New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-03
THE OPENING OF CONGRESS.
SCENES AT THE CAPITOL AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE NEW SESSION.
CROWDS ATTEND THE CEREMONIES AT BOTH
HoUsEs-SwEARING IN NEW SENATORS
MR. REED ADDRESSES THE HOUSE
AS ITS sPEAKER,-A SURPRISE
IN THE CHOICE OF
CHAPLAIN
Isr TELEGRAPH TO THE rnrprxuY

OF the sun-marKed the opening OF the first session
of the List Congress. At this time of the year
Washington never looked more pleasant and at
tractive. The lawns surrounding the huge white
marble pile on the top of Capitol Hill seemed TO
have donned new dress of green. Here and
there belated chrysanthemum showed its gorge
ous-coored head and the sparrows in the leatess
trees chirped and chattered as if with spring
time vigOr. Dark green ivy and the russell colors
of Virginia creepers along the low stone-fences
set the whole scene as in frame. The day had
put everybody in good humor, and the cabmen
charged double rates to take you at funeral pace
to Capitol Hill. The ordinarily gloomy corridors
of the big structure even looked little less re-
pulsive to-day, and the apples ard pies offered
for sale in the cavernous depths Of the Capitol
betrayed evidences of having taken a new lease
of life since they were last inspected BY the states
men of the Nation
BY IL o'clock everybody in Washington seemed
TO be moving down upon the Cap
itOL on FOOT in cars and cabs and
vehicles of every description Pennsyl-
vaniaave., the great thOroughfare, looked like
a panorama of moving celebrities. And yet there
was not room for half the number inside tho
Capitol that wanted 20 witness the opening cere-
monies. The corridors were Iammed an hour be-
fore noon, and to reach a door leading into either
severance, patience and strong language, but the
practical application Of gymnastics in places where
the fat mans misery was complete and the thin
man smiled with malicious satisfaction.
THE sENATEs SESSION A SHORT ONE.
The Senate's first session short one, and
the only noteworthy feature of the day at that
end of the Capitol was the swearing-in of six
newly elected Senators-one from New-Hampshre,
Dt.oIo TeIa n,1ra
and two from Washington. The Senate did not
have to organize, as the House did, and the ex.
citements of speechmaking and balloting were
consequently lacking. Nevertheless the galleries
of the Senate Chamber were filled while the
session lasted and lively interest was shown
in all the proceedings. Nearly all the seats in
the galleries occupied in fact, threequarters
of an hour before the time set to call the Senate
to order At first the spectators had litth TO
occupy their attention except the vacant desks
and chairs below and the punches or baskets OF
flowers which marked here and there the seats
of favored Senators, as yet unknown. half
dozen new desks of lighter finish than the rest
had been added to the back row on the Repub-
lcan side. These we're for the Senator's from the
new States apparently, and many speculatlons
raised among the curious as TO the probable
looks of their future occupants
IL was about 1 / 80 when the first Of the SEMI
tors made their appearance on the floor. Sena-
tor Stewart, of Nevada, looking patriarchdl in his
flowing white beard, strolled out of the cloak
room with Senator Stanford of California, and
the two Pacific Slope men soon struck up ami
mated conversation with another fresh arrival
Senator Farwell, of Illinois Senator George, OF
Mississippi, among the first of the Democrats
to appear. He sat down quietly at his desk and
began opening his mornings mail Senators
Colqutt and Gray soon followed, and from then on
every minute brought one or two arrivals. Ere.
quent greetings were exchanged, and little knots
gathered here and there, shaking hands or laugh
ing and chatting the incidents Of the recess
Senator Chandler, just back from his European
trip and looking fresh and thoroughly rested
slipped into seat at the back of the Republican
benches. Many old friends FASTENED to him tc
shake hands Senators Edmunds Platt, Morrill,
Cameron and Allison took seats in the front row.
The Iowa tatesman, it was remsrlSed, had let his
mustache grow during the recess and looked now
much younger.
FLOWERS FOR SOME OF THE MEMBERS.
Senator Sherman walked about the Senate shalS.
ing hands with everybody. His colleague from
Ohio, Senator Payne. scarcely less industri.
GUS The new Senators kept in the background
near the entrance to the lobby. Ex-senator
Bruce appeared on the floor just before noon,
spending few minutes talking with Senator
Chandler and Others. Senator Mitchell, of Ore
gon, easily carried off the hOnors in the way Of
" floral tributes On his desk was bank Of
moss and smax, on the face of which, surrounded
by roses, was the name MITCHELL in immor.
elles. Mr.. Payne had on his desk big bunch
of red and yellow roses. Some admirers had sent
to Senator Blackburn a floral horseshoe. Senator
Kenna was also singled out on the Democratic
side as the proud owner of another big bunch Of
roses. The Vice Presidents table, too, was plrtly
covered with flowers. Their gay colors helped
TO relieve the general mOnotOny of shade on the
floor. All the Senator's except Mr.. Quay, Of
wore black clothes The chairman
Of the Republican National Committee had on
suit Of grayish clothes Senator Mcmillan, how.
ever, wore white waistcoat. which shonc by
contrast with the black all around him.
GLIMPsEs OF THE NEW SENATOR'S
Sharply at noon Vice-Presdent Morton raped
for order, and the Chaplain of the Senate, the
Rev. j. G.. Butler, offered brief prayer Senator
Blair at once presented the credentisls of Senator
Chandler, and afterward escorted his colleague
to the desk to have the oath administered to
him. Mr.. Chandler carried a rose jauntily in
his hand, and went through the ceremony with
the ease of veteran. Mr.. Aldrich, of Rhode
Island, next sent the credentials of Senator Dixon
TO the clerk to be read, and the oath was again
administered. The Rhode Island Senator Is tail.
heavily built, and dark in complexion. lie seemed
entirely selfpossessed, and made a favompie n"',
preston Senator Platt now arose ana oneIe
the credentials of Senator Moody, OF sou'n Danv.s
and Mr.. Spooner quickly followed by presenting
- - SSna,or pettigrcw The papers were
'nOs' y, asId. until the vice-Presdent could
r'iu a''u '' - senators Squire and Allen of Wish
auo 'l'O'' ~ ~ Sour newcomers weS swor1 an
together. s Mr. Moody has gray Aair Wa a. : cray ray