The Irish standard., 1886-07-17
rhe United states senate.

-
A writer in Harper's Weekly gives the
following facts about an interesting body:
"The Senate never dies" This is the par
OF office of the Senators, or of anv large
number of them, never expire simultan-
eously. as the terms of all the members of
the House of Representatives expire every
two years The Senate does its work with
that prodigality of leisure which only an
immortal body can assume to have, and
with 1. dignity that is the despair of the
boisterous body which sits in the other
end of the Capitol. The Senate Chamber,
with only seyenty-six members, is not
crowded as the House is with three hun
dred and twenty-five. The seats are
further apart, the aisies are never jammed,
as the aisles Of the House always are, and
Senators move about from one side Of the
Chamber to the other with freedom, with
out causing confusion or 1etracting from
the dignity of the proceedings. Groups
Of them carry on conversations in an
7lnder~tone while mere routine business
engages the Senate, and sometimes as
many as half the seats are vacant, when
all the Senators are within hearing of the
Clerk if he should call The roll. Nor does
the Senate have to cramp itself with p
multiplicity Of rules which restrict the iu
diyidual liberty of Senators
AS & rule deliberative bodies never find
time for deliberatton, and TO this rule tie
Senate is one of the few exceptions. Sena-
tors not only deliver set speeches on sub
jects under consideration without {. limit
on their time, but if there be any other
subject On which g Senator wishes TO be
heard, he can make occasion for Il speech
by introducing a resolution and speaking
to it. There is therefore all the opportunity
for oratory that the popular tradition as
sociatcs with legislative bodies in general.
There are always several Senators who
seldom rise from their seats except TO de.
liver carefully prepared orations Others
are working" Senators, who seldom give
formal notice, as the orators do, that "tcs
morrow I shall ask leave to address tire
Senate'' Oh such and such Il subject
Nearly all the set orations are thus ar
nouuced in advance, and stranger can
always know by the number of persons i'll
the galleries on any morning whether Il
great speech is TO be delivered OH that
day
The rules of the Senate exclude all per
Sous from the floor while it is in session,
except members, members of the
House, and other high officers, bnt
Senators can admit their private secre~
tarics by card. If the phrase .spr1vate
sccretaries' includes newspaper cores
pondents, friends of Senators, and promi-
nent visitors to the Capitol, this is simply
an evidence of the elasticity Of parliamen-
tary phraseology. When Dr. Oliver Wen
dell Holmes entered the Chamber one day
just before the holiday recess some one
asked how he gained admission. ''Oh,"
said Senator Evarts che is my private
secretary" When the Senate goes into
executive session TO discuss treaties or
nominations made by the President, no
one but Senators IS admitted either to
the floor or to the galleries.
On the left side of the Chamber, which
is the Republican side, Senator Ednunils
is the most notable figure. He occupies
one O. the seats in the front row q little to
the left of the centre. The late Senator
Anthony occupied the adjacent seat on one
side, and Senator Logan occupies the one
on the other side. Mr.. Edmunds has now
had u longer continuous term Of service
than any Of his associates. In 1865 he
was appointed to fill an unexpired term,
and he has been returned at every success
sive Senatorial election. Mr. Sherman
entered The Senate five years earlier, but
the continuity OF his service was inter.
rupted for four years. during which he
vas secretary Of the Treasury under
President Hayes. 1t is noteworthy that
he is the only member Of tie Senate who
was member during the war. There are
several Senator's however, who were
members of the House before 1861 and
between 1851 and 1865, Mr.. Salisbury,
Of Delaware, has been q member Of the
Senate consecutively since 1871, aud
Mr.. Logan's first term began at the same
time, but for two years, 1879, he was
not a member 1he youngest member Of
the Senate is Senator Kenna, of West Vir-
WAS only thirty-fve years Of age. OF the
Chamber, Senator voorhees, and Senator
of their speaking, are among the first to
Brown occu pies the most conspicuous seat
On that side, the FIRST one directly in front
If the chair, and Senator Hampton, who
has one of the most imposing and farnilia,
aces in the whole Chamber: sits in the
seat of all.
The digniied forlnul;e Of the Senatorial
speech are not always rigidly used in the
and coat rooms. While
,ne Senator is delivering philosophical
)r statistical Grafton to the country or to
lis party, groups Of others will be enjoy
ng cigars and jokes just beyond the reach
# his oratory. OF those who have
achieved peculiar distinction, Senator
Vance, OF North Carolina Senator Vest
If Missouri, and Senator Hlacksburn, OF
ora nrn.priront an,nno tho |
PRESENT Senators.
Elephants at Work.
In turning square timber tusker puts
lis tusks under the edge, lifts upward aud !
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