The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-06-19
The Scribe's Report.

but no answer has come, as yet, to the
third question. Peach-blow" gives
for the time of the first meeting of
congress the time when the continental
congress met, September 8, IVA, which
was the first meeting of congress in
this country, but the question doubt
less refers to the first meeting of con-
gress under the Constitution. Peach
blow" goes on to say:
1.-THE last was the fiftieth congress,
but do not know the exact number of
sessions. The next congress (the fifty
firsO will meet the first Monday of De-
cember next. But there may be an
extra session in October, the object of
which will be to prepare for the regu-
lar session. The speakership contest
will probably occupy considerable time.
The two leading candidates for this po-
sition are Reed of Maine and Mckinley
of Ohio"
B. H. A. sends the following: "O
To freely understand the workings of
congress it is necessary to look at the
forms of government which preceded
it. The first government instituted on
thlo NObIlhChu may w oahu w NC q
modification of both the charter and
proprietary. The charter government
was the kind in Massachusetts, Rhode
Island and Connecticut-tha is, they
had charters setting forth the duties of
the officers, naming their work, and
limiting the liberties of the people.
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware
were proprietary governments-that is,
hnir nt nr tha,
Georgia, Virginia, New Hampshire,
New York, New Jersey and the Caro-
linas were directly subjec to the crown.
These were the systems of government
in vogue in the various colonies previ-
GUS to the revolution. During the war,
however, articles of confederation
were adopted which conferred no
power upon congress. Congress could
recommend and pass resolutions, but
could not enforce them. 1t could ad-
wise action, and let the states do as
they pleased about following its advice.
Bitter jealousy existed between the
several states, both with regard to one
another and the general government.
The popular desire was to let each
state remain free and independent and
be subject to no national authority. A
heavy debt had been incurred, by the
way, but congress had no money and
could not levy taxes. 1t asked the
states to pay, but they were too jealous
of congress to do so. Washington said
I'VE are one nation to-day and thir.
teen Tomorrow Under these circum-
stances it was deemed best by the
wisest statesmen of the time to formu-
late new theory of government, and
accordingly the present Constitution
was adopted September II, 1887.
During the next year the government
was organized, and went into operation
upon the Inauguration of Washington
at New York, April 30, 1889. AT the
time of Washington's Inauguration the
seat of government was at New York,
and here the first congress under the
Constitution assembled Wednesday,
March 4, 1889. AT the second session
the seat of government was removed to
Philadelphia, where it remained ten
years. Washington laid the corner
stone of the capital at Washington in
1898. Each congress must have two
sessions, and the fifty-frst congress will
assemble on the first Monday of next
December. 1t has, therefore, met one
hundred times.
"(2) The cabinet officer noted for
his religious work is John Wanamaker
of Pennsylvania, posmaster-general.
He conducts a weekly Bible class, now
numbering several hundred members
six hundred, | think"
In regard to the number of times
congress has met, how about the extra
session that was called by President
Lincoln at the beginning of the civil
war?
There is still opportunity for any one
who will send an answer to the third
question of this set.
IL the boys or girls want to obtain
some interesting inside views of the
workings of congress let them read
"Among the makers, or Recollec-
tons of Page in the United States
Senate" by Edmund Alton. This book
is made up of a series of articles which
appeared in ST. Nicholas, beginning
with November, 1884. The author en-
tered the service of the United States
senate as page when thirteen years old
and kept his eyes and ears open, not
outstanding that he sometimes played
marbles on the soft carpet behind the
vice-president's chair with the pages on
the other side when grave discussions
were going on.
No response has been received to
DPS inquiry as to which is preferable
Harry is not so tall as Charles" or
g Harry is not as tall as Charles" Per-
haps no one has thought that there was
sufficient difference between them to
make any ground for preference. Ac-
cording to Webster either expression
is correct. AT the same time, the word
$50" is defined in manner that more
exactly fits in such a sentence than any
definition given to as, and by the use OF