Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-06
/, the front and go far toward redeemins

to the front and go far toward redeemins
their time.
THE ASSEMBLED HOUSE.
The appearance OF the house OF representa-
lives when is not very much
in its favor. II seems and Is a tumultuous
and disorderly collection OF men, except
on those rare occasions when a great de-
bate eliminates in the speeches OF the FORE
most men. Then decorous silence reigns.
The galleries cease whispering and the men,
bers sit intent in their seats.
II would be impossible that this should
be so every day. Three hundred and NIFTY
men, with 100 more of clerks, ex-members
and others. with noisy galleries above them,
could not possibly keep still. For much OF
the bad order, however, the physical condi-
lions are responsible.
The hall of the house is simply huge. the
galleries alone can seat loo people. Less
than 100 spectators are or can be admitted
to the gallery of the House OF Commons.
In the house of representatives 1t taxes
voice as well as intellect to be heard;
Some of our best men cannot reach a third
Of the members. This is no small misfor-
tune. 1t helps to render true debate dill
cult, IL not impossible. Men will strain
their eyes a long time to see, but not their
ears to hear. Hence conversation ana gen.
eral restlesspess spread over the scene.
The size of the hall also precludes the
use of needed space for the retiring rooms
which would naturally attract members and
relieve the house as they do the senate.
L I 10 4 " NC iioN NuhAhS ~ 'Nf' 49,
would not be a remedy, since the great hall
and the large galleries would remain.
The members of the British House of
Commons, approaching 700 in number, are
lodged in a hall 45 feet by 40, and Al feet
high. Our hall is 90 feet by 1879, and 36 feet
high. To be heard by all present a mem
Der of Parliament has to cause to vibrate
1873. 900 cubic feet of air, while a member
Of congress must set in motion 465 5000 feet.
The only real remedy would be to cut our
hall into three parts, using the center hall
for assembly, and the other two for work
and reception rooms. The center hall would
be as wide and 10 feet longer than the Eng.
lish hall, which has All seats. 1t is quite
true that we should in this way lose the
A., impressiveness of the vast hall, and 1t is al
inspiring spectacle on the great days wher
/, silence reigns. But for everyday effec
! congress in a suitable hall would be mucl
more pleasantly impressive than congress
in an acre lot.
. II the greatness of the hall was intended
, to reflect the greatness of the country, |
;, | signally fails, for the little republic of Ven
ice, more than 300 years ago, had and still
. has a council hall 175h feet long, S41a fee
wide and 511a feet high.
This article is rather long already, an
yet l must have another paragraph wherein
to say that the members of congress on tn
whole fairly represent the people whor
they undertake to represent. If they ar
~ not all Solomons, either individually or col
lectively. their constituents are also no
sons of David or Bathsheba. If you poin
to any radical overturns at any time in OH
history, and say that the rebuked men di
not represent their constituents and wer
not up to their level, then l venture t
ot suggest that the people themselves ma
* not have known what they wanted unit
is they had experienced the effects of wha
&c they mistakenly thought their legislator
le should give them.