Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-05
OPENING CONGRESS.
I'M FIRST DAYS BUSINESS or THE
NATIONAL LEoIsLAruRE.
Hotel lebbies- chsngss in the MEMBER
ship Of Both Heusss MATTERS to o.
cupy tho Attention Of the House.


fcorrcspondeuce OF tns Richmond DispatchJ
WASHINGTON, December 4, 1886.
The Fort, ninth Congress will re-
assemble Monday to begin the work
of its second and last session. Sens-
tore and Representatives, most Of whom
have not shown face in Washington
since the adjournment Of the lsng seq
sion, August 5,h, have been coming In
by the dozen on every train, aud to-
night the hotel Hobbies, which during
The past few months have been trod-
den mainly by bridal parties and tour
lists, are crowded with eager, talkative
congressman and politicians bent 90
".msking shipgs hum; for with the
return OF the congressman the poliii-
clans end oflics-hunters renew their
visits. The smsll-fry oflice-seekers are
powerIess without their congressman,
and so the one naturally follows the
other. The two most popular hotel
Hobbies during the congressional season
are willard's and the National, both
on Pennsylvsnis avenue-one at the
corner of Fourteenth street, within a
block Of the Treasury building, and
the other about half way, toward the
Capitol. The National is the resort
principally Of southern men, and in
the season the followers of the turf.
The volume of srafilc at Wizards is
hardly so large, but 1t is classed lit
ia HIGHER. Morrison stops there, and
It is regarded as . sort Of Democratic
head uarters, especially by western
people. And Morrison is very fond OF
tho lobby. Even when he is most busi-
ly engaged in the preparation of great
legislative projects he generally finds
some time during the evening to spend
in lounging around the lobby, talking
with all sorts Of people-politicisns,
newspaper reporters, professional loaf
ers, ce.seekers, lobbyists, andgsntle.
men. He goes more among "the boys "
than any other man of equal political
altitude. When he is in the humor,
which be generally is whom he has not
too much work on hand, he will ex-
change stories with almost any fellow
who chooses to tackle him ; aud when
group of scQusintances gather around
be is generally the first to suggest q
drink and q visit to the bar, which is
convenient annex of the lobby. His
most intimate friends like him best
when be is in o swearing mood, and he
is rather inclined in private to the use
Of very large DIS. Speaker Carlisle is
hardly ever met in . hotel lobby or
bar.room. lie is more private in his
habits. He stops at the Riggs House,
which is not quite so democratic and
has not so large or so open lobby.
The fact that Morrison, after so long a
service as one ct least of the leaders of
the Democratic party in the House Of
Representatives, comes to Washington
now perhaps for the last time, having
been defeated in the recent elections,
makes him thu object Of more solicit
tude than ever before.
Many Senators and Representatives
are still out of town, and, although to-
morrow will bring additional arrivals,
there will doubtless still be many ab-
sentees. Compared with the opening
of q new Congress, the interest at
tached to the reassembling for the short
session is very languid. There are no
new Representatives, no committees to
BIZ appointed, no Speaker to DO chosen,
nor other officers no organizing of the
House.
On the opening-day Of the second
session there are no more ceremonies
than on any subsequent day during the
session. At IL o'clock the Speaker
calls the House to order, and the Presi-
dent pro tempore the Senste, the chap
lain offers . prayer, and business pro-
ceeds, beginning with the reading OF
the journal of the preceding day-that
is, the last day Of the first session. The
only special feature is the Presidents
annual message. One Of the first acts
of the Senate and House will be to APP
point Joint committee to wait on the
President and inform him that Congress
is ready to receive any communication
he may desire to send; and shortly
after that committee has waited on the
President q messenger from the White
House will appear on the floor Of
the House of Representatives with
a big blue envelope in his hand,
and will announce "Mr. Speaker, a
message from the President Of the
United States" A similar messenger
will convey q similar message to the
Senate. The next thing in order will
be the reading aloud Of the Presidents
message by the resding-clerks. Mr..
Cleveland's essay last year was so long
that it took three hours to read it.
Those who listened to it for more than q
quarter of an hour we're few. The
majority did not listen at all. The
Presidents message, like nearly every
long document, is read mainly TO empty
chairs and forsaken desks. And, like
everything else, the Presidents mes
sage has but q diluted interest now CON-
pared with the interest in the message
OF q year age. 1t was the maiden Of
fort Of new President, and contained
the basis possibly Of important lesisla'
ton for at the beginning OF long
session with new and eager Congress
there is always hope OF important le
gislation; but Of . second session.
which is but the fsg end Of Congress
which has lost most of its enthusiasm
little or nothing is effected but the pas
sage Of the appropriation bills neces-
sary to meet the expenses Of Govern
msnt. As . general rule it is recog
nized that the work of the one Con
gress is practically over whenever
the next Congress is elected. Repre-
sentatives coming to Washington now
mpy DO divided into two classes -thos'
who have been reelected TO the Fiftiett
Congress and those who have not. Th'
latter naturally regard their work .
done. They probably do not expec
ever to be in Congress again, and thei
interest In It's proceedings, ut ell event
for the present, is done. The forme
row look forward to another election
two years hence. But any effort t
make record now for that event woul
be labor lost. The record for the mex
election will be made in the session
which Immediately precedes 1t.
The result Of the elections mont
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