The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-05
SAVANNAH, GA, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1891.

House, TO wait on the President aud in
form him that congress was ready to ad-
journ.
MORTON THANKED.
Mr.. Ransom offered resolution, which
was unanimously agreed TO, rendering the
thanks of the Senate 70 Vice President Nor
ton for the courteous, dignified and able
manner In which he had presided over the
deliberations Of the Senate
At IL 80 o'clock Mr.. McPherson, clerk of
the House, presented to the Senate the de-
ficienoy bill, enrolled and signed by the
speaker. aud it was Immediately transferred
to the Vice President for his signature. The
Vice Presidsnt resumed the chair, which
Mr.. Manderson had been occupying as
president pro tempore, and announced his
signature 10 the DILL, and the bill was car
ried 70 the President, who, in company
with the members of the cabinet, was occu-
pying his room adjoining the Senate cham
Der.
Messrs. Blair, Evarts, Hampton, ingalls,,
Payne and Spooner-six of the senators
whose terms expired at noon-were in the
chamber 60 the last and gave no outward
manifestations of concern or regret at leay-
ing the old familiar hall, although now and
again one of their associates approached to
say farewell
SUMMARY OF THE APPROPRIATIONS.
Within ten minutes Of noon Mr.. Allison
asked and obtained leave to have printed
in the record a summary of the appropria.
tions for this session, In the nature of
things, he said, that statement could not be
prepared for a few days. To witty sug-
gestion Of Mr.. Cockrelfs, Mr.. Allison gave
reply that IL would be a fair, candid state
ment of the situation, whatever it is" The
manner, as well as the turn Of the language
employed by Mr.. Allison, gave rise to a
laugh among the democratic senator's. 81
know it will be bad enough" Mr.. Cockrell
added, 'but il it is fair and candid, we will
be satisfied"
Mr.. Butler reminded his distinguished
friend (Mr. Allison) that heretofore he had
always had the statement prepared and do
llvered before the close of the session. Per-
haps, however, he said with Significance
unmistakable) the pressure Of business or
something else has prevented him getting it
ready now, which is very much to be re-
gretted. Mr.. Allison accepted the badinage
smiltngly, and expressed bis assurance that
the senator from South Carolina would
readily see that 1t had been impossible for
him to give an accurate statement of the
appropriations before the Adjournment to-
day.
Mr. Edmunds reported that the commit
tee to wait upon the President had dis
charged its duty, and that the President had
no further communication to make to con-
gress.
TURNING BACK THE CLOCK.
The hands on the dial of the Senate clock
pointed five minutes before noon, and il ap-
peared as il for the frat time in the memory
Of this generation the amusing little scene
OF old Capt Bassetts march to the locality
of the clock with his long white, wand ia
hand in order to turn back the minute
hand, to suit the emergency of the
situation, was to be omitted. Those
who imagined so, however, were
amusingIy disappointed, for the venerable
gentleman, wand 10 hand, and with his
characteristic gait, strobe soienlnly up the
central aisle-amid the hardly suppressed
laughter of the thousand spsctators-and
turned back by about three minutes the
hands upon the dial Once again, and a
third time still, the time-hilling operation
was performed; and finally, when the thing
was overdone, he stalked back for the
fourth time and advanced the hands a few
minutes.
THE AGRICULTURAL BILL CORRECTION.
Meanwhile the clerk of the House had
brought over the joint resolution, just
passed, TO correct an error In the enrolment
OF the agricultural appropriation bill; and
Mr.. Plumb, explaining and commenting
on 1t, said that the most important legis-
enrolling clerks, and that it would be very
lucky IL the great appropriation bills of the
session did not contain, each of them, as
many errors as the tariff bill had contained.
The error which this joint reso-
luton was to correct was
this An amendment appropriating
S1500OO for the purchase Of se3ds for the
relief OF settlers In the arid regions had been
struck out in conference; but it appeared
N al Oh 1
as any other part of the bill. The joint
resolution was passed-the last piece of
Senate legislation Of the Fifty-1rst con-
gress-but it was of no force or effect,
for, before it could be sent back
to the House, that body mot hav-
Ing any recourse to Mr. Bassstt's method of
postponing the hour Of noon had adjourned.
MoRToN's GooD-BY.
When no other scrap Of business remained
to be transacted and when the clock mad
taken three minute step forward, at the
touch of Mr. BasseCt's wand, the vice presi-
dent arose and made his farewell speech
He said: II an admonishei by the dial
that the life Of the Fifty-hrst congress is
ended, and that the hour for separation and
farewell has again arrived. The record is
made up and has gore into history. No
one OF us can be uumindful, as we part. Of
the fact that all are not with us who
answered 10 the first roll call
of this congress. Three members of this
body, all taken from one side Of the cham
Der, have answered the last summons and
gone out forever from the hauuts of men.
They were we'll worthy of the love we bore
them, and will be cherished Ia the hearts Of
the people as able, honorable and patriotic
public servants. Without previous expsri-
ence as a presiding officer, came with dis
trust to the discharge OF tee duty imposed
by the constitution on the Vice President in
his relation TO the Senate, certain only of
an unfaltering purpose to do right, and the
patience and forbearance Of this body. l
acknowledge with graceful sensibillty the
courtesy and kindness which, even in a
critical and complicated situation, the men,
bers OF the Senate have been accustomed to
accord 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 life, | now de-
clare that, tie constitutional period
Of the Fifty-frst congress having been
completed, the Senate stands adjourned
without day." There was good deal of
applause on the floor and ia the galleries at
the conclusion of Mr.. Morton's little speech,
which was at precisely 1918 O'CLOCK. For
the next half hour or 50 there were on the
floor and in the halls many hearty and
probably sincere leave-takings of senators
with each other and with the Senate officials.