
beautiful room built OF marble. The
rooms Of the Vice President and President
adioin it, and are connected with it by
doorways
Seventy-six senators Of tho United
States transact business in a room meas
uring liz feet long, eighty.two feet wide,
and thirty feet high. ltswalls are divided
| into panels, exquisitely decorated in vari-
GUS colors and gold. The panels Of the
ceiling are richly ornamented with SYM
boiic figures. Each senator has mahog-
any desk and chair, and the furniture is
arranged in semieiscl!s having q common
centre. The chair and desk Of the presid-
| ing officer are placed on platform, giving
him due distinction. Chairs at his right
and left are occupied respectively by the
Arms and the Assistant Door
keeper. The clerk OF the Senate and the
official reporters sit in front OF and below
the huge wide desk OF the presiding off,
Ger, Representatives OF the press sit above
this eminent functionary in the gallery,
and opposite this is another such erection
intended for tho accommodation OF the
diplomatic corps. The large galleries
which surround tho chamber have seat
ing capacity for about one thousand per
sons. Here sit the people, attracted by
curiosity, national pride, interest in a
speaker or in the subject under discus
sion, TO endure the dignifed dullncss Of a
debate in the Senate Chamber. Occasion
ally a discussion has some elements OF
sprightliness in it, but rarely. While in
executive session the senators exclude the
public from tho privilege OF attending
their proceedings.
The Senate has a large patronage, limit
ing tho application OF the word to provi-
sion for its own wants as q Legislative
body. There are no fewer than 2O2 per-
sons employed by it in capacities recon-:
pensed by salaries ranging from that Of
the official reporters, five thousand dol
lars each to that OF the twenty page boys,
who receive four hundred dollars each. |
The roll aggregates $205, 900 a year. Ad-
ditional to this the Senators themselves
receive from Uncle Sam's well stocked
purse about S46S,OO0 for the same period.
REPRESENTATIVES IN SESSION.
Popular interest in Congress eliminates
in the doings OF the lower House, which
presents scene OF animation amazing to
every beholder.
The hall in which the House OF Repre-
sentatives holds its sessions is Of vast size
and great magniicence. Its dimensions
are 1870 feet long, ninety'threc feet wide
and thirty-six feet high. Only man Of
powerful physique can make himself
heard in this auditorium, matter, now
ever, OF less Importance than appears at
first sight. Nothing amazes the green"
visitor more than to see that the members
OF tho House Of Representatives transact
business amidst bewildering and deaien-
ing Babel OF sounds, which is to him
Confusion worse conioandeH the longer
he contemplates it.
La the present Congress there are S25
members. Desks and chairs are arranged
after the same principle as in the Senate
chamber. "Mr. Speaker" occupies chair
placed on q platform three feet high. Be
| lore him is large marble table, and in
front OF this arc marble desks for the
clerks and official reporters.
THAT 'pAUBLE" fnE MACE.
The mace occupies a stand at the right
Of the Speakers chair. It is "a bundle OF
ebony rods, fastened with silver bands,
having at its top silver globe surmount-
ed by a silver eagle" Its presence signi-
aes that the House is in session under inc
authority OF the Speaker. When Oliver
Cromwell dissolved the Long Parliament
he said OF the mace inthe House Of Com
mems: "Take away that hauhle." Similar
sentiment here has not availed, any more
than in England, towards the abolish
ment OF this time-honored emblem Of au-
thority, but the sergeant.at;Arms is no
longer seen to march about with i, as IN
the oldcn time. when executing the COM
mands Of the Speaker
ACCOMMODATIONS for the public in the
hall Of the House Of Representatives COM
prise two thousand seats in spacious gal
leries. Newspaper men are acoommo.
dated with sixty seats in gallery built
for their exclusive use. Two other sma!!
galleries are for the diplomatic corps and
Officers Of the United States Government.
The decorations and painting in the
House are OF character suitable IN potn
subjects and value to the use made Of this
splendid room.
room, the retiring room, the otties Of the
81 TI7 ooaas~|