The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1893-08-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, AUGUST I, 1898.

Iftoday was not the proudest day Speaker
Crisp ever saw his looks belied him, aud he
must differ from the average man. His first
election to be Speaker of the House-an Office
only second in authority and dignity to that
Of Presiient-was the end of one of the Bit
terest contests ever waged within party lines
and now, after being unanimously nominated
for the position by the party caucus he is for
the second time elevated to the honorable po-
sition. 1t was q personal triumph of which
arv man might well be proud and which few
:1en have Attained. The following officials
wels also ele ted by the House: Clerk, Jas.
Kerr, of Pennsylvania (reelected): Sergeant
alarms, Herman c. Snow, (ex-C ongressman)
nesee; Postmaster. Lycurgus Dalton. Of Ipdi-
ana, (reelected); Chaplain, Rev. s. W. Hadda
way, Of the District of Columbia.
Vice President Stevenson presided over the
opening session of the Senate, which was q
short one, q President Cleveland's message
will not 60 until tomorrow.
There were several good reasons why large
attendance was not expected ct the opening of
he oxtra session. There was no contest
oyer the Speakership and many members of
the House took no interest in those over the
other officials; still, the percentage of members
present was about the average for the first day
heard from and they will all be in their seats
before the House is ready to get down to real
business, which it cannot do until Speaker
Crisp has completed and announced the COM
mittee assignments, for the very simple rea-
son that none of the bills introduced can be
acted upon until then.
Speaker Crisp is loosing no time and just
as soon As he can get the committee assign
mepts completed he will announce them, but
there is not much probability that il will be
earlier than next week. The proposition has
been made that Mr. Crisp followed the example
get bv President Cleveland, in announcing
the memhsis of his cabinet as fast As they
were selected, and announce the committees
- fast As they are made up, so that they may
sst to work on the bills as fast IS they are in
"a oouced; but the suggestion is hardly practi-
Cable. THERE'S so much dove failing neces-
ary in assigning the members to committees
that the committees are all practically made
up at about the same time.
Some one has proposed and the proposal
meets with favor from many member, that
IN entirely new committee, to be called the
committee on Coinage and Currency, be ad-
led to those existing in the House, and that
70 it be referred all bills relating to coinage
and currency. The reason for this proposal
the constant clashing between the commit
ZEE on Coinage, Weights and Measures and
that ON Banking and Currency, as to the ref
renee of bills. Should the proposal be adopt
I'd those two committees would be less impor
ant, e the first would deal only with COM
laratively Insignificant bills relating 10
Weights and Measures and the latter only
with bills relating to Banking. The new
committee, if formed, would rank with the
Ways and Means and Appropriation commit
lees 10 importance.