The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-07
CONGRESS OPENED.
The Extraordinary Session Now
Ready for Business. H..
WAITING FOR THE MESSAGE
Crisp Again Chosen Speaker Of
the House.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SESSION.

Aid in Lifting the Present Financial
Depression--Full Text of the Famous
Sherman Law, which Has Caused All
the Trouble.
WASHINGTON, Aug. For the twelfth
time in the history of the United States
congress was at noon today convened in
Extraordinary session. The nominees
of the Democratic caucus of Saturday
night were promptly elected, as follows:
Speaker, Hon. Charles L. Crisp; clerk,
James Kerr, of Pennsylvania; sergeant
alarms, ex-Congressman Herman w.
Snow, Of Ohio; postmaster, Lycurgus Dali
ton, of Indiana; doorkceper, A. B. Hart,
of Tennessee; chaplain, Rev. S. w. Had
away, of Maryland Ex-Speaker Reed
received the complimentary vote of the
Republicans. The new speaker was sworn
In by Representative Charles O'Neill, of
Pennsylvania, the oldest member in point
of service and ''the father of the house"
The history which the session will make
for itself will probably justify that title in
more senses than one. Convened for sin
gle specific object--the repeal or modifica-
ton of what is properly known as the
Sherman act-it will not be restricted to
that bare program, but will have, in con-
nection with 1t, to legislate on the whole
subject of finance, including, probably, q
thorough revision of the tariff. Those two
subjects, distinct and yet connected, will
supply material enough to occupy the at
tcntion of congress for many months to
come
While the senate will have the great
advantage of being guided and controlled
by experienced leaders and debaters on
both sides of the chamber, it will also
contain many members entirely new to its
proceedings. Its presiding officer, Vice
President Stevenson, when he took the
gayel on the 4th of March last, had had
no familiarity with the rules of legisla-
tive body except that derived from his
service in the house of representatives
during two congresses, but during the six
weeks of the extra session he presided
with dignity and ability In the coming
session, when exciting conflicts may be
anticipated, and when parliamentary rul-
ings may have to be prompt sharp and
decisive, Mr.. Stevenson will have reliable
substitute to call to the chair in the person
of the president Of senate pro tempore
Mr.. Harris, of Tennessee.
The senate's session today was opened
with prayer by the senates new chaplain,
Mr.. Milburn. Its two principal officers,
Mr.. Cox, the new secretary, and Mr.
Bright, the serGeant-at-arms, also repre-
sent the changed political complexion of
the body. All the committee clerkships
underwent political change during the
extra session in March, and most of the
nppointees under the prior secretary and
sergeant at-arms have only had their of
fetal decapitation postponed, not averted.
There are thirteen new senators in the
present session. They are: White and
Perkins, of California; Martin, Kansas;
Lindsay, Kentucky (who succeeds Mr.. Car
lisle); Caffery, Wisconsin; Lodge, Massa-
chusetts; Allen, Nebraska: Smith, New
Jersey; Murphy, New York; Roach, North
Dakota; Camden, West Virginia; Mitchell,
Wisconsin.
In addition to these new sen ators there
are three others as to whose admission
the question was left undecided at the
close of the extra sesl lioa. And this ques-
ton must be one of the first to be settled
and decided. The point in regard to them
is, whether state legislature having been
in session and failed TO elect n senator to
fill vacancy, the vacancy can afterwards
be filled through an appointment by The
governor. A precedent has TO be estab-
lished in the case of senators appointed
by the governors of Montana, Washington
and Wyoming. 1t was debated through.
out several days during tn extra session,
and may occupy CO nsiderabe time of the
extraordinary session. before any legisla-
tive subject can be disposed Of
1t is to the old leaders of both political
parties in the senate that the public will
look for action. Foremost ON the Repub-
lican side is Mr.. Sherman, who gave his
name to the act, now the object of so much
condemn ation-Rn act which he has de
Tended as compromise measure, and
l.. :.
repealed. He will probably be supported
In whatever position he takes on the silver
question by such able adjutants as Alli-
son, Aldrich, Frye, Hale, Hawley, Hoar
and Morrill,, and he will be as ably antag-
onized by such Republican senators as
Jones. of Nevada; Teller. Wolcott and
Stewart. There are quite as many expe-
rienced debaters and parliamentarians on
the Democratic side, including Senators
German, Gray, George, Harris, Morgan,
Pugh, Vest, Vance and Voorhees,, but they
will all range themselves. not on party
lines, but on their individual and state
views of financial policy.
The first business in order after the senate
was called to order was to administer the
oath of Office to three senators and to Mr.
Cox, the new secretary of the senate. The
senators who took the oath arc Mr. Per-
kins, who succeeds Mr.. Stanford, Mr..
Pasco, of Florida, who has been reelected
after serving ad interim under guberna-
torial appointment, and Mr.. Quay, of
Pennsylvania, who was not present during
the last extra session, and so had not yet
qualified. After notice was received from
the house that it had organized the proper
committee was appointed to wait upon tho
president and notify him that congress
was ready to receive any communication
he may care to make. This will call forth
the message explaining the presidents
reasons for convening congress in special
session and suggesting legislation to cure
the ills from which the country is suffer-
ing, for which message both bodies are
now.waiting 1t is not likely that the mess
age will be sent in today.
The house was called to order by Clerk
Kerr. AS he called the roll he looked upon
a hundred new and untried men, and
found many familiar faces absent. There
will probably be little done in the house
this week, owing to the non-existence of
committees. No bills, under the rules,
can be introduced until the committees
have been named, but the desire of repre-
sentatives to keep pace with the senate in
this respect will probably cause resolu-
tion to be passed suspending the rules so
as to permit the Introduction of bills for
reference to the appropriate committees
when appointed. After the message is
read both house and senate will probably
adjourn for three days.
The Men Entirely Satisfied.
EAsroN, Pa, Aug. There was meet