Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-28
LISTENING TO THE MESSAGE.
1t Received Unusual Attention In the
Senate and Was Appiauded in the
Hnusa

LISTENING TO THE MESSAGE.
1t Received Unusual Attention In the
Senate and Was Appiauded in the
House.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Within the
past 20 years no presidential message to
Congress has been looked for with more
interest than that which President Har-
rson sent to the House and Senate TO-
day. In anticipation of the reading Of
the message in Congress to-day there
was an unusually large and intelligent
attendance in the galleries of both the
House and Senate. Russell Harri-
son, with his sister, Mrs. Mckee,
Mrs. Dimmick and several other
friends, occupied seats in the executive
gallery. Several members of the Eng
lish, French and German legations
We're in the diplomatic gallery.
The public and private galleries
were crowded with handsomely
dressed ladies and gentleman, many of
the latter anxious to hear every word
contained in the important document
There was some delay in getting the
message to Congress, as it was nearly
O'Clock before Secretary Halford, with
Mr. Pruden, principal clerk at the
Executive Mansion, appeared bearing
the message and the accompanying cor
respondence. Some Impotence was
manifested by several senators, as well
as by some Of the occupants Of the gal
leries. The delay may have been owing
TO the desire Of the President to give
Minister Montt the fullest opportunity
to hear from the CHILEAN government.
The latter evidently had nothing to com
municate to the Secretary of State, as he
was seen stiolling down Executive
avenue this morning, about 1880 O'Clock,
en- route to the state department. He
walked leisurely along, digging his cane
into the snow, as if he hesitated to go
into the state department, yet he may
have felt 1t his duty to do so. He has
been daily visitor at the department
for several days past,
After the Senate had disposed of the
usual amount of routine morning bust
ness, the message from the President
was received. The Vice president stun
bled in making the announcement, and
said; "A message from the House of
Rep'-, then correcting himself, said
the President of the United States. The
venerable Captain Bassett almost tainted
when the Vice. president made the break,
for those little deviatlons from the sena-
torial dignity generally annoy the white
haired captain greatly.
he seals on the packages were broken
and the Vice-president passed the manu-
script over 10 Chief Reading Clerk
johnson, but the latter laid it aside and
drew from his inside pocket a printed
copy of the message and proceeded to
read it in clear, deliberate tone Of
voice. During the reading senators.
Democratic and Republican, gave close
attention, while the occupants of the
galleries were also attentive listeners.
John Sherman, chairman of the COM
mittee on foreign affairs, advanced TO
the Nice-presidents desk and whispered
10 Mr.. Morton that he would make the
appropriate motion to refer the message
and accompanying papers to the COM
mlttee on foreign affairs. This formality
being over, Mr. Sherman returned to his
seat, folded his hands and followed the
reading closely. Senator Hale of Maine,
the nearest friend Of Secretary Blaine in
the. Senate, observed his brother senators
closely to see what effect the message
was having upon them, His colleague,
senator Frye, who sits on the front row
on the Republican side. drank in every
word Reading Clerk johnson uttered.
and seemed to wish there was more
when the reading concluded Senator
| sawyer the venerable old gentlemen
from Wisconsin, left his seat on the back
row, came down the middle aisle and
took n scat at the reporters table, in
front of the secretary's desk, where he
could hear more distinctly.
Tn the Democratic side nearly every
senator was in his seat and gave the
message an earnest hearing. Senator
Morgan of Alabama, who has a seat in
The front row, was Joined by Senator
Gray, who is also u member of the com
mlttee on foreign affairs, and the two
senators occasionally exchanged glances
us II to indicate that certain passages in
the message appealed TO them in the
same way. Senator Palmer of Illinois
left his seat on the back row and adj
vanced toward the front row where he
could hear to better advantage. Sena-
tor Cockrell laid aside his correspondence
and sat back in his chair, holding In his
hand a letter, which he did not attempt
to look at again until after the message
was finished.
As general thing presidential mes
sages receive but poor treatment by SEN
ators' They usually employ the time
during the reading in looking over the
newspapers or attending to their cores
pondence. To show how interested they
were Senator Dolph attempted to speak
to his colleague, Senator Mitchell, but
several of the senators in that vicinity
glanced at him reprovingly and the CON
versation was postponed.
APPLAUSE IN THE HOUSE.
The message arrived in the House
shortly before 1 o'clock, and was read
at once by order of Speaker Crisp, who
presided for the first time since the
Christmas recess. 1t was listened to
! with most unusual degree of attention.