Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-12-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Written and computed LOT the HERALD
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 1.-The
second session of the Fifty -frst Congress
assembled at noon to-day.
There was remarkable attendance IN
the Senate chamber when Vice President
Morton called the Senate to order. Thirty
eight Republican and twenty-three Dem
ocratic senators resumed their places as
the Chaplain began bis invocation.
At the conclusion OF the prayer Senator
Hoar sent to the desk of the presiding
officer the credentials of Senator elect
Garry, of the new State of Wyoming.
HOUSE.
With the exceptiOn'of few seats re-
served exclusively for the members OF the
Presidents famlly and for the diplomatic
corps the vast galleries which surround
the chamber of the House were occupied
early in the forenoon by spectators eager
to witness the proceedings attending the
opening of the second session of the Fifty
first Congress.
A tasteful pyramid of flowers adorned
the Speakers desk. On the Democratic
side Mr.. Kerr, of Pennsylvania; Mr.. Hol-
man Wilson, of West Virginia; Mr.. Flow
er and Mr.. Vaux were the recipients OF
handsome floral designs, and on the Re
publican side Messrs. Flick, Harmer and
Atkinson, of West Virginia, were not for
gotten by their friends. At noon Speak
er Reed entered the hall and rap Of his
gavel instantly restored order. After
PRAYER by the chaplain the clerk proceed
ed to call the roll of the members by
States.
The roll-call disclose d the presence of227
members and the clerk was directed TO
inform the Senate that a quorum OF the
House had appeared, aud that that body
was ready to proceed with business. On
motion of Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, a reso-
luton was adopted for the appointment
of a committee to join similar commit
tee on the part of the Senate to walt mp
on the President and notify him that
Congress was ready to receive any com
munication he my see fit to transmit. MT.
Rogers, of Arkansas, rising to a question
of the highest privilege asked, that the
oath of Office be administered to Chiton
r. Breckenridge as the representative
from the Second Arkansas district. zap
plause on the Democratic side
The Speaker stated that there were
various credentials upon the table Whicu
he would present to the House.
Credentials we're then read as follows
c. r. Breckenridge, Second Arkansas
Willis Sweet, Idaho; c. w. Stone, Twenty
seventh Pennsylvania, and Clarence u
Clark, Wyoming.
These gentlemen then appeared at the
bar of the House and were duly quail.
d, Mr.. Breckinridege receiving a round
of applause from his Democratic friends
Mr.. John 6. Pindar, from the Twenty
fourth New York district; Mr.. f. n
HAYES. from the Seventh Iowa district
and Mr.. Robert Whitelow, from the -Four
tenth Missouri district, qualified as rep
resentatives, Notwithstanding tie non
arrival of tteir credentials.
The Speaker laid before the House the
credentials of Mr.. David A. Harvey, al
the delegate from the Territory of Okla
bona, and upon motion OF Mr.. Perkins
of Kansas, the oath OF Office was admins
tered to him. The House then took
recess until 1870 p. NJ.
Mr.. Flower, of New York, introduced
in the House to day a joint resolution
directing the Secretary OF the Interior t(
order the retabiDg of the New York cen
sus.
A long preamble to the resolution sets
forth the controversy had in this matter
between the Government and the New
York State officials.
Mr.. Cummings introduced resolution
of like character.
| SENATE.
After a session lasting but few min
! Il a took a mill / .Ol
o'clock to allow the joint committee an
opportunity to notify the President that
Congress was prepared to resume busi-
ness.
The Senate was again called to order at
half past l and five minutes later the
Presidents message was received and the
reading of the document began. Most OF
the senators of both parties remained In
their seats and listened attentively to
the reading of the message.
TSee message in full on first page.]
I had a very interesting talk this morn
ing with Representative Dunnell, chair
man of the House committee on the cen
sus. and author of the appOrtionment
bill, which was introduced at the last
session and referred to that committee.
He saws there will be no delay in report
ing an apportionment bill, and that it
will be along the line of his bill, the diff
ference between the estimated and actual
porulation of the country being the only
drawback to the bill Just as it stands,
and that, be thinks, can easily be RENE
died. asked him what he thought OF
the proposi lion to reduce instead OF ln~
crease the number of representatives.
He said lit will not do at all. Repre-
sentatives are nearly worked to death
now. and to increase the number OF con-
stltuents which each of them have to rep
resent means to increase their work.
You may be sure that the apportlonment
law enacted this winter will increase
the membership of the House to at least
350-I am personally IN favor OF making
the increase much greater"
From another source learned that 1t is
proposed to amend the apportionmcnt
bill IN such manner as to forever stop
the State legislatures from making par
tisan gerrymanders of the Congressional
Districts. Certainly such law is badly
needed, when the Democrats are openly
threatening to gerrymander every state
in which they control the legislature in
such way as to practically shut out the
Republicans.
Congressman Bowden, of the Second
district of Virginia, has notified the House
committee on elections that he will con-
test the election of John w. Lawson, his
Democratic opponent, to the Sod Con
gress, on the ground that voters in the
Republican, precincts were prevented
from voting by dilatory tactics practiced
By Democratic election officers.
Everything Else Failed.