West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-01-22
A BIG HALL.
The Assembly Chamber of the
Lower House of Congress.
How the National Legislators Are Ar.
ranged-Convenient Chairs aud Unused
Waste-Paper Baskets-An Excited
bjcCtOr'-SRlarles, Etc.

The hall Of the House of Representa-
uves 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,
one on the head of the other, and while
the feet Of the first rested on the floor
the hair OF the sixth would lust Craze
the ceiling. The room is thirty-six feet
high, and the floor inside the railing
where the COngrcssmcn's desks are
| placed, covers as much space as city
| lot OF siNty-nine feet front and one hum
dred and fifteen feet deep The ceiling
Is OF cast iron and glass. There Is n
chccker-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 gets comes
through the ceiling, rs there are no win
doWs, except those in the many doors,
ana these which enter the House
through vestibules of ten on twelve feet
IN thickness give only the radiated
light of windows far away. This lioht
4 supplied by The sun by day. and by
electricity b. night ss's:
The floor OF this big hall is covered
with carpet OF Brussels which wa,
m d to order for it, 1t, color i, green
m!Ncd with red. and il takes one thou
sand four hundred yards 10 cover il.
ii looks new and fresh nov, and there
arr no tobacco stains upon il. But the
average member chews the weed, and
though The Government gives him a
splttuOn beside his desk, be spits as
often on the floor rs in the spittoon.
The desks used by the members are
small affairs, much like those used i'm
the common schools They have a ton
which can be lifted up and gives room
below for the stationery and papers Of
the member inside. Each member has
ono desk TO himself and his name is
pasted or tackled upon it, lid. The
chairs OF the members are the common
swivel attachment, swinging Office
chair, with wicker backs, and these
backs are 80 high that the Congress
man can easily throw his back upon
them and by clevating his feet TO the
tppof the desk in front Of him put him
self in the fWoritc 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 @ngrfs had members who did
more sleeping than working
Beside each COngres desk
there stands % waste paper basket, Jut
your average Congressman nov, use.
This lie tears up his paper in bits like
q moody lunatic and scattcrs 10 ON the
ilOOr. After q days session Che hoor
al flta IIgr1a a. lsffa..I
TO the other and there is enough papcr
upon its carpet to buy the country tin
ware for whole Ohio County.
The desks ut the right OF the hall
arc those occupied by the Republicans.
The Democrats sit ON the left side. and
Morrison and Randall have seats i'm
about the middle point of the Demo
cratic body. Tom Reed. the Republic
an leader. sits I'm the midst of the Re-
publicans, aud Congressman Kclleyvcry
near him. Kelley seat will be the
same this Congress as last. lie has the
choice Of seats ON the ground of being
the oldest member in point of service
The Speaker desk is i'm the center,
90 is very fine piece of work ~ is
three feet above the floor, and 10 is
made Of white marble with a base Of
Tennessee marble. Carlisle. who fills
1t, Il, tall. lank, black-faced fellow.
with a 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 Ou it iD the form of bow He
makes "a QoOd Speaker. however. and f.
generally fair IN bis ruiugs
Just beside the right Of the desk, on
pedestal of Vermont marble, stands
The mace. This mace Is the insignia
OF the authority Of tilo House. ~ Is ale
ways in the House when that BODY is
in session, and the Arms
must carry 10 in his hands when he
wishes to arrest q member or to force
him to submit TO che rulings of the
House. The mace IT, q bundle of lie
tor rods, bound together with silver
cords and surmomted by silver globe
representing the world. which is
crowned bY the American eagle.
The House usually begins its sessions
at twelve O'Clock noon, and continues
10 sit until about for or five O'Clock .
m during ordinary timos The House