Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-03-07
The Almighty Praised.
THE LAST HOURS OF THE THIRD
SESSION OF THE FIFTY
THIRD CONGRESS.
Said to Have Been the Tamest Deatl
Struggle Ever Witnessed Within
the Capitol Walls Thousands
OF Visitors Present.

WASHINGTON, March 4.-The Fifty
third Congress came to its end at
noon to-day in the presence of the
largest assemblage which was eyer at
one time contained in the House wing
of the capitol.
When the Speaker, on the stroke of
u, dropped his gavel and said: 81
declare the third session of the Fifty
third Congress adjourned without
day." the occupants of the press gal
lery arose and sang its requiem in
praise God From Whom All Blessings
Flow"
The dissolving House, arrested by
the song, held its peace and place un-
til the doxology was tunefully con-
Quoted to it's proper end and then from
crowded floor and packed gallery went
up a mighty approving shout of recog-
milton of the appropriateness of the
selection.
During the morning there r
sunken eyes and flushed faces in
abundance, some attesting the drain
of contentious toll in conference
chamber during sleepless days, others
with shameful eloquence relating the
story of drink which marked the sat
urnalia of yhe last night.
There was appointment of theHouse
delegates to the prospective monetary
conference. Then came q following
silence quite unbroken by the custo-
mary hustle in great assemblages. The
minute hand stood I'VE and obscured
the hour-hand fixed nov on y, the
gavel fell and the %Fifty-tbird Congress
passed to the Judgment of history.
THE LAST AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.
The last afternoon and night of the
Fifty-third Congress, disorderly at
times, turbulent in many regards and
held on Sunday, in open defiance of
American custom, was yet said by the
veterans of the galleries to be the
tamest death struggle any ~post-bellum
Congress has presented.
There were popular idols who show
ed feet of clay, there was a Congress-
man who fell asleep upon a marble
stairway, to the discomfort of the
groups that came from worship in
their churches to note unappreciative-
ly the congressional observance of
! Sunday rest and see mammon's de-
voices make legislative obeisance.
There were others who sacrificed de-
cency TO make a spectacular holiday,
but for all these exhibitions it was yet
said with truth hat Congress passed
its last afternoon and night in COM
parative quiet, and that such steals as
were legalized by its sometimes unin-
telligent vote we're as nothing in their
treasury looting effect or volume in
comparison with those which marked
the dying hours of other congresses.
Thousands of people fiocked about
the capitol entrances all afternoon and
evening. The human tide of the cur
ious flowed thickly through corridors
and emptied into the galleries of the
House or Senate or into the vast circle
OF b rotunda. Exhausted conferees,
in whom had come finally to be CEN
tered substantially all the powers of
legislation, busted with millions sided
through the throngs from the confer
ence chambers to their respective
houses.
NO THOUGHT OF THE COMMANDMENT.
There was no thought of the fourth
commandment. Broderick CHANGED
upon Bailey during the night and anx-
iously asked that profound youthful
expounder of the constitution and the
laws whether he believed that the sew
eral recesses which carried the legis-
lative day of Saturday through, over
and around Sunday fooled the Lord
any on the score of the observance of
His day. 81 don't KNOW" answered
Bailey, ''this Congress has fooled
everybody else. Perhaps it can fool
Him.
Personal encounters between mem
bers whose discretion had been put to
sleep were sometimes narrowly avoid
ed. Once De Armand of Missouri
sought to call up a bill of private in
terest, whereupon Scranton of Penn
sylvania eratuitously interposed an
objection which made a summary end
of all its legislative chances.
"Mr. Speaker, shouted De Armand,
81 ask if a man as drunk as that man
is has IA right to object"
The interference of friends twice
thereafter restrained Scranton from
proving that he was sober by endeav-
ors to fight.