Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-07
CONGRESS is HERE.
Continued from First Pdge.)
HOUSE..

there with spray of yellow and red, in
tensifed by its appearance the heat which
prevailed in the hall of the House this
morning. 1t was in marked contrast with
the cool mating of the Senate wing. AS
early as 1890 the galleries devoted to pub
lie use were filled to repletion. The doors
leading to them were crowded and specta-
tors less fortunate than their associates
peered over the shoulders of the more fav-
ored ones and waited patiently for the hour
or noon. AT II o'clock the reserved gal
leries were opened and in one minute seats
even there We're at a premium. The pic
ture then presented was indeed an eni-
mated and Interesting one.
The galleries constituted frame, and a
handsome frame 1t was. The ladies, who
made up more than one-half of the audi
ence were attired in their prettiest sur,cier
headgear, and the fluttering of fans and the
buzz of female conversation mingled pleas
antly with the sterner. manly tones which
arose from the floor.
Stirring Picture.
The picture which this frame surrounded
was stirring one. Members clasped each
others arms in hearty greeting. For the
nonce party feeling was laid aside and good
fellowship and Aud Lang Syne were the
watchwords. Meandering among them
were number of prospective office holders,
buttonholing their representatives In
fective ears an account of their fitness for
an Office from this House under the House
A newspaper man was here, there and
everywhere The general public was al
lowed to surge in and out and soon the
aisles were SO thickly crowded as to make
locomotiOn almost impossible. Every men,
Der manipulated huge palm leaf fan, the
contribution of some enterprising adver-
On one side of the chamber sat Mr.. Hol-
man porting over an old copy of the Con-
gressional Record, evidently looking up
| +l,,r s,lA
dividing his fan between a copy of the Rec
ord which lay open before him ard a
| newspaper at which, however, he merely
glanced. Mr.. Bland quietly lolled back in
| his chair, to all appearances indifferent ard
easy in mind. At AS the floor of the
House was cleared of persons not entitled
| to the privilege of being present durinS the
session, but the noise and confusion did not
cease, either on the floor or in the galleries,
until at the stroke of noon the Tag over
| the south wing of the Capitol was hoisted
to the breeze, Clerk Kerr called the rnem-
bers to order and the extraordinary session
of the flfty-third Congress began.
Called Together.
When order had been restored Clerk Kerr,
in clear voice. read the Presidents proc
lamation. summoning Congress to meet
in extraordinary session on the 7th of Au-
gust. After notifying stragglers who had
remained in the House that they must
tire. and giving instructions to the door
keeper and sergeant-at-arms to see that
these orders were strictly complied with
Mr.. Kerr proceeded to call the list of Repre-
sentatives elected to the Fifty-third Con-
gress. When the clerk had read the names
Of the members-elect from Michigan he
said: The clerk begs leave to state In refer
fifth congressional district of Michigan
that on December q, 1892, there was filed
In his office certificate of election to the
House of Representatives from that district
in due and authorized form, showing the
election Of Mr. George +. Richardson as a
Representative to the F'ifty-third Congress
nd hA
George F. Richardson as Representative
was by the clerk of the House then duly
placed upon the roll of Representatives
Exactly similar certificates in every respect
certl1ed to by the same state officer were
filed at other dates as late April sho,y-
ing the election of Representatives to Con-
gress from all the other districts of Mich
igan' and similar action was taken in each
case. On February 20 there was delivered
10 the clerk an alleged certificate of cleo
ton signed by other persons, the state CT
fcers required by law to certify the election
or members of Congress having been chang
ed in the interim. which certificates claimed
to show the election of Mr.. Charles E. Bel
KNAPP from the fifth congressional district
of Michigan. The clerk refused to strik e
off the roll the name OF George d. Richarl-
son as a memher-elect from the fifth dis
ity given to him by law. The matter is
| therefore submitted to the House. which.
when organized, is. under the Constitution
and the law. judge of the election returns
and qualifications of its own members.
MIR. Crisp Elected Speaker.
| Three hundred and thirty-six members
| having responded to their names the clerk
announced that there was more than a quo
| rum. and that the first business in order
was the election of a speaker. Mr.. Holman,
and said that he had the honor to put in
| nomination for that high Office Hon.
James F. Crisp of Georgia. The laughter
caused by this slip of the tongue hardly
before Z renewed he
| clerk fell into the same error and an
nounced that James F. Crisp had been
The correction was duly made to Charles
| F. Crisp and then Thomas b. Reed was
placed in nomination by Mr. Henderson.
the chairman of the republican caucus. The
| mention of Reeds name was greeted with
| applause by the republicans. Then arose
| Mr.. KEN. the populist of Nebraska, and
amid general laughter presented the name
| of jerry Simpson as the populist candidate
! for Speaker. The nominations We're then
roll. The call had gone on for some time
| when Mr.. Burrows of Michigan suggested
that it had always been the custom that
the votes for Speaker should be taken by
| tellers appointed by the clerk.
Clerk Kerr admitted that he had over
looked this fact and he Immediately ap-
| O'Neil and Hopkins. The vote resulted
| For Crisp, ia; for Reed. 10; for Simpson,
Z. The announcement was greeted with
| loud applause. MeSsrs. Holman, Reed and
Simpson were appointed a committee to
| escort the Speaker to the chair, and as the
/ distinguished gentleman entered the main
| door leaning on the arm of Mr.. Holman the
| members broke out into cheers AS Mr.
| Crisp assumed the gavel sudden hush fell
| upon the House In clear voice, but
| showing feeling the Speaker said:
| Representatives: Profoundly grateful for
/ this mark of your confidence ! shall try
! to be in some degree worthy of It by an
| honest effort to discharge the duties of
| the office on which l am about to enter
| with fidelity, with courtesy and with the
strictest impartiality. (Applause.) l am
| now ready to take the oath of office"
The oath was then impressively admin
| fstered by the father of the House, Mr.
| O'Neill of Pennsylvania.
| Drawing for Seats.
| About 2 o'clock the drawing for seats
| commenced Under a resolution adopted by
| the House, members who have served flf-
| teen terms in Congress We're permitted to
| select their seats before the drawings COM
! menced and MIR. Reed of Maine Mr. Hoi-
man of Indiana, Mr.. O'Neill of Pennsylva-
| mia, were permitted to choose their seats
| Mr.. Reed and Mr.. Holman selected their
| old seats and Mr.. ONeill chose one directly
| in front of Mr.. Reed. Then all of the mem
| bers retired to the stage back of the rail-
/ ing in the rear of the seats and the draw
| ingS for the seats continued.