New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-08
THE OPENING OF CONGRESS.
ONLY A FORMAL MEETING OF THE HOUSE.
THE SENATE DOES GOOD FIRST DAYS WORK.
THE SWEARING IN OF NEW MEN
CHANGES IN THE MEMBERSHIP.
yfY IELEGRAPH TO TIE IkiBCNE.t

IbY TELEGRAPH TO TIE lkiBCNE-t
Washington, Dec. THE most striking and OF
the most obvious feature OF the opening day OF
the new Congress the failure Of the House of Rep
resentatives to effect organization Not since the
war has the popular branch Of Congress been put in
the predicament of having majority candidate Tor
Speaker on the day set By law for assembling and OF
being forced in consequence to adjourn under the par
liamentary guidance of officer of Congress dead
gone-helpess TO do the public business or even to
qualify legally its membership. The House, IN
fact was reduced by the unusual condition with winch
it was confronted to-day to the barest Of legislative
functions 1t could meet, listen to rollca and ad-
journ and this 1t did TO the meagre qualification Oh the
carer and pushing crowd which packed itself In the
corridors OF the House wing and waited impauently
for the Democratic 10 close and the actual scs
sion OF the new legislative body 10 begin. The al
mlted failure Of the majority TO agree upon omcers
was made known scant ten minutes before noon, and
the curiosity OF the crowd which poured AT once IN
great into the House galleries was destined to
satisfy itself with witnessing the merest and most per-
functory steps toward organization
The roll was called by the Clerk OF the List Con-
gress Mr. Mcpherson, of Pennsylvania, amid great
confusion and the only CLEAN OF Interest IN the pro-
ceedngs the attempted identification by observers
in the galleries OF the various eceenrciues In the
av Of National LEGISLATORS that the political revolution
OF 1890 sent TO the present Congress. The new mem
bers were under fire, however, for so short time tas
they made little impression whole, and adjourn
ment came speedily to emphasize tile entire failure OF
the first meeting OF the popular branch IN both
spectular and political sense.
THE SENATE DOES GOOD FIRST DAYS WORK.
The Senate however, distinguished itself by remain
ing in session over an hour and doing highly credit
able and unusual first days business. Never before
I'm the history Of that body have so many members
elect appeared to take the oath OF ONCE Tor, IN
addition to the twenty vacancies caused by eA
piration of terms last March, four additional seats
were to be filed made vacant by death or resgnaoil
The swearing in of all the Senators-a slow and
formal process always-occupied about three quarters
of an hour and before that an arrangement was as
cussed and agreed to by which the c0nteted-eiecton
cases from Idaho and Florida Will be pracuci'ly
disposed OF at to-morrow's session. The SENATE
Of course can do no general business until both
branches of Congress organized, and II was
happy and sensible suggestion that the two disputes
over seats now pending should be taken up at once
and decided while majority at the other end OF the
Capitol was struggling to shape the house into reg
ularly organized legislative body.
II was lust IL O'Clock when Vce-President Morton
str,c tile presiding officers desk with his gave and
called the SENATE TO order. The galleries had been
open for several hours and all had been comfortably
filled without the crushing and discomfort which
marked the opening of the session at the House emu Oh
the Capitol. Senators had begun to drop INTO lhe
chamber by IL O'Clock, and ut twenty minutes beioro
moo
new and old. who were busiy exchanging greetings
and concentrations BY the time the VicePesident
called for order nearly every Senatorial chair was oc
cuped fully eighty of the eighty eight members OF the
body being present
MANY FLOWERS on THE DESKS.
Flowers bloomed as usual the desks Of the favored
ones of both sides OF the chamber Dr. Gainger, sen
ator elect from NewIIampshire was almost hidden from
the eve of the Vice President by huge floral piece, two
and a half feet high which some admrng friends had
cant him Senator Hscocks desk ornamented with
a floral horseshoe while Senator Iansbroughs was COW
cred with a sheaf of what was supposed TO be NO
hard Dakota wheat. Senators Proctor, sawyer, Man.
derson wo'cott Teller, Stewart and Petgew were also
remembered by their friends On the Democratic SIDE
uessrs Voorhees, Coquitt, Daniel, Pasco and Harris,
among the older members, were compiimented WIN
graceful bouquets. lone STAR in white nowers'
stood propped at the proper angle on the desk OF the
new Senator from Texas, Mr.. Chiffon. Mr. Gibson, oil
MARYLAND; Mr.. Villas. of Wisconsin, Mr. White, OF
Louisiana also new Senators received similar tokens OF
,ecnrd A fine basket OF graoed the desk OF the
President Altogether the floor Of the Senate was
9aver I'm color and more festive In appearance IMAM
a been for many sessions In the galleries. too, were
hundreds Of smartly dressed people whom the storms
had not deferred from coming to the Capltol 1or inc
oneninp session. Mrs. Morton occupied the bench In
the Renubcan gallery reserved for the VicePresdents
family The Presidents pew was filed with party
OF Mrs Harrisons friends. and the wives ana dauehs
OF many senators were aso present The diplomatic
gallery was bare however except Tor TWO benches occ
MED by a couple of secretaries OF legation
MARKED CHANGES IN THE SENATE
As the Senate assembled several marked changes
from year could be noted In inc general aspect
Of that body The elections Of 1890 showed thlr enect
most plainly in the shifting Of several seats TO the
Democratic side and the more even balance OF men,
bershp thus obtained. The back rows OF behches OH
the right had been strengthened whila on the lett ey
had been shortened and reduced to their former reeu
larity. In the forefront on the Republican sde,
Messrs. Edmunds and ingalls,, as distinguished ana
tring figures as any IN the last Congress we're mis-
sing The junior Senator from Rhode Island MI
Dixon young clever and modern m looks ans train
ing sat in tn the former sustere and sardonic
ST. Jerome OF the Senate. Mr.. Washbnrn. OF MA