The times., 1897-09-26

very great services rendered to the peopi,
and the cause OF liberty by the Father o
Our Country, George Washington, the
twenty -sccGnd day of the present m0ntf
shall be treated and deemed national
holiday tnroughoug the United States Ii
the iioyerniueut business, and so far a.
is consistent with the public welfare, In
all OF the departments of the Government
employment shall! be suspended for tha
day.
Mr.. Cason did mot think 1t necessary
to say anything in support of his reso.
luton" but in answer TO the question, rs
not the 22d Of Frbeuary public holida
already by force of Iaw?'' he stated thai
there was no statute making the 22d OF
February q holiday; there was no au
thority under which the departments eau
chose on that day. and this resolution
was intended to apply to the centennial
year alone
The House unanimously adopted the
concurrent resolution.
On the following Monday February 81
1879 the Senate, on motion OF Hannibal
Hamlln, tG"k up the House concurrent
resolution, declaring the 22d OF Feb
ruary in this year the national holiday"
Mr. Conkiing arose, mot TO object to the
resolution nr to delay It's adoption, but
TO predict that the time Will come, IL ithas
not come now, when reasons not unlike
those on which this resolution rests viii
move congress TO make holiday OF the
birthday OF Abraham Lincoln
Il VIII not propose it now" Mr.. Conk-
ling continued, because l see the force
or the suggestion (Tnade by Mr.. Hamlinl
that time is scant within which to act
favorably upon the pending proposal. l
content myself with improving the oo-
casion to record my belief that the time
is not distant when the American people
In Congress assembled VIII set apart and
commemorate the other day as fit to be
treasured with Inscriptions and attributes
not unlike those which deserve the action
the Senate is about TO take"
The Senate then considered the resGlu-
tion and it was agreed to unanimously s.
When this concurrent resolution was in
troduced by Representative Cason, Mr.. Cox
of New York was presiding over the
House or Representatives, having been APP
pointed Speaker pro tempore on account
OF the illness OF Speaker Kerr.
Mr.. Cox also occupied tile chair as
Speaker pro TEN. on Monday, February
21 and while 50 presiding he entertained
and declared carried the motion offered By
Mr.. Morrison Of Illinois, as chairman of
the Committee on Ways and Means and
leader OF the House, that tomorrow being
the 22d OF February, move that when
the House adjourns today, It adjourn to
meet on Wednesday next" The motion
was agreed to without objection
The truth is that no really effective
proceedings We're bad in Congress, having
in view the completion of the Washington
Monument, until July 3, 1875. On that
day, Hon. John Sherman, of Ohio, intro
duced IN the Senate the initial measure
a concurrent resolution referring To the
centennial OF our neutrality-suspicious. and
TO the influence OF George Washington In
securing that independence, and resolving
that -
Therefore, as a mark of our sense of
honor due his name and his compa triotE
and associates, our revolutionary fathers,
we, the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives, IL Congress assembled, in the name
Of the people of the United States, at this
the beginning Of the second century of
national existence, do assume and direct
tile completion Of the Washington Monu-
ment in the City Of Washington, and In.
strucC the committees on appropriations
Of the respective Houses to propose sIlit-
able provisions Of law to carry this resolu-
tion into effect.
Within two days from it's introduction
this resolution " as passed unanimously By
both houses, and, in obedience to its IN
structions, bill for the completion Of the
Washington Monument was at once re
ported to the House OF Representatives
and becane law August 2, 1875.