Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-07

At 10 minutes before noon the floor
was cleared Of all persons except men,
bers and officers. Soon afterwards
Mr.. Bailey of Texas, the leader of tht.
minority, and Silver Dollar Bland of
Missouri, entered the hall together.
Mr.. Dingley. the floor leader of the
House, smiling and affable as ever,
came in just before the Speaker ap-
peared. He had difficulty in making
his way to his seat, owing to the pres
sure of those who desired to extend
their greetings.
AS the hands of the clock pointed to
the hour of II, Speaker Reed, attired in
a black cutaway coat and wearing a
red tie. pushed through the green baize
doors from the lobby and ascended the
rostrum.
One crack of the gavel subdued the
din on the floor and the conversation
in the overhanging galleries. The CAV
el with which the Speaker called the
House to order was presented to him
by ]. c. Groner, sheriff of Knox county,
Tenn, who sent it in the name of the
''Stalwart Republicans of East Tennes-
see." The gavel is made of an apple
tree wood which grew beside the house
in which Farragut was born. This
house stood at Loves ferry on the
Tennessee river, miles below Knox
VILE
The prayer of Rev. Charles A. Berry of
WOlverhampton, England. was solemn
and impressive The Speaker then imme-
diately directed the clerk to call the roll
In the reserved galleries were many dis
tinguished people who attracted much at
tentiOn. In the diplomatic gallery We're
NJ. Lefavre. charge d'affaires. and other
attaches of the French embassy; Senor
Corea. charge daffaires of the Greater
Republic of Central America. and other
diplomats. and in the Executive gallery
reserved for the President were many of
the Executive household.
Among the ex-members on the f1Ool
were Deacon White of New York. Mr..
Weadock of Michigan, and Mr.. Kerr OF
Pennsylvania.
The roll call showed the presence of 3O1
members. There were five vacancies from
death or resignation during the recess,
and the credentials of the members-elect
were read by the direction of the Speaker.
who then administered the oath of office
to them.
They were: F. M. Griffith. Dem. sue
cessor to the late Judge Holman of the
4th Indiana district: Fl. S. Boutelle. Rep.
of Chicago. who succeeded Edward ID.
teh 7th South Carolina district. who sue
ceeded John l.. McLaurin. now a senator:
George f. F. Lawrence, Rep, of the 1st
district. who succeeded
Ashley B. Wright. deceased, and E. H.
Denning. DEM. of the Sd New York dis
trict, who succeeds Francis H. Wilson.
who resigned to accept the position of
Postmaster of Brooklyn.
The latter's credentials had not yet ar
rived, but the oath was administered to
him by unanimous consent. asked by
Harley. Rep, of New York.
On motion of Perkins, Rep. Illinois, the
clerk was directed to notify the Senate
that the House was ready for business,
and on motion of Dingley. the floor
leader, a resolution was adopted for the
appointment of committee of three to
join the committee of the Senate to wait
on the President and inform him that
Congress was ready to receive any COM
he desired to make.
The Speaker selected Dingley. Maine.
Grosvenor, Ohio. and Bailey, Texas. for
this honor.
On motion of Henderson of Iowa, a
member of the committee on rules. are
rule at the extra session for three-day
adjournments was vacated and daily ses-
sions to begin at noon each day were or
dered
There being nothing to do but await
he reception of the Presidents message |
he House then recessed until 1.3O p. NJ
When the House reconvened at 1.i0, the |
committee appointed to wait on the |
President came down the center aisle and !
Mr.. Dingley reported that the committee |
1ad performed it's mission.
1.-The President" said he. was pleased |
o send to the two Houses his respectful
and to inform them that he
would communicate in writing
Mr.. Pruden. who had followed the COM
nittee into the hall, Immediately present
d the message of the President, which,
~ the direction of Speaker Reed, was
cad at the clerks desk.
The message was listened to with great
especially the portions deal
ng with the question of revising our cur
ency legislation and with our attitude
oward Cuba. The Presidents utterances
N both subjects seemed to impress the
nembers deeply. but there was no demon
tration of any kind until the conclusion
vhen the Republicans joined in a sharp
ound of applause. The reading con-
umed an hour and 20 minutes.
On motion of Mr.. Dingley. the message
vas referred to the committee of the
yhole and ordered printed.
Lawrence, Rep. Mass, officially an
ounced the death of his predecessor, the
(COntinued on mage ~