Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-01-23
A BIG HALL.
The Assembly Chamber of the
Lower House Of Congress.
How the National Legislators Are Ar
ranged Convenient Chairs and Unused
Naste-Faper Baskets--An ExciL,
"ObJector"-Salaries, Etc.

The hall of the House of Representa-
lives is the largest legislative chamber
in the world. 1t covers fully a quarter
OF an acre of ground and six acrobats,
each six feet high, might stand in it,
che on the head of the other, and while
the feet of the first rested on the floor
the hair of the sixth would just Craze
the ceiling. The room is thirty-six feet
high, and the floor inside the railing
where the congressman desks are
placed, covers as much space us Il city
lot of siXty-nine feet front and one hun
dred and fifteen feet deep. The ceiling
is of cast iron and glass. There is
ehecker-board network of cast-iron
frames, and the panels of the board are
Tiled in with glass which is glazed
roughly and painted with the coats of
arms of the various States. All of the
light which the House getss- eenes
through the ceiling, as there are no win
dows, except those in the many doors,
md these which enter the House
through vestbules of ten or twelve feet
in thickness give only the radiatcd
lioht OF windows far away This light
is supplied by the sun by day, and by
electricity by night.
The floor of this big hall is covered
with carpet of Brussels which was
made to order for it. Its color is green
mixed with red, and it takes one thou
sand four hundred yards to cover it.
Ii looks new and fresh now, and there
are no tobacco stains upon it, But the
average member chews the weed, and
though the Government gives him Il
spittoon beside his desk, he spits as
often on the floor as in the spittoon.
The desks used by the members are
small affairs, much like those used in
the common schools. They have top
which can be lifted up and gives room
below for the stationery and papers of |
the member inside. Each member has |
one desk to himself, and his name is
pasted or tackled upon its lid. The |
chairs of the members are the common |
swivel attachment, swinging Office |
chairs with wicker backs, and these
backs are so high that the Congress
man can easily throw his back upon
them and by clevating his feet to the
top of the desk in front of him put him
self in the favorite American attitude
for sleeping. This is not an uncom-
mon position in in the halls of the
House during a session, and the Forty
eighth Congress had members who did
more sleeping than working,
Beside each Congressman desk
there stands waste paper basket, but
your average Congressman never uses
this. He tears up his paper in bits like
a moody lunatic and scatters it on the
floor After days session the floor
oi the House is uttered from one END
to the other and there is enough paper
upon its carpet to buy the country tin
ware for a whole Ohio County.
The desks at the right of the hall
are those occupied by the Republicans
The Democrats sit on the left side, and
Morrison and Randall have seats in
about the middle point of the Demo-
cratic body. Tom Reed, the Republic
an leader, sits in the midst of the Re
publicans, and Congressman Kellcyvcry
near him. Kelley's seat will be the
same this Congress as last. He has the
choice of seats on the ground of being
the Oldest member in point of service.
The Speakers desk is in the center,
and is very fine piece of work. 1t is
three feet above the floor, and it is
made of white marble with base of
marble. Carlisle, who fills
It, is a tall, lank, black-faced fellow,
With smooth face and with jaws
which are always chewing tobacco
when they are not talking. He sits
generally on his spine, and his body
rests on it in the form of bow He
makes good Speaker, however, and is
generally fair in his rulings
just beside the right of the desk, on
4 pedestal of Vermont marble, stands
he mace. This mace is the insignia
of the authority of she House. 1t is al
ways in the House when that body is
IN session, and the Sergeant-at-Arms
must carry it in his hands when he
wishes to arrest a member, or TO force
lim to submit to the rulings of the
House. The mace is bundle of lie
or's rods, bound together with silver
cords and surmounted by asilver globe
apresenting the world. which is
.rowned by the American eagle.
The House usually begins its sessions
# twelve o clock noon, and continues
o sit until about four or five o'clock p.
n. during ordinary times. The House
,lock is the timepiece that rules. Ii
stands Just over the entrance door at