The San Francisco call., 1897-03-16
CONGRESS
IN EXTRA
SESSION
Organization of the House
by the Republican
Members.
SPEAKER REED TO RULE
ONCE MORE.
All Officers of the Last Body
Are Reelected and
Sworn In.
DINGLEY PRESENTS THE NEW
TARIFF BILL.
Presidents Message Read-Question Of
Rules Settled Adj
to THURSDAY.
DINGLEY PRESENTS THE NEW
TARIFF BILL.
Presidents Message Read-Qusstion Of
Rules Settled Adj j,urnment
to THURSDAY.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 15.-
The House of Representatives was fully
organized to-day by the election of
Speaker, clerk, doorkeeper. sergeant-at-
arms and other officers. 1t consists of 357
members, of whom 1o9 served in the last
Congress and l6 in former Congresses.
while 132 have never served In Congress
before Politically classified there are 206
Republicans, 122 Democrats and 20 fusion
siverites and Populists. There were 341
of them present to-day.
The vote of the House for the election
of Speaker was: For Reed (R. of Maine.
199 for Bailey CD of Texas, ia; for
Bell (Pop.) of Texas. 81. and for New
lands (Sil.)of Nevada, 1.
Mr.. Reed, having been declared duly
elected Speaker OF the House for the
Fifty-fflh Congress, made short speech
promising to perform the duties of his
Office without lear. favor or hope OF
reward" and declaring that he was 'im-
pressed by the sense of responsibility
more than cheered by the sentiment OF
than kfnlness."
The oath Of Office was administered to
him BY Harmer tR. }of Pennsylvania. the
senior member in point of ontinuous
service, ana the Speaker in turn admins
tered the oath to all the members.
On motion of Grosvenor (R) of Ohio
the appointment of the following officers
was made: Alexander Mcdowell of Penn
syIvania, clerk; Benjamin f. Russell of
Missouri, sergeant-at-arms; William ].
Glenn of New York, doorkeeper; Joseph
C. McElroy of Ohio. Postmaster; Henry
M. Couden of Michigan, chaplain.
The Democratic and Pepulist substi-
tutes were formally proposed and rejected
without a division.
The officers thus elected had the oath
administered to them. which included the
declaration that they would not divulge
the secrets of the House. Resolutions to
notify the Senate and President of the
organization of the House we're passed,
and a com mittee of three members to join
like committee on the part of tae Senate
was appointed to wait upon the President.
The first hitch in the otherwise smooth
acting machinery of organization occurred
when Henderson (R.) of Iowa offered
resolution, that until otherwise ordered
the rules of the House of the Fifty fourth
Congress be adopted as the rules of the
House in the Fifty-ffth Congaess, and on
this he moved the previous question. To
this another Republican member from
Iowa (Hepburn) pro posed an amendment
limiting the continuance of those rules TO
thirty days from the date.
Mcmillan CD OF Tennessee asked Hen
derson indirectly whether it was the pur-
pose of the Committee on Rules 10 report
a code of rules and to let the House have
an opportunity to vote upon them.
'Tnere is no doubt" said Henderson,
''that that will be done. The House will
have the fullest opportunity to offer
amendments to the rules that will be pre-
sented."
The House was counted on Henderson's
motion for the previous question and the
Speaker reported the close vote of 157 ayes