Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-04
lend OF CONGRESS
tContinuef from First Page.l

| tContinued from First Pagel
The Vice President resumed the chair (which
| dent pro tem.) and announced his signature 10
the bill, and the bill was carried to the Presi-
dent, who Tin company with members Of the
cabinet) was occupying his room adjoining the
Senate chamber.
NANDRnsoN's FLORAL eAvKL-
Much amusement was afforded TO Senators
and spectators by the depositing on Mr.. Man.
derson's desk Of very large floral ornament in
the shape Of q gavel, the gift Of some Of his sd-
mirers. who took this unique method Of ex-
pressing their qualification ut his election to
the Office of President pro tenn. Of the Senate.
1t was not long permi tied. however, to cover
| his desk but was taken elsewhere.
Messrs. Blair. Eyarts. Hampton, Ingalls,,
Payne and Spooner-six of the Senators whose
terms expire at noon--were in the chamber to
| the last, and gave no outward manifestation of
concern or regret at leaving the old familiar
| hall, although now and again one of their as
| sociates approached TO say farewell
A Summary OF APPnopRIArIoSs
Within ten minutes of noon Mr.. Allison asked
and obtained leave to have printed in the
Record a summary Of the appropriations for
this session. In the nature Of things he said,
that statement could not be prepared for few
days. To witty suggestion Of Mr.. Cockrell's
Mr.. Allison gave the reply that il would be "a
fair, candid statement Of the situation what
ever it is."
The manner as well IS the turn Of language
employed by Mr.. Allison gave rise to laugh
| among democratic Senators.
Il know it will be bad enough" Mr.. Cockrell
added, but II Il il fair and candid we will be
satisfied
Mr.. Butler reminded his distinguished friend
MIR. Allison) that heretofore he had always
mad that sta tement prepared and delivered be-
fore the close Of the session. Perhaps, how
| ever. thc said with significance unmistakable)
pressure OF business or something else has pre-
vented him getting it ready now, which is very
much to be regretted.
Mr.. Allison accepted the badinage smilingly.
ana expressed his assurance that the Senator
from South Carolina would readily see that il
Lad been impossible for him to give accurate
statement Of the appropriations before sd-
journment today.
TURNING BACK THE CLOCK.
Capt. Bassets march to the locality Of the
clock, with long white wand in hand, in order
to put back the minute hand to suit the emer-
gency Of the occasion, was to be omitted.
those who imagined So, however we're anus
ingly disappointed, for the venerable gentle
man, wand in hand and with his characteristic
gait strobe solemnly up the central aisle-amid
the hardly suppressed laughter of thousand
spectators-and turned back about three
| minutes the hands upon the dial. Once again,
| and third time still. the time-killing opera
ton was performed, and finally when the thing
was oyerdone he stalked back for the fourth
| time and advanced the hands a few minutes.
TO CORRECT ERRORS.
Meanwhile the clerk of the House had
brought over Joint resolution Just passed to
correct an error in the enrolment Of the agri-
cultural appropriation bill; and Mr.. Plumb,
tat,, - Al
the most importantlegislation VI Congress now
adays was done by enrolling clerks. and that
| 1t would be very lucky if the great appropria-
ton bills of the session did not contain. each
OF them, as many errors As the tariff bill had
contained.
The error which this joint resolution was to
correct was this: An amendment appropriating
$3.50. 900 for the purchase Of seeds for the re-
lief OF settlers in the arid regions had been
struck out in conference, but it appeared in
the enrolled bill and was as much the law as
any other part Of the bill.
THE LAST LEGISLATIVE ACT FAILS OF EFFECT.
The join. resolution was passed-the last
piece of Senate legislation of the Fifty-first
Congress-but it was Of no force or effect, for
before it could be sent back to the House that
body mot having had recourse to the Bassett
method Of postponing the hour of noon) had
When no other scrap of business remained
to be transacted and when the clock had taken
| three-minute step forward at a touch of the
old wizards wand the Vice President arose and
made his farewell speech.
THE VICE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
He said: am admonished by the dial that
the life of the Fifty-irst Congress is ended and
| that the hour of separation and farewell has
again arrived. The record is made up and has
gone into history. No one of us can be UNI
IL al IL q
with US who answered to the first roll-call of
| this Congress. Three members of this BODY
| all taken from one side of the chamber have
answered the last summons and gone out for
ever from the haunts of men. They were well
worthy of the love we bore them and will be
cherished i'll the hearts of the people as able,
honorable and patriotic public servants.
without previous experience as presiding
officer l came with distrust to the discharge Of
the duty imposed by the Constitution upon the
Vice President in his relation to the Senate
certain only Of an unfaftering porpose to do
| right and of the patience and forbearance Of
| this great body.
acknowledge with grateful sensibility the
| courtesy and kindness which, even in critical
| and complicated situations, the members of
the Senate have been accustomed to afford to
me and the honor conferred by the resolution
just adopted In my absence from the chair.
With the earnest hope that each member of
this body may be blessed in every relation of
nfe l now declare that the constitutional
period of the Fifty-first Congress having been
completed the Senate stands adjourned with
out day.
There was good deal of applause on the
floor and the galleries at the conclusion of Mr.
Mortons little speech, which was at precisely
1918. For the next half hour or SO there were
on the floor and III the halls MANY hearty and
probably sincere leavetakings of Senator'S with
each other and with Senate officials.
HOUSE.
The scenes in the House at the night session
the last one of its existence-wers hardly up
to the standard of the scenes which have made
| the Fifty-irst Congress memorable. Confer
ence report after conference report was pre-
sented, but they created only a slight ripple
on the smooth surface Of the proceedings As
the hours dragged away the following business
was transacted:
Senate bill was passed authorizing Gen.
Thomas F. Casey to accept from the president
of the French republic the decoration of an
officer Of the National Order of the Legion of
Honor.
Also Senate bill to incorporate the National
Conservatory of Music of America
On motion of Mr.. Washington (Tenn) Sen
ate bill was passed for the erection of q public
building at Clarksville, Tenn, with an amend
ment fixing the limit of cost at SS5,OO0.