The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-03
IT is SPEAKER REED THIS MORNING.
How the Fifty-fIrst Congress Was
Organized for Business.
The New Speaker Takes His Place
with a Neat Little Speech.
The Senate Begins Work With'AIi Its
Accustomed Dignity.

WASHINGTON, December 2.-Bright sun
shine. fresh crisp air and temperature
| just adapted for walking, were the charac-
teristics of this morning, and ev-
cry one who could walked up the broad ay-
enue to the capitol. The members of both
Houses seemed to have caught the spirit of
the day. They appeared in good health, and
On all sides one could see ruddy faces and
| full and vigorous forms.
The scenes which preceded the opening
were those which are usual on such occa-
sions. The opening of Congress is an
event in Washington even to the old resi-
| dents, as there is as great rush for eligible
| seats as on first nights. The corridors which
| lead to the two chambers were crowded long
| before the hour of noon, the time of meet
| ing, and the galleries were filled before the
proceedings began. Little groups of meni-
bers were scattered about the floors of the
House discussing the situation and cOnsid-
ering the prospective work of the session.
The Senate assembled with as little ex-
citement as If it had adjourned but yester-
day. The senator's were in good spirits.
Those who have fought each other the hard
est hitherto were as cordial as any others in
their greeting. The desks of the senators
had received their annual polishing. There
were no vacant places upon the hoJr or gal
leries when the gavel fell, as the clock de-
noted the hour of noon, and the presiding
officer called the Senate to order, but the eye,
as it fell upon the arena of debate, missed
many familiar faces of the old Senate not to
mention the old senators who took the oath
OF their new terms of Office. There were
new faces in the delegations from the new
States.
The scenes in the House were repetition
OF those In the Senate. There are four times
as many Representatives as Senators, and
the confusion, handshaking. noises and
flowers were in four-fold ratio. Dense
crowds OF jostling people elbowed one anoth-
er in the corridors and on the stairways, and
chnked up the doorways to all the galleries
for an hour before the gavel fell within the
hall OF the House. The members who had
not yet been sworn in and were not entitled
to seats wandered about; new members in
tow of old ones undergoing the ordeal of in
PRODUCTIONS and handshaking, or strolling off
into the cloak room to join the smoking and
laughing group. The list of missing faces in
the House Is long one.
There are few patriarchs of the House
left in the Fifty-irst Congress- Judge Kel
ley OF Pennsylvania, still remains the father
OF the House. as he has been for six Con-
crosses. 1t was in the Forty-fourth Con-
gress that he became the oldest
member in continuous service, and
he will undoubtedly remain the
Dean of the House until he dies. On March
4, 1861, Judge Kelley began his still unfn-
lShed term OF usefulness in the House and
ne has seen more changes than any member
of it: His % years OF uninterrupted men,
bership give him the first rank in point of
seniority, Two years after Judge Kelley
entered Congress three other persons an
sswered to the roll call whose names are
found on the roll Of the Fiftieth Congress.
They were Samuel j. Randall and Charles
ONeill of Pennsylvania and S. S. Cox of
New York. Wm. r. Morrison came at the
same time, as did John A. Kasson and God
love s. Orth. Mr. Morrison sits. some say
regretfully, upon the bench of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and Mr.. Kasson of
Iowa is devoting himself to literature. and
doubtless has permanently retired from pol
itics: Mr.. Cox since Congress adjourned
has Joined the great majority. In the Fifty
but three men--Judge Kelley, Mr. Randall
and Mr.. O'Neill-who are survivors of the
war and reconstruction period.
Speaker Reed does not intend to keep the
House waiting until after New Years for
the committees. He will show more indus
try in completing his committee list than
did Mr.. Carlisle. In the last Congress the
uary 8. A whole month was wasted in
waiting for Speaker Carlisle to act. Even
the committee on rules was not appointed
until two weeks after the House met. When
the Democrats proposed an adjournment
from December % to January 4, in order to
give Mr. Carlisle time to arrange the COM
mittees, Mr.. Reed made a speech against it
and arraigned the Democrats for della ying
important legislation to take off the tobacco
tax and reduce the surplus. 1t is fair to as
sumo. therefore, that he will appoint the
committees without any such delay, and
that valuable time will not be wasted.