The San Francisco call., 1896-06-12
Pleasant Resolutions Congratu-
late Vice President Stevenson
and Speaker Reed.
PENSION BILLS ARE PASSED.
But the Hardest Work in the Senate
Is the Effort to Kill
Time.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 11.-H the
Fifty-fourth Congress has been "do-
nothing session" as has been predicted, the
closing day of the Senate furnished a fit
ting elimination. 1t was day of inactive
drifting, laborious effort to kill time by
doing nothing until 4 o'clock, when, ac-
cording to the concurrent resolution of
yesterday, the two houses were to ad-
journ.
The Senate was called to order at IL
o'clock, when the District of Columbia ap-
propriation bill was received and imme-
diately signed by the Vice-President, thus
disposing of the last of the general appro-
priation bills so far as the legislative
branch was concerned. A bill was passed
granting pension to the widow of Gen
eral w. H. Gibson of Ohio. The Senate
dragged along until 1 30 o'clock, the only
business transacted being the appoint
ment of committee to wait on the Presi-
dent and inform him that Congress was
ready to adjourn, and the appointment of
another committee, provided for in the
District of Columbia appropriation bill, to
investigate the charitable and reformatory
institutions In Washington.
At 1:2O a recess was taken until
O'Clock, when the usual resolution of
thanks to the Vice-President and Presi-
dent pro tempore, were offered by Senators
Allison OF Iowa and Harris of Tennessee,
respectively, and unanimously agreed to.
The galleries were almost deserted during
the early hour of the session, but knots OF
visitors continued to come in slowly until
the hour OF adjournment, so that when
the hour arrived and the Vice President
delivered his valedictory, he had a good
sized audience in the galleries, large
number of whom were ladies, even though
there were but twenty-five Senators pres
ent at that interesting moment. AS the
Vice President uttered the last words and
the gavel fell for the last time, there was
faint outburst of applause, after which
Senators gathered in knots in aisles and
before the Speakers desk bidding each
other good-by. Then the Senators on the
floor and the visitors in the galleries
melted away, and the chamb Der which has
been the scene of so many stirring incl
dents was left to the pages and attendants
until the first Monday IT December next
The Senate met at II O'clock, and a few
minutes later went into executive session.
D6IOI6 Tue OOOIS were ClOSSQ1 uOWGN6T, q
bill granting a pension to the widow of Gen
eral William H. Gibson of Ohio was passed,
and the Vice-President affixed his sigma.
ture to the District of Columbia appropria-
ton bill-the last of the general appro-
priation bills The doors were reopened
at 11;20.
At 11:40 batch of House bills was laid
before the Senate and referred to the
proper committees, after which the Senate
reIapsed into its former drifting condi-
ton.
At12:50 a committee consisting of Sher.
man (R.) OF Ohio and Smith CD of New
Jersey was appointed to cooperate with g
similar committee from the House to in
form the President that Congress was
ready to adjourn unless he had some other
communication to make.
At 3 o'clock, after the Vice-President had
raped for order, Harris (D.) of Tennessee
moved that the Senate proceed to the con.
sideratioG of executive business, and the
galleries were cleared. The executive ses
sion was of snort duration, and a few min
utes later the doors were reopened, ano
the crowd gradually drifted back into the
galleries.
~ OslO3 DAAVl44ldA anu Nlu4SLlJ GAO OOAA
mittee appointed to act with a committee
of the House to call upon the President
returned to the Senate and stared that they
had discharged their duty, and the Execu.
tive had no further communication tc
make to Congress.
At 3:25. Harris CD of Tennessee offered
the following resolution, which was unani
mously adopted:
ResolUed, That the thanks of the Senate are
hereby rendered TO the Hon. William P. Frye
president pro tempore of the Senate, for the
courteous, dignified and able manner in which
he has presided over its deliberations during
the present session.
A similar resolution was offered on the
part of the Republicans by Allison, ten
President for the dignifed, Impartial
and courteous manner in which he had
presided over its deliberations.
Promptly at o'clock the Vice-Presi
dent arose, and slowly and clearly deliv
cred the following valedictory:
Senators, am deeply touched by the
resolutions personal to myself adopted by
the Senate. 1t has been my earnest en-
deavor impartially to execute the rules
prescribed for the guidance of this body
For the aid you have SO generously given
me in the discharge of the duties that per-
tain to this Office, as we'll as to the cour-
tesy uniformly shown me, am profoundly
grateful And now, wishing each safe
return to homes and constituents, it only
remains for me to declare the first session
of the Fifty-fourth Congress adjourned
without delay"
Then, with a tap of the gavel, the Sen.
ate st ood adjourned sine die.
SHORTEST OF "LONG" SESSIONS.
Gently and Quietly the House Takes an
adjournment.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 1.-THE
first session of the Fifty-fourth Congress
4t,- oo5 ,uia+Iv almost vvifbont iuci