The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-05
SCENES IN THE HOUSE.
AMOS j. CUMMINGS is ENGULFED
IN FLOOD OF ELOQUENCE.

Every Man Present Drenched TO the
Skin-Gen. c. f. Hooker, Of Missis-
sippi, as a Debater-Gen. Weaver's
Coat Buttons-Julius Caesar Burrows
The Personal Peculiarities of
Statesmen.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-There was an en-
PERTAINING and characteristic scene in the
House of Representatives on the afternoon
of Friday, Jan p. Business had been run
ing very smoothly, when suddenly mem
Der discovered grain of sugar in the crack
of a fly's foot In a second nearly every
lawyer on the floor of the House was on the
aui Uire. Each naturally went for his share
of the sugar, and there was an eXhilarating
time. In the shower of legal wisdom that
followed. dam of eloquence was broken
and the House was flooded for hours. The
result was narrowing New members were
drenched to the skin. One by one they
either stole into the cloak rooms or descend
e1 into the restaurant for safety. Even the
most studous among them succumbod
when gas lights began to dance above the
glass ceiling Of the chamber. The debate
lasted for hours Such splitting OF legal
hairs has rarely been seen.
Each lawyer made break for precedents.
Law books and Congressional Records
were heaped upon the desks of the
disputants Garments of dead lumin-
aries of the law were drawn from the ward
robes Of the past, and were shaken so
thoroughly that their dust penetrated every
crevice in the capitol. The galleries were
crowded with spectators who were evidently
lost in wonder. If a score of old-time
farmers, fails in hand, had appeared upon
the floor below them threshing a single rye
straw the istors could not have been more
amazed There was no time limit, as would
have been the case if an important bill had
been under consideration. Good, bad, or
indifferent, the lawyers took turns in airing
their legal lore, to the evident alarm of
members nveised in legislation, and prob
ably to the great satisfaction of the printers
employed in the government office.
The discussion arose in committee of the
whole on private bills. The reports of the
Court of Claims on bills referred to them by
the previous Congress were first on the
calendar Each of these bills provided for
the payment of a government debt. The
point of order was raised in committee that
these bills had been wrongly placed upon
the calendar. The discussion developed the
fact that IL was the usage to consider such
bills before the consideration Of other pri-
vate bills. 1t further developed the fact
that Speaker Carlisle had placed these bills
first on the calendar without objection
from the House. Some of the lawyers
argued the paint that the business of the
Fiftieth Congress should take precedence of
the business of the Forty ninth Congress.
The argument was that the private bills re-
ported from committees should go on the
calendar in the order reported, and that the
reports from the Court of Claims should be
referred TO Committees on Claims for &C
ton. After discussing this question for two
hours MIR. Bland of Missouri broke cover
He raised the point that the calendar could
not be changed in committee of the whole
but must be changed, if changed at all,
while the House was in regular session. BY
this time, however, the lawyers had got
to running at such terrific rate of speed
that Mr.. Hatch evidently thought it would
be dangerous to abruptly stop them. Some
of the gearing might give way, and an
accident occur. He let the train run on
until the steam gave out, and it stopped on
dead level. Then he decided that the
m tier must be settled in open House, and
afterward reported the matter to said
House. Sunset Cox, the Speaker pro tenn,
then ruled that the bills We're properly on
the calendar. and the House voted to send
them TO the proper committees.
THE GRAIN OF SUGAR
was thus extracted from the foot of the fly,
and the lawyers were left.
The debate brought out the mon who are
usually ready to talk on any subject These
of the House They are to be found ON both
sides of the chamber. A few Of them are
pithy and concise Others will beat a grain
of gold until it covers the boundaries of
their districts All are earnest and are
apparently working in the interests of their
constituents. At times, however, some are
found who talk with a clearly defined pur-
pose. 1t may be with the object of wear
ing out the House and preventing the con-
sideration of a bill to which they are
opposed, and it may be with a view of
wasting the time until bill in which hey
are especially interested comes up. All thes
men unwittingly act tutors to the new
members. They teach fresh scholars the
primary branches of legislation and prepare
them for the academical term which begins
rwnen the new member is reelected TO
n Congress. These men do good service, and
though frequently unappreciated by the
House, are undoubtedly adequately remu-
nerated, mostly by the consciousness that
they have perfor med their duty not only
TO their constituents, but to the country at
large
One of the best of the ready debaters of
the House sits on side aisle nearly 'front.'
ing the Speaker. He has gray mouStache
and fine American face His brown hair
Is combed back from his forehead He lost
his left arm at Nicksburg, and the empty
sleeve is buttoned to the front of his coat
He wears a chokeT collar of an orthodox
pattern, and dark cravat neatly tied. His
Prince Albert coat is always buttoned
when he appears upon the floor of the
House. he is courtly and suave, and he
interests all who listen to him This gentle
man is Gen. Charles f. Hooker of Missis-
sppl. lie has clear, resonant voice
attuned to the acoustic capacity of the
House, and there is no trace of Southern
lineage in his accent. He elucidates his
point; without waste of words, and with
a skill and energy that are very apt to
carry conviction to the minds Of his hear
ers.
Equi-distant from Gen. Hooker on the
Republican side of the chamber sits a
smoothfaced gentleman clad in business
suit He has dark hair, parted on the side
ara thrown over his head like Graded
grain. His eyes are gray and his face is
b-onzed by Kansas suns. He wears
tricolored button in the lapel of his coat
This gentleman is the Hon. Bishop Wesley
Perkins He frequently commands the
attention OF the House and always with a
coat buttoned TO his throat. He talks
rapidly bat distinctly, as though eudeavor-
ing to funnel a volume of thoughts into the
ears Of bis hearers within an allotted time.
He enforceS his ideas upon the attention of
the House with dramatic gestures, and
never spares invective whenever he deems
q