The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-08-11
ADIEU TO
Scenes at the Close of the Session.


The first Session OF the Forty-ninth Con
gress ended this afternoon at 1 O'Clock. The
session died as it had lived-devoid of Incl
dent. interest or activity. II expired of in
%anition, worn out of doing nothing. The
oldest member of the House had never seen
such a peaceful ending to such a feeble ca
reer. The all-night sessions, the rush and
chatter of legislative machinery, the haste to
he lone with important work, the sharp
rattle of five-minute debate, the leave-taking,
the quiet lunches ana sly cikn of friendly
glasses. all were missing. The applause that
followed the announcement of thea adjourn
ment sine die was feeble and almost pathetic.
In the House the early scenes to-day were a
good deal like the breaking up of a hard
winter, stormy and turbulent. They were
in marked contrast with those in the senate,
where there was scarcely a ripple To disturb
the placid flow of the proceedings. In fact.
a stranger going from the riotous hubbub in
the House 10 the sleepy precincts of the SEN
ate would almost ~involuntarily inquire
whose obsequies were in progress and where
the corpse was.
Soon after the reading of the Journal, Mr..
Pruden appeared al the door of the House.
bearing a message from the President. 1t
conveyed the intelligence that all were 50
anxiously awaiting that the President had
approved the Sundry Civil, Deficiency and
River Harbor Appropriation bills. Many
grave doubts had been felt concerning the
fate of the latter and the announcement was
greeted with loud applause. 1t settled the
question of adjournment to-day. Mr.. Ran
dali asked unanimous consent to print in
the Record a speech on his Tariff bill. Mr..
Mcmillan. of Tennessee. objected. Mr.. RAN
dali appealed to him to Withdraw his objcc-
ton. but with loud words and emphatic
| gesture he declared thai he would not. Mr..
Randall went over and sal down beside Me
MILAN and earnestly communed with him
for q few moments. This had the desired
effect a. the gentleman from Tennessee with
drew lis Objection and Mr.. Randalrs request
wa granted
HOLMAN ORBITS To II LAST.
The remainder Of the time in the House
was spent in passing such bills as members
were able to cali up by unanimous consent.
Few had the temerity to attempt this with
out first coddiing Mr.. Holman, who stood al
his post A. the objector to the last moment.
He was "a powerful a. the President himself.
Anything he did not like the looks of was
promptly vetoed and that was the end of ii.
A single objection well stuck To- was a. good
as a hundred. Whenever there was an open
ing twenty members were ON their feet.
shaking their bills in the air and shouting
Mr.. Speaker Happy was he who ~ecur-
Ell recognition and. having placated the In
diana statesmen, succeeded in getting his
bill through.
The actual closing was exceedingly tame,
IL was a sort of p~etering out. Everybody
watched the clock, and at the instant the
hands indicated 4 O'Clock the Speaker, with
a few farewell remarks, brought down his
gaveI and declared the first session of Tia,
Forty-ninth Congress at an end.
The Senst did hut little busincse to-day.
Several reessses were taken just To pass away
the time. The senators had plenty of tim,
to have gone down To the National Club,
ground and played a game Of base ball. The
only disturbance in the Senate was created
by Mr.. Riddleberger, who made a mos
ridiculous and unSeemly exhibition of him
self Ii is enough Ia say in explanation that
he wonld-probably-avoid such perform.
anecs by joining the Prohibition party and
living up TO lis principles. When Mr.. Har
ris, of Tennessee. offered a resolution som.
plimentary To Mr.. Sherman for the abilit,
and inspartiality with which he had presided
over the Senate tMr. Hawley being in the
chair Mr.. Riddleierger objected to il, voted
no and then called for a quorum. A friend
led him iuto an ante-rooni. where he wa,
soon asleep on a sofa.
At three minutes toi Mr.. sherman aross
aud made a few farewell remarks. Til,
chamber was 80 quiet il seemed like Il preach.
er ~pronouncing the benetiiction. M. Sher
man began a little too early. His speech
was not rs long n lac thought it was and
did not hold o u 10 cover the time. AT (.
minutes before 4 he declared an adjourn.
nIent- Most of the statesmen had thsil
trunks packed ready to pull out by the firsl
train. To-morrow's sun viii see few of then
in Washington