The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-12-11
The Fifty Second Congress.

The first session of the SD Congress met
at Washington on Monday. The Senate was
called to order at noon by Vice President
Morton, but the House was not organized
and all that the Senate could do was to pro-
coed with the swearing in of new members.
The newly-appointed Maryland Senator, Mr..
Charles II. Gibson, was one of these Sens-
tor German was also present, still showing
traces of the platform accident in Baltimore.
All eyes followed him as he walked around
the chamber, greeting his fellow members.
The protracted contest over the Speaker
ship resulted in the selection by the Demo
cratic caucus of Judge Crisp, of Georgia, on
the thirtieth ballot. All of the other candi-
dates except Mr.. Mills having Withdrawn the
choice was practically between Crisp and
Mills The latter received 105 votes to 119
for Crisp.
Mr.. Crisp acknowledged the honor in a
brief speech, in which he declared that his
election meant no step backward in tariff re-
form.
For the minor offices the caucus chose
Kerr, of Pennsylvania, for Clerk; Yoder, Of
Ohio, for Sergeant-at-Arms; Turner, of New
York, for door-keeper, and Dalton, of India
ma, for Postmaster
Commenting on the selection of Judge
Crisp the Philadelphia Times says:
while there will be no halt in the work
of tariff reform because of the success Of Mr..
Crisp, it will be generally, and we believe
gratefully, accepted by the country az a tri-
umph of the more conservative element of
the Democracy. The one unerring index of
the wisdom of Crisp's election to the Speak
ership is in the fact that the Republican lead
ers were practically unanimous in the desire
for the success of Mills, and hoped to gain
great political advantage from it, This does
not prove Mills unftness, but it was unmis-
taxable as to the expediency of his selection.
On Tuesday the House of Representatives
was duly organized. Mr.. Crisp, for Speaker,
was placed in nomination by Mr.. Holman, Of
Indiana; Mr.. Henderson, of Illinois, on be-
half of the Republican caucus, nominated ex-
Speaker Reed, and Jere Simpson, of Kansas,
named Thomas E. Watson, of Georgia, as
the Farmers Alliance candidate for Speaker.
Crisp received 22S votes, Reed SO and Wat
son s.
Speaker Crisp was conducted TO the chair,
amidst cheering and hand clapping on the
part of the Democratic members, by Messrs.
Mills and Reed. He spoke as follows:
-"Gentlemen Of the House Of Representatives. /:
For the great honor you have conferred upon
me l return you my heartfelt thanks.
shall endeavor to discharge the duties of
Speaker with courtesy, with frmness and
with absolute impartiality. Let us unite in
the hope that our lsbors here may result in
the advancement of the prosperity, the honor
and the glory of our beloved country. ! am
now ready TO take the oath of office. and re-
quest the gentleman from Indiana, Mr.. Hol-
man, to administer it,"
Mr.. Holman then administered the oath of
office to Mr.. Crisp, who responded clearly
and firmly at the end, 81 do"
The officers chosen by the Democratic
caucus were then elected, together with Rev.
DR.. Milburn, the blind preacher, who has
been chaplain of the House for many years.
New members were also sworn in.
The Maryland delegation, it is said, will
come in for their share of the patronage
under the minor officers of the House, hsv-
ing voted for all of the successful candidates.
Senator German has again been reelected
chairman of the Democratic caucus commit
tee