The herald., 1893-12-05
FIFTY-TH|RD CONGRESS.
The Regular Session Opened
Yesterday.
Most Of the Members Respond
to Roll Call.
The Presidents Message Received
and Laid on the Table.
The Reading of the Document Followed
With Great Interest-Some Minor
Business Transacted In
Both Houses.
By the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-The fret senate
session of the fifty-third congress assem-
bied at noon. On many desks were
floral tributes from the admirers of the
respective occupants. Vice-Preeident
Stevenson had been remembered with
large bouquet of roses bunch of roses
lay on the desk of Dolph, and the
doughty champion Of the white metal,
Stewart, was the recipient of basket of
beautiful Marechal Neile. The galleries
were we'll filled and a touch OF color was
lent to the scene by the bright winter
toilets of the ladies present.
After the vice.president's gavel fell,
the blind chaplain was led to the desk
and delivered eloquent prayer. Roll
call showed 56 senators present. After
the passage of the usual resolution
notifying the house of the meeting OF
the senate and the appointment of q
committee to join q like committee from
the house to wait on the president and
notify him of the assembling OF con-
gress, and one fixing the time of meeting
at noon each day, the senate took re-
cess of an hour to enable the committee
owait on the president.
At the expiration of the recess, the
senate reconvened. A message was re-
ceived from the houee of the appoint
ment Of committee to wait on the
president, and another recess of 20 min
utes was taken.
On reassembling the committee to
wait on the president announced the
accomplishment of its duty, and that
al 40, Il 81
cate with the senate. Secretary Pruden
message to the vice-president, who laid
at once began it's reading.
All present, with few exceptions, gave
close attention " hen the reading began.
Dolph gave attention to his old file OF
bills for few moments, but pricked up
his ears aa the reading reached the
Hawaiian paragraph. There was a
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document dealing with Hawaii was ap-
preached. Many senators had, how
ever, anticipated the secretary's read
ing by turning their printed copies.
After this there was an evident falling
off in interest, but attention briefly re-
vived when the paragraph concerning
bonds was reached. When this was
passed the senators gradually left their
seats and driited into the cloak rooms,
go that by the time the reading was
two-thirds concluded only 25 senators
in the chamber, and the majority of
these were engaged in conversation
among themselves. The reading was
concluded at O'Clock, having occupied
an hour and half.
Dolph Immediately rose and said
there had been distributed in the sem
ate printed copies of what purported to
be the message of the president in
which, on page nine, he found part of
the page devoted to Hawaii. He did
not hear that portion read from the
desk. He desired to know, and thought
the country did also, whether that part
was inadvertently or purposely omitted
by the secretary, or whether che copies
which had been circulated were not true
copies of the message.
The vice-president responded that the
portion OF the message relating to Ha.
waii had been inadvertently omitted by
the secretary, and directed that it be
read. This was done and Dolph gave
notice that he would tomorrow address
the'senate on that portion of the mes-
sage.
The message was ordered to lie on the
table.
Numerous petitions were presented
and many bills introduced and referred.
A joint resolution permitting Col.
Aneon Mile, U. S. A., to serve as an
engineer on the commission to survey
and fix the boundary between the
United States and Mexico, was passed.
A message received from the house,
announced the deaths OF O'Neill and
Lilley, late representatives from Penn
sylvania. Cameron, of Pennsylvania,
offered resolution expressive of the
sorrow of the senate. The chair ap-
pointed committee to attend the
funeral, and ss an additional mark of
respect, at 5 :53 the senate adjourned.