The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-02

luent 10 the appropriate committees
II the message OF the president
comes to the senate on the opening
day. dt Is presented by one of the white
house Enthusiastically by Mr.. Pruden,
who Is the chief among them. 1t Is In
writing. carefully engrossed on paper
OF light blue tint. 1t Is accompanied
by printed copies, however. and these
are distributed to the senators as soon
as the written copy is placed in the
vice presidents hands
Almost Immediately after the presen-
tation Of the message by Mr.. Pruden,
a ceremony in which he mas the ample
assistance OF Captain Bassett, the
vice president announces that he '1ays
before the senate a message from the
president of the United states"
The secretary of the senate, Mr. Cox.
takes the document from his hands,
opens II and affects to read from the
original document.
But This is wholly a sham. The
reading is done from a printed copy.
Few or those on the floor listen with
much attention. They prefer as rule
to read the message at their leisure
later. When the reading of the annual
message Is concluded. whether IL be on
the dav when congress assemblies or
the de- following 1t. the senate adj
1ourns and the senators go forth to
be interviewed.
ine Meeting of the House.
The house is a far more entertain
ing place on the first day of a session
Of congress than is the senate. Long
before noon the members gather the
older ones at the desks which were
familiar to them in the session which
ended on the 4th of March. the young
ones at the unoccupied desk Not that
the older ones have now any pro-
prietary right in the disks they used be-
fore. a members Interest in his desk
and seat ends with the ending of con-
gress. At the beginning OF the next
congress he must take his chance with
the ewcomer for a desirable place.
The new congressman Is all excite
ment as he sits in a group OF admir-
ing friends who have come to see him
installed. His wife and children are In
the gallery perhaps, and he tries TO
look less conscious than he feels for
their sakes.
The older member has much 20 say
to old friends on the foor-reminis-
cenceis TO exchange and regrets to ex-
press for the departed But the be-
ginning of the session is an old story
to him. Perhaps he feels a momentary
uneasiness about that committee chair
manshiD which was only half promised
to him but he keeps his own counsel
about p. He does not get hurried be-
cause he knows that viii do no good.
He has nut in all his hard work in ad-
vance of the meeting of the caucus.
and he knows nothing will help him
now.
The galleries ill early. and there is
continual coming and going OF strang-
crs on the floor until ten minutes be-
fore noon. Then a warning To GlaaE
the floor Is shouted from the clerks
desk and 81 Owly the doorkeepers show
the intruders out Many a new member
has to save Himself by a tardy identi-
hcation. for the doorkeepers have no
means Of knowing the deDutants.
At noon the house Is In a hubbub.
Floor and galleries are talking at a
lively rate when the clerk with the
speakers gavel in his hand calls the
house to order. The speakers gavel
IS no ivory toy; Il is a mallet of hard
wood, guaranteed to wear cut the top
Of the speakers desk before the session
is over " dhe house is inclined to be at
all lively.
The noise in the hall is hushed in
great part when the clerk begins 10
call the roll of the house. To him Is
given the authority to make up the
roll of the new house. and any person
whom he deprives of a seat in making
up that roll must go to the electiCl
and through it to the house
for redress.
When the roll has been called. the
members are called to the desk i'm
patches to be sworn in. All raise their
b ap1s and 50 take the oath which the
clerk reads to them. This ceremony
the election of officers OF
the house takes place.
The selection has been made a day
or two beforehand, each party pre-
pairing in caucus a list OF candidates.
But the pames are presented 20 the
house as formally as though no selec-
don had been made, and the clerk calls
the RON and records the vote of each
as carefully as though the con-
test was being fought out on the floor.
Tbs Lottery of Seas
When Speaker Reed has been chosen
formally. he win be escorted to the
chair by a committee. and he Will
make a brief speech as he takes the
yavel. The other officers will be en-
stalled in the order of their import
ance. And then will occur the only
really exciting incident Of the day
For no one can determine In advance
what the allotment OF the seats in
he hall will be. and so much depends
,n this allotment that II Is watched
Dy new member and old with feverish
anxiety. Inc rules. or the house pro /
ride for a lottery OF seats. and two
pages are stationed at the clerks desk
% draw from a box the names OF the Z
Members. Each member as his name /.
$ called selects a seat and takes pos |
session of IL.
The least experienced OF the new (
may have first choice OF I
eats. and the father OF the house-to I
whom. by the way. Is intrueted the I
iuty of swearing in the speaker-may /
'e the last person reached in the dist /
Did or new, a member must take pos !
lession of his CHOSEN seat and hold Il 7
81 the end OF the car, for only pos
ession is proprietary after the roll I
all has begun. The importance Of To- /
alton Is better appreciated by the 4
'lder members. who know how difficult /
{ is IN an obscure place to catch the 4
peaker's eye in an effort to address
he house.
Cthcr incidents Of the opening ses-
ion are the appointment OF the mem.
'erJ OF the joint committee to notify /
he president and. II the president /
hould send the annual message in.
he reading OF that document.
Here az IN the senate aha v,aa.a.a