The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-03
In the Senate.

There was little or no excitement attend
ing the opening of the Fifty-first congress
on the Senate side. The public's curiosity
seemed to be largely transferred to the
House side. It was noticeable that while
the Senate galleries we're pretty closely
packed with spectators ladies were not in
a majority, as they were usually. They
had preferred to witness the scenes in the
House on such an occasion. Several of the
foreign delegates to the maritime and pan
American conferences, and a number of
ladies occupied seats in the diplomatic
gallery. Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British
minister, and Admiral Kozneckoff of the
Russian navy, were among those present.
The usual friendly greetings were ex-
changed on the floor between the members
and officers Of the Senate, and outside the
sun was shining warm and bright in a clear
cloudless sky.
SENATORS OF THE NEW STATES.
Interest on the floor was devoted largely
to the senators from the new states. They
had had seats assigned to them on the re-
publican side. Senator Casey OF North
Dakota took his seat in the end Of the second
row against the north wall Directly be-
hind him sat Washington's senator's, Messrs.
Allen and Squires, while Messrs. Pettigrew
and Moodey of South Dakota were in the
fourth row near the center of the room.
Senator Pierce Of North Dakota has a seat
in the fourth row. On the democratic
side are two seats so far unassigned. They
will be occupied by the senators from Mon
tana when they shall have been chosen.
FLOWERS ON THE DESKS.
Flowers adorned the desks of several of the
members. Senator Mltchell's desk was COW
cred by large mound, on the face of which
was his name in immortelles and surrounded
by rows of roses. The other offerings were
modest, being merely punches Of roses, ex-
cept in the case of Senator Blackburn, who
received a floral horseshoe. Senators
Soures, Dawes, Hoar, Kenna, Farwell,
Stewart, Payne, Hiscock, and Chandler
were also thus remembered by admiring
friends, and the desk of Vice President
Morton was likewise handsomely decorated.
CALLED TO ORDER.
At noon Vice President Morton entered
the chamber, and the chaplain, Rev. j. G.
Butler, opened the proceedings with an in
vocation for the divine blessing, closing
with the Lords prayer, in whica Senator
Edmunds Joined audibly. The oath Of
office was then administered by the Vice
President to Senator Chandler or New
Hampshire for his new term. The creden-
tials of Nathaniel f. Dixon, senator-elect
for Rhode island, were presented and read,
credentials of Messrs. Moodey and
Pettigrew, senators-elect from South
Dakota, were presented by Senators Platt
and Spooner, and those Of Messrs. Allen
and Squires of, Washington were presented
by the Vice President. These several
credentials having been presented, Mr..
Platt moved that the oath OF otiice be al-
ministered to the four new senators. The
motion was agreed to, and the four new
senators, each of them escorted by sena-
tor, proceeded to the clerks desk (amld
some applause from the galleries. and took
their oatbs Of Office.
ASSIGNMENT OF TIE NEW SENATORS.
Mr.. Hoar offered resolution providing
a mode for assigning the senators from the
states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and
Washington to their respective classes pn
relation to the period at which their terms
will expire), and moved its reference to the
committee on privileges and elections. He
said that it had been the custom OF the
Senate ever since the organization OF the
government to assign new senators TO their
respective classes as soon as they had taken
the oath: but that now for the first time
the senators from three states en-
tered substantially at the same
time. His resolution, he said, proceeded on
the theory that the senators of the three
states mentioned stood on an entire equality
with reference to their opportunity 10 De
assigned to th0shorter or longer term. Inc
three states were all admitted under tne
same aot of congress They were an
admitted by virtue OF the proceedings
that took place in them on the same Gay.
The fact that the proclamations evloenc,ng
ths admission Of the two DskoEss pIsss1sA