The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-12-03
THE WELCOME 10 REID.
BIENNIAL DRAWING FOR SEATS.

Some OF enc Most Prominent Members ON
Both sides Were Very Unipcisy in tho
Lottery mir. Payne, Of Now York. Among
the Last Called
WASHINGTON, Dec, S.--Therc was a scene
Of widest enthusiasm In the house OF
representatives yesterday when Thomas
Brackett Reed was declared elected speaker
by q vote Of 234, against 95 for Charles II.
Crisp, for John q. Bell, Pepulist, and
Tor David b. Culberson, Democrat The
) enthusiasm was intensified when Mr..
Reed was conducted to the chair by Messrs.
Crisp, .Grosvenor and Bell.
Al they moved down the center aisle the
house rose en- lnasse. A roar OF applause
followed, the galleries Joining with great
enthusiasnrin the demonstration. As Mr..
Reed assembled the rostrnm the roar swelled
until It was deafening. Among this vol
u1ne Of sound came like pistol shots cries
Of Reed Reed Reedi' The Republi-
cans cheered, many Of them wildly. For
over minute the demonstration contin-
ued.
Mr.. Reed stoodcalmly and serenely, with
his hands ciasped in characteristic fashion
behind his back, until the house was
quiet. Mr.. Harmer, the Oldest member in
continuous service present, then came for
ward and administered tho oath OF Office
to tho speaker. The latter then delivered
his inaugural address, In the course of
which he said:
ut will not be unbecoming In me, /
hope, II acknowledge to this assembly
that 1t is very agreeable to me to stand
once more in the place which I left four
vi hsyn fhn 81 MI
not speak, for the past speaks for itself In
terms more fitting and appropriate than
any words which could come from my
lips. Nor shall speak OF tho future, for
We are not putting off the harness. but
putting 1t on, Yet, think may venture
TO say OF the future, In the Hight Of the
past, that II we do some things which for
the moment seem inadequate, 1t may be
that time, which has justified Itself for US
on many occasions, may do SO again.
Those who have acted with wisdom here
tofore may be fairly expected to act with
wisdom hereafter.
81 ain sorry to say that the pleasure as
ISOLATED with tic honor you have bestowed
upon me, an honor which no American
citizen can fall to appreciate and for which
/ give thanks, Is but for the moment;
while the cares and responsibilities extend
over many days"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Reeds speech
the members came forward In squads as
their names were called, and with upllfted
arms swore to support and defend the con-
stitution. This proceeding occupied over
half an hour, and then Messrs. Newlands
of Nevada and Cummings Of New York,
newly elected members, were sworn in.
Then followed the swearing in of the sub
ordinate house officials.
The biennial lottery, or scat drawing,
was then begun. On account of the over
whelming Republican majority in the
present house, constituting 244 out Of 1866
members, an arrangement was entered
into by which the Republicans should have
the first tier of seats on the Democratic
side, and also the two last tiers, just as In
the last congress the Democrats had two
the Republicans.
Three hundred ana fifty-six small balls
were pleeed in a box and shaken up. A
number on each ball correspondent to
name on the roll call. A blindfoIded page
drew out the balls and the members Sc
leeted their seats as their names were
drawn. According to the usual custom
the house granted the ex-speakers, Mr..
Crisp of Georgia and Mr.. Grow of Penn
sylvania, tho privilege OF selecting their
seats without drawing.
Mr., Crisp selected o seat In the heart Of
the Democratic minority, and Mr.. Grow
took seat near the center of the Repub-
lican side. Popular members were ap-
plauded as they came forward and se-
leeted their places, and the page boys
BcooJed from desk to desk conveying floral
pieces sent by admiring friends Before
the drawing was half completed the array
of desks was transformed into bower of
roses.
Some of the Oldest and most prominent
members on both sides were very unlucky
In the lottery. Mr.. Hit of Illinois, who
will BIO chairman of foreign affairs, Mr..
Henderson of Iowa, who will probably be
chairman of appropriations, and Mr..
Walker of Massachusetts,, who will head
the banking and currency committee,
were Obliged to content themselves with
seats in the last tier on the Democratic
side, known as the Cherokee strip
Among the last names called was that Of
Mr. Payne, of New York, who is much
talked Of for the craftsmanship of ways
and means. He found vacant chair on
tho remote left. Mr.. Bartlett Dem., N.
~ drew the "booby" prize. His was the
Inst name called.
Ex-Speaker Crisp assumed the leader
ship Of the minority, and 1t was signif-
cant that Mr. Payne, of New York, made
tho adjournment motion, which usually
devolves upon the leader OF the majority.
This is taken to mean that he Is 10 DO
chairman Of the ways and means commit
tee and the recognized leader Of the Re-
publicans on the floor.
Nothing happened In the senate that had
not been anticipated. The body was called
to order by Vice President Stevenson. The
new senators and those who had been re-
elected were sworn in. A committee was
appointed to notify the president, and the
usual resolutions incident to the begin
ming of session were introduced. and at
1870 the body adjourned, after an abso-
lutely uneyentful session.
-----