The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-23
THE COMING CONGRESS-.
Out Of the Way Facts That Recall The
First Extra Session.

Thinnest, the Queerest and the Rich
est
Copyright 1897
New York July % The persons emit
tied 10 serve as members Of the Fifty
third congress, to quote President Cleve-
land. and whom he has required to take
notice" that they must assemble in spec
ial session at the capital, on Aug Z, form
collectively d body of men that possesses
some eminently curious statistical fea-
lures
To begin with, each member of the
House Of Representatives. is theoretically
the mouth-piece Of Just 173,90l persons
decided increase over the 10000 that a
representative stood for in the first con
gress The smaller number was provided
for by the constitution, the larger is
based on the last census Every member
of the present congress may reasonably
be presumed to have read the proc
lamatiOn calling the extra session, within
twenty-four hours after it was issued
When the first extra session of congress
ever held was called by President
John Adams, in March, 1877, many
a. llitItbIt 4lN ltDb tFtil itdlil Lile lltt III
six weeks, Small as the country then
Was-SOme sixteen states, mostly along
the Atlantic seabOard-it would have
been impossible for congress to assemble
in the single month allowed by President
Cleveland for the legislative branch of
the government TO come together, al
though scattered over a territory nearly
as large as all Europe. Indeed, one gen
tlenlau who raced across country on
horseback to attend the special session of
1871 did not reach Philadelphia-the the
nations capital-until after congress had
adjourned In that year the Senate and
House assembled in little brick building
with few rooms in it. The white house
was just block away and likewise of
brick and very modest The reason for
the special session was that war with
France was imminent. II never came,
no thanks to the Fifth congress. The
government at that time paid no salary
to the Presidents private secretary, nor
tOeXecutive clerks, pages, or other more
or less useful dictionaries. When con
gress opened President Adams appeared
before the Senate and House and made
speech to the members When he had
done everybody stood up respectfully as
he passed out. No such scene will be
witnessed on the 9TH of August next.
President Cleveland will not enter
tllt ldllS u congress- Inc
cabinet in 1897 contained five
members, Timothy Pickering, Sec
rotary of State; Oliver WOlcott, Secretary
of the Treasury James McHenry Score
tary of War; Joseph Habersham, Post
master General and Charles Lee Attor-
ney General. There was no Secretary of
the Interior, no Secretary of the Navy,
and no Secretary of Agriculture. In fact
the postmaster general was not mem
hal of tIa0 nc linpf In, no
Dental advisers were therefore but four
in number when congress first met in
special session. The states were sixteen
all told-the thirteen original colonies and
Vermont Kentucky and Tennessee
The Senate numbered 80 members instead
OF 49, There were no territories. The
city of Washington did not exist The
white house of 1897 has disappeared
from the face of the earth. It's site in
Philadelphia is unmarked by anything
but hideous brick structure that is
leased for a shirt factory and photograph
gallery. The old Independence Hall still
stands, but so changed in many respects
that the members of the Fifth congress
would not recognize it could they see the
structure.
The congress summoned by President
Cleveland contains 444 members, not
counting the four territorial delegates
OF the So senators Is are pretty sure to
vote SolidlV democratic, IS republican
, peoples and , doubtful The youngest
Of them is Edward o. Wolcott, of Den
yer, Colorado. He was born in 1S4s in
Massachusetts and is lawyer by pro-
fessiou. The oldest is Justin S. Morrill,
of STAFFORD Vermont, who was born in
$50, and is a merchant Moreover he is
the nestOr of congress, having served
| thirty-nine years. The rest of the Senate
is made up of 81 lawyers. A capitalists, 3
journalists, lumbermen, , manufacture
ers, l merchant, l railroad official, 1
miner, stock raiser, l ear builder. l doc
tor, bankers, planter and 6quarrymen.
The rest put themselves down as
retired. " Twenty of the senators served
in the Confederate army during the war
| and 10 in the Union army. The man with
the longest time to serve is Edward c.
Walthall, of Grenada, Mississippi. who
has been reelected by the legislature OF
his state for the term ending in 1901 The
most cultured senator is Henry CubOs
Lodge, of Massachusetts. who is an au-
thor, artist, linqust, scholar and SO ioty
man. The handsomCSt is Charles II.
Gibson OF Maryland Tho
most senatorial is Alfred H Col
qUitt, of Georgia, whose father
and grandfather sdJ in tine Senate before
him. The hauPhtiest is j. Donald Came
ron, of Pennsylvania, whose unique dis
Jnrlun II is never TO say word IN the
Senate unless he moves to ad iOuru The
richest, now that Stanford is dead, would
seem TO be John =. Jones, of Nevada, who
| bestOWs sold dollars on the beggars of
Washington. The one most celebrated
outside of his own country is John Sher-
man The most abused is Matthew Stan
ley Quay, of Pennsylvania The most
puuctilious is Calvin :. Brice, of Ohio. who
changes his shirt three times every day
The most temperate is David b Hill of
New York who neither drinks, smokes
sWcarS. CANDLES nor eats dainties The
strongest is VIM B. Allison, of Iowa,
who could almost fell an OK with his
! fist
In the House are 2O4 members who
! served in the last congress be
! sides rs others not in the
| last congress but members of the CON
| crosses prior To- it. The father of the
| House Is Charles O'Neill, of Philadelphia,
| Pennsylvania, who if he outlives his pres
! ent term, will have broken the record by
| having served thirty consecutive years in
! the lower branch Of congress. The
/ House will contain POS lawyers. - far
mers and agriCulturists. "A Jour
| nalists, IA manufacturers ID
merchants. 5 bankers, 3 teachers |
| publisher, , doctors 2 clergymeu. , col
! lege professors, , printers. 6 gentlemen Of
| leisure, society men and 30 odd whose
/ pursuits are too Indefinitely reported for
classification. OF the lot 22l are certain
to go into the democratic caucus 1875 will