The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-07-28
CONGRESSIONAL ATTITUDES.
HOW Representatives Sit During
Session of the House.

How Representatives Sit During a
Session of the House.
Six soft sofas occupy places in the corners
near the cloak rooms on each side of the
House. They are nearly always occupied
by sleeping members The soft upholstery
yields to the weight of its burden and en-.
tees sleep. These, however, do not furnish
accommodations for all the weary legisla-
ors. The rest have to sleep in their chairs.
It is very seldom that member refuses to
respond to card calling him into the CORR
dor. When aroused from slumber in his
chair he will rub his eyes, read the card and
wake up on the way out Not one time in
thousand will he allow il to be known that
he has been disturbed, or that he has any,
thing more important to do than to come
out in the lobby to talk with his constitu-
snts. lie is always smiling, always urbane
But If he has pre- empted place on the
sofa the case is different Any but a newly
appointed messenger would know better
than to awake member under those cir.
cumstances. discreet messenger would
say that member sleeping on sofa
was not in. One of these card bearers was
not discreet the other day. In consequence
there is q very uncomfortable member ON
the floor. One of his most valuable con-
stituents called and sent in his card The
messenger, after searching through the
House, came back and reported to the dis
tinguished constituent that tho member was
asleep ON sofa, and he did not like to dis
burb him. " He don't like to be disturbed
when he's asleep" The constituent looked
daZed for moment, looked OF his watch
and then ut the messenger. He left his
card, to be given to the member "when he
wakes up" The member is said to have
spent all the rest of the day in trying to find
his caller to tell him that the messenger was
mistaken.
The attitude of the House "upon oil
questions" is that of indifference. Very
few of the members in their sitting down
habits conform to the rules in force in well
regulated schools. The chairs turn all the
way around ON screws and tilt back ON
springs. During the session the members
are tangled up like straws in a gale. Each
has his peculiar way of twisting his legs
But few sit with the graceful Incidence of
Mr. Hiscock, of New York, who generally
has his legs crossed and one hand gracefully
ON the back of his neighbours chair. Cover
nor Long is one Of not more than half
dozen who keep both feet on the floor. The
most popular position of Congressmcn'f
feet is in a neighbours chair.
The majority of the members are no.
afflicted with nervous energy. Many sit in
their seats throughout the session without
ever saying a word, and do not change their
position during the day. Some are at work
others are asleep. Yet others are always on
the alert. Hammond, of Georgia, is one of
the latter. He seldom leaves his seat, and
"a always watchful, sitting upright most of
the time Mr.. Bland Tolls in his chair when
he is not writing letters, but he seldom
leaves it. General Grosvener, of Ohio, is
probably the most busily occupied with
correspondence. Like Governor Long, he
sits with both feet on the floor, and he sell
He sits upright, squarely in front of his
desk, which is always piled with letters.
Generally he has little to say, but when
there is political debate, or the Fourteenth
Ohio district is referred to he takes the
floor quickly and vigorously. When he
again sits down he seems not TO he paying
attention to what is going on. Hewitt,
Wheeler and Morrison seem to be the mos
nervous men in the House. Though they
are all attentive members they seldom sit
still more than two or three minutes at
time. The Maryland and Virginia members
are kept jumping by their constituents, who
live inconveniently close to the capital
Messrs. Compton, Gibson and Barbour are
'aid to get more cards than any other men,
bers in the House.
Comparatively few members take part in
the general debate of the House. There is
4 section of about third of the republican
side called the silent and unknown"
There are clustered together as if by design
nearly all the members on that side who
never have anything to say The "silents
and unknown ON the other side are scat
tered.
Townshend, Hepburn, McMillin, Steele,
Brown, Butterworth, Taulbee, Hammond,
Gibson, of West Virginia; Springer, War
aer, O'Neil, Durham and Tom Reed are
almost certain to be heard from some time
during the day They take an active inter-
est in everything and generally do all the
talking.