Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-10

a NOEFUL LACK.
When person enters the variety thea
| tres In the Bowery or elsewhere he AL
ways finds chairs with leather cushions
and easy backs. when diplomats. clergy
men, ladies. workingmen, and others visit
the galleries OF the House Of Representa-
| tives they alt upon hard uncushioned
| benches with straight backs. showing a
| woefui lack OF paint and comfort Yet
there Is gorgeousness In the hall. great
| golden eagle projects from the reporters
gallery behind the Speaker. with a dusty
American nag In his talons. Then there
is gilded magnlfcence and mirrored
vista In the Speakers lobby behind the
chamber. His desk Is ideal and regal, be-
/ ing made OF the purest Italian marble. Az
It's foot sit the stenographers OF the
| House. Above them in the first marble
| tier are the reading and tally clerks. Sur
! mounting all sits the Speaker In an easy
chair armed with an ivory gavel There
are also frescoes in the lobby that might
well grace the home Of a Vanderbilt or
Astor. Yet even this gorgeousness shows
lack OF care and attention. The golden
eagle has lost his freshness. and looks as
though he had received the siftlngs Of an
ash heap. II alive. he would dash direct
for the Potomac In search OF bath. The
floor in the retiring-yoom ought TO be
overhauled. Many Of the expensive color
"a tiles are cracked and broken, and
should be replaced. The bronze private
stalrways, marvels of workmanship years
ago, are badly mutiated.
SO much for the condition II the hall
Of the House OF Representatives,. ObseTY-
ant visitors might overlook what has been
described. Their attention Is attracted TO
the members. and very few inspect the
hall The first object 10 attract their
attention outside OF the representatives, Is
the mace Of the Sergeant-at-Arms. IL
always occupies a malachite p dcsta at
the right of the Speaker when the House
Is In session.
SPEAKERS GOOSE.
As soon as the repres natives go into
the Committee If the whole the mace
is withdrawn from the pedestal. This in
strument Sc a curiosity. The pages call II
the Speakers 90 Sc" 1t is Roman
fasces surmounteG by silver ball not
quite as large 90 the crown OF DERBY
hat. silvcry eagle is perched upon the
ball. When mcmb r. are turbulent, ana
refuse 10 come 10 order on the can OF
the Speaker. the Serg ant-at-Arms seiZes
the mace with both hands and carries II
among the wranglng groups. They re-
COEnlLf the SAilbJi u duNAbAAAFf "'i'+
Iently resume their seats. No one has
ever dened the Sergeant-at-Arms when
bearing the mace Even I'm the most tur-
bulent scenes in the Fifty-hist Congress
Speaker Reed could always bring tha
House 20 order By directing the Sergeant
alarms 10 carry the mace among the
members This mace was made during
Nonroe's administration. and has been In
service nearly seventy-hve years.
Economy In the House Is hardly syno-
nym for cleanliness. IT would be easy
AT n little extra expense to keep the hall
bright. healthy. and clean. II is now
swept and kept in order by the BARRIERS
the cloak-rooIn and other servitors. These
men are always I'm attendance upon the
sessions. If the House remains In continue
Gus session for days and nights. the bar
bers. cloak-room attendants. boot-blacks,
and others are kept at work. When the
House adiourns, however these attend
ants unlike the members, cannot 20 d.
rcctly 20 their beds. They are turned Into
the hall with brooms and mops, and are
set to work to clear away the litter. They
must wash the cuspidors, dust the chairs
and desks, and do much routine work.
And all this for 5000 a year.
The Senate has special employees TO
Keep their chamber clean. In their wing
If the Capitol everything is neat and in
order. presenting the strongest contrast
to the wing occupied by the House.
The first speech made in the present
hall Of the House came from the lips of
Sunset Cox IL was his maiden speech,
delivered on December l6. 1851 With
other members Of the House, he marched
out Of the old shadowy chamber into the
new hall Mr.. Cox describes it thus:
DRAMATIC QUALITY.
THE soene is intense and OF rare dra-
matte quality. Around sit the members
upon rchly-covered oakcn chairs. Al
ready arrayed upon either side are the
sections in mutual animosity. The Re
publicans take the LEFT Of the Speaker and
the Democrats the right. James l.. Orr,
pf South Carolina. full roseate-faced
gentleman Of large build and ringing me
tallic voice, is IN the chair. James c. Al
len, OF Illinois. sits below him in the
Clerks seat The Rev. MIR. Carruthers
offers an appropriate and inspiring prayer
A solemn hush succeeds the invocation.
After some legislative routine the mem-
bers retire TO the open space in the rear
10 await the drawing OF seats. a page
with bandaged eyes, makes the award.
one 10y one the members are seated.
Then. by the courtesy of the chairman OF
the Printing Committee. Mr.. Smith, OF
Tennessee. young member from Ohio
dresses the Speaker with timidity and
modesty amid many Interruptions by
Marshall. Thomas 5. Bocock. |
Judge Hughes, George w. Jones, and
General Quitman each of whom bristles
with points Of order against the Speaker
But that young member Is soon observed
by quiet House. Many listen TO him,
perhaps TO judge of the acoustic qualities
Of the hail. and SOME because OF the ma
ture OF the debate. And then after a few
all become excited. Again and
again the shrill tones of Speaker Orr are
heard above the uproar. He eXclaims:
This is a motion TO print extra copies of
the Presidents message. Debate on the
subject is therefore in order, upon which |
the gentleman from ohio has the floor"
CoXs theme was the Lecompton Consti- |
tuition. The House was in great commo-
ton, and the first opening OF the cham
Der was signalzed by as bitter a debate |
as was ever heard In the years following
Such was the first speech heard in the
Hall of Representatives. If one could
forecast the future and describe the last
speech that will ever be heard in the
same house 1t would excite far more inte-
rest. AMOS j. CUMMINGS.