The San Francisco call., 1895-12-03
OPENING OF THE SENATE.
The Only Interesting Feature Vas the
Stuedring In of NetU Members.


WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. 2.-There
was an unusually large attendance of SEN
ators when the Fifty fourth Congress con-
vened to-day, the only recorded absentees
being Hill of New York, Kindsay of Ken
lucky, Wolcott of Colorado and the two
Senators from Louisiana. Palmer of
Illinois and Jones OF Arkansas, absent
during the first part of the proceedings
came in before the adjournment. The
only interesting feature of the proceed
ings was the swearing in of new Senators.
Being unofficially advised that the Presi-
dents message would not be delivered
until noon tomorrow, the Senate imme-
diately thereafter adjourned until that
time.
Senator Davis of Minnesota was the first
Senator to occupy a seat on the floor. He
came at 10:30 o'clock. At that hour the
public galleries had already quite sprink
ling of visitors, the ladies' gallery in par
ticular being more than half filled.
The next Senator to appear was Mr..
Stewart of Nevada, who was followed
closely by the venerable Senator from
Vermont, Mr. Morrill,, then came Mr..
Pritchard of North Carolina, Mr.. Harris
of Tennessee, the Populist Senator from
Kansas, Mr.. Pfeffer, and Mr.. Teller of
Colorado, and at II o'clock came Senator
Hawley of Connecticut. After that they
came in rapidly, and at noon, the hour of
convening, the seats were generally filled
and the galleries were overfowing.
Promptly at noon the blind chaplain of
the Senate, Mr.. Milburn, tapped the gavel
and offered prayer. He returned thanks
that during the recess none of those on
the rollcall had been "smitten by the
shadow feared by man." "But," he added,
sin the midst of tour of congratulations
and Joy our hearts and sympathies turn
to a stricken home in Iowa, where
wife and daughter sit mourning the
departure from earth of husband and
father lately a member Of this House"
(alluding to ex-senator Wilson). Refer
ring to the ancient assistant doorkeeper
Usaac Bassett) the chaplain said: "Like-
wise we commend to thy fatherly tender
ness a time-honored officer of this House,
who for more than threescore years has
been in attendance at the opening Of
every session of Congress, who now is on
a bed of affiiction, worn with pain and
exhausted by suffering. Raise him,
Lord, from his couch and bring him back
to his accustomed place"
At the close of the chaplains prayer
Vice President Stevenson laid before the
Senate the credentials of the Senator from
Idaho, Shoup, which were read and
placed on file in the usual way. Then the
President called upon the Senator's
elect to come forward as their names were
called by the clerk and take the oath of
office.
souri, the hour of meeting was fixed at II
o'clock.
Sherman (R.) of Ohio offered reso-
luton to inform the President that the
Senate was organized and ready for busi-
ness, which was adopted.
On motion of Villas D.) of Wisconsin a
committee of two was appointed to join
similar committee from the House to wait
upon the President, the President
naming as such committee Villas and Alli-
son.
On motion of Harris (D.) of Tennessee
the Senate then at 1890 took recess for
an hour.
Shortly before the hour arrived at which
the Senate resumed its session, Assistant
Private Secretary Pruden made his ap-
pearance and at once went to the Vice
Presidents room. The impression re-
ceived in the Senote chamber was that he
brought verbal statement from the
President that his message would not be
delivered to Congress until tomorrow.
Immediately after the Senate resumed its
session.
Sherman (R.) of Ohio moved an ad-
till tomorrow. The Vice
President put the question and waited .