The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-20

Hfil pI lne Wgtlr ipuHf. BUtsTlnE NJ
the south door and passing up the long
hall one turns to this right on entering
the center ~ the building and ascends
n flight u stairs 10 the second floor
Al the head ~ the stairs one finds him.
self IN the rotunda, whore many men
are gathered IN groups. talking. hmok-
ing laughlng--laying plans. concocting
schemes and counter schemes. applying
for political fayors. or silently watch
Ing the tbrDnR passing in all dlrectlOns
In the rotunda are the telegraph and
telephone offices. cigar stand aud Ice
water reservoirs. In the center Of the
rUtunda lH n large circular opening in
the fioOr about thirty-nye fee, In diam
cter. guarded by a heavy railing This
h for the purpose " admitting light 10
the floor below. on the north side Of
the rutundR u the serEa, chamber. on
the south the house of representatives
On the third floor is rotunda similar
20 that Of the second hoor, and from
tcrp the gallery of the house There
In no gallery IN the senate chamber.
The senate chamber is a long. narrow
room With the presidents chair on the
north sidc--the desks Of the members
being arranged In "A sernl-circle. each
desk marked on the side nearest the
Of iits occupant. Each house has
large mail boa In charge Of mailing
clerk. who takes the mail to the post
Office before the departure Of each train
and carries up the mail after each
train arrives. distributing II among the
Legislators.
In each house the ''fioor'' Is separated
from the space allotted 10 spectators
by "a heavy railing The temporary
speaker OF the house has ruled that the
bar of the house Is the limit Of the
room. and members. although In the
ROOM ns-ed not be recorded as present
II they are outside the bar. Under this
ruling. as soon as a call OF the house
II ordered. those members who are i'm
peding business make scramble TO
get outside the bar before their names
are called. The members from Clat-
sop county very seldom venture inside
the bar while the house Is In session
Neither Of them responded to roll call
today.
The most prominent members OF the
house at present are Somers. OF Lane:
C'Ren. OF ciackamas. Riddle. Of Doug
lass Temporary Speaker Davis, Of
rmatlla. and BIlyeu, Of Lane
u'Ren is the speaking leader of the
ohstruc,ionists. seconded by Bilyeu.
while Somers is the ardent advocate
of an immediate breaking Of the dead
lock and procedure 10 business
Speaker Davis persists In maintaining
that the house cannot transact bust
ness until forty members respond TO
roll call land will entertain no motion
except motion to adjourn.
A page today created considerable
amusement by expressing upon paper
his conception OF the house as at pres
ent organized. He made an admirable
representation OF the speakers chair
with the arch over Il and the bar in
front-the speaker In the chair having
very grave countenance made the
more striking and effective by pair
OF long asinine ears. The picture was
handed up TO the speaker and was re-
ceived with n forced melancholy laugh.
but wns handed back with a very COM
plimentnry remark for the page.
Several Clatsop county residents were
observed in the house today, c. w
Fulton, Judge Page John Fox and d.
H. (Wclch being prominent politicians
who seem to have 4 large circle of ac-
quaintance among the members. B. s.
Worsley Is quite active on the floor Of
the house and is in a fair way to gain
political favor, Mrs, A. W. Prescott,
formerly Miss Maud West, of Clatsop
City. was observed today in a privi-
legged seat near the front Of the house