Evening journal., 1893-03-04
THE LAST OF CONGRESS
Concluding Session Of the
House and the Senate.
DULLNEss MARKS THE END.

Spectators Crowd the Galleries Hut
witness Little.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The last
night Of the sessions Of the Senate In the
Fifty Second Congress passed tamely
with the Senate endeavoring to do as
little as possible while awaiting confer.
ence reports on the remaining appropri-
alton bills
Most Of the Senators present were
tired and sleepy and took frequent oc-
casion to repair to the cloak room whence
they issued heavy eyed when summoned
to vote. The galleries thinned rapidly
after midnight.
About 200 spectators, some Of whom
evidently had no couch whereon to rest
their heads watched the dull proceed.
ngs throughout the night, lrhe celebrated
McGarraban claims bill came up about
midnight in new shape from that in
which it was vetoed by the President
and was passed
The night session OF the House pre-
sented two phases. The FIRST one was
an interesting one. 1t consisted Of the
large attendance Of spectators in the
galleries. The second phase was not so
interesting. IL consisted Of the absence
of members on the floor Of the House.
The benches in the galleries were filed
the seats on the floor were lacking occu-
pants. But everywhere were these
indications that Congress was entering
upon the last few hours of its existence.
| In a. .Ia- 10. l...t %.
standing this fact the members present
bore the strain with patience aud good
nature. The House was waiting for
conference reports on the appropriation
bill. snag was struck however, when
Mr. Warner Dem N. " was recognized
to suspend the rules and pass bill
extending the list OF appropriation for
the new custom house in New York city.
For two or three hours the House
patiently waited for a quorum which
was finally secured and Mr.. Warmers
motion was defeated, 76 20 ll2.
1t was broad day light when the last
two Of the conference reports were pre-
sented. They were the reports on the
Sundry Civil appropriation bill and the
Indian Appropriation bill, and against
them all opposition failed and they were
adopted without serious obstacle, where
upon the House took recess until 10 80.
This Morning Session.
At 30 this morning when the Senate
was to reassenble, there were only few
Senators in attendance, and so the reces.
WAS extended for another quarter Of an
, hour and then for half an.hour more
3 The Senate chamber presented very
I different aspect from tbat which IL pre-
s,nted twelve hours before. Then the
galleries were packed and all the
, approaches to them were blocked up.
Now the galleries were empty and the
J Capitol itself was almost deserted,
r as no one could enter without a
ticket of admission and it was too early
y for ticket holders 20 present themselves.
? Outside the snow was falling, wet and
4 heavy. and had been falling for two
r hours and the prospects for the inaugural
I display and procession were decidedly
4 gloomy. For the next two hours there
was an almost entire absence Of legis
o lative action.
Mr.. Henderson occupied the chair as
o president pro, TEN. of the Senate and at
] intervals announced his signature Of bills
= or Joint resolutions. He also announced
+, the appointment Of Senators Cockrel
:. Dem, Mo J, Jones Dem, Ark and Cul
ANlu AlNfNsr III ID AAA hNA1Nl AANAAhNAe
, of the Joint committee TO examine the
o executive departments.
Q The usual resolution Of thanks to the
< vice President for the dignifed impartial
Q and courteous manner in which he had
c presided over all the deliberations of the
Senate, was offered by Mr. Harris, Dem
j. Tenn } and agreed TO and after that
there was an entire stoppagI
of the wheels of legislation, anC
! nothing was heard but the ncisl
hum OF conversation on the foo
Q and in the crowded galleries. A lik'
= resolution Of thanks to Mr.. Mandersoi
e for the uniformly, able, courteous anS
n impartial manner in which he had exer
a cised his duties as president pro TEN
?, was subsequently offered by Mr. Gormal
@ Dem, Md and agreed to. This wa
q after the vice President had relieved
IS Mr. Henderson and taken the chair al
= presiding officer
r After another long wait, and when thi
y clock over the entrance door showed th
e hour to be 11.25, the hoary but activ,
d doorkeeper, Captain Bassett, in compli
q ance with the instructions Of the Vice
President, strobe up the aisle and havinl
procured long wand deliberately pushed
G back the minute hand Of the clock unit
IL indicated 11.05 The captain has don
\ this on many a Fourth of March befor
+ and it has always, as now, provoked al
Ie outburst of merriment About / o'clock
n real time, Vice-President Mortol
ir delivered his farewell address an
d the Senate Of the fifty-second congres
d adjourned sine die Mr.. Morton spok
st as follows:
Morton's Farewell Speech.
a. Senators. The time fixed by the cor
81 stitution for the termination Of the hfty
second congress has arrived, and / shs
ID soon resign the gavel of the president {
s. the Senate to the honored son Of Illinois
s. who has been chosen as my successor
D. cannot, however take my leave Of th
"a distinguished body without oferin
y my most grateful acknowledgment
I'd for the honor conferred by IL
TO resolution just adopted, declarin
a your approval Of the manner in which
have discharged the duties Of the cha
he and expressing my deep sense Of IL
re uniform courtesy and kindness, even
Is critical and complicated situations, e,
he tended to me, as the presiding officer,
to every member of this body.
l..