Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-03-18
IN EXTRA SESSION.
The Fifty-Fifth House REFLECTS
Thomas B. Reed as Speaker.
THREE COMMITTEES ARE ANNOUNCED
Mr.. Harris, the New Senator from Kansas
Seated-The Presidents Message Read
The Senate Only In Session
Thirty Minutes.

Fifth house of representatives organ
ICED yesterday for the work before it.
BY II o'clock the reserved galleries. with
the exception OF those for the diplo-
matte corps and the executive, were
walled in, tier on tier. As the hands
Of the clock pointed to IL Maj. Mellow.
ell, clerk of the house, raped the
house to order. Rev. Mr.. Couden, the
blind chaplain Of the house, delivered
the invocation. The clerk Of the house
then read the presidents proclamation
converting congress, after which the
roll was called. Immediately follow
ing, Thomas b. Reed, of Maine, was
elected speaker. The vote was; Reed,
100; Bailey, democrat, ia; Bell, pop
ulist, 81; Newlands, silverite, |. Speak
err Reed was enthusiastically received
on his appearance in the house after
his election, and made graceful and
dryly humorous speech in assuming the
gavel:
Gentlemen Of the House Of Representatives:
II has been the custom for hundred years for
speakers-elect so fully to express their graft
tude and their sense OF honor conferred that
the language by which thanks are conveyed
has been long ago exhausted. VIII you pardon
me II confess that on all the occasions when
have stood here have been more oppressed by
the sense Of responsibility than cheered by the
sentiment Of thankfuness. Yet, l appreciate
no man more--the high honor Of your vote
and the confidence which dictated 1t. But, high
as the honor is, 1t will surely fade unless your
favor Is permanent I cannot, having had ex-
perence, expect to please oil Of you always, but
do hope with your assistance and your kind
iorbearance, to administer justice to each
member and to both sides Of the chamber, un-
der the rules established by the house OF repre-
sentatives, without fear, favor or hope OF re-
ward.
According to time-honored custom,
Mr.. Harmer, of Pennsylvania, the old
est member in continuous service, i'd
ministered the oath to the speaker.
After the new members had been
sworn in by the speaker, the oath was
administered by unanimous consent to
Messrs Dolliver, OF Iowa; Ball, Of
Texas, and Pierce and McMillin, Of
Tennessee, whose credentials had not
yet arrived. Mr.. Grosvenor then pre-
sented a resolution, which was adopted,
for the election Of the candidates for
the other offices of the house selected
by the republican caucus as follows:
Clerk, Alexander Mcdowell, Of Penn
sylvania; sergeantat-arms, Benjamin
f. Russell, Of Missouri; doorkeeper,
William J. Glenn, OF New York; post
master, Joseph c. McElroy, Of Ohio,
and chaplain, Henry N. Couden.
The usual formal resolutions of Motif
cation Of assembling were adopted.
When Mr.. Henderson, of Iowa, Of
fered the usual resolution for the adop-
ton temporarily of the rules Of the
last house, an Intellectual attempt was
made, under the leadership Of Mr. Hep
burn, an Iowa republican, to limit the
operation of the rules of the last con-
gress, Which were adopted temporarily,
to 80 days. The democrats, populists
and l4republicans supported him, but
ws;& defeated--1S3 to 1852. This was
the only incident out of the ordinary
connected with the proceedings.
The presidents message was ap-
plauded vigorously, as was Mr.. Ding
ley when he introduced the new tariff
bill. The speaker appointed the re-
publican members of the old commit
tee on the ways and means committee
and added Mr.. Bailey, of Texas; Mr..
Robertson, of Louisiana, and Mr. Swan
son, Of Virginia, to the democratic
membership. In view Of the action Of
the democratic caucus, Mr.. McMillin,
who was at the head Of the minority
Of the committee, was superseded by
Mr.. Bailey, although Mr.. McMillin
was left on the committee.
The speaker announced the members
Of the committee on rules, ways and
means and mileage as follows:
Rules-The speaker; Henderson, Of
Iowa; Dalzell, Of Pennsylvania repub-
leans; Bailey, Of Texas, and McMillin,
of Tennessee, democrats.
Ways and means-Dingley, Of Maine;
Pay ne, of New York; Dalzell, Of Penn
sylvania; Hopkins, of Illinois; Gros-
venor, of Ohio; Russell, Of Connecticut;
Deliver, of Iowa; Steele, of Indiana;
Johnson, of North Dakota; Evans, Of
Kentucky: Tawnev. Of Minnesota. re-
publicahs; BAILEY, of Texas; McMillin
Of Tennessee; Wheeler, Of Alabama;
McLaurin, of South Carolina; Robert
son, Of Louisiana, and Swanson, Of Vir-
ginia, democrats.
Mileage-Wright, of Massachusetts;
Darham, of California; Booze, Of Mary
land, republicans; Cooper, Of Texas,
and Lewis, of Georgia, democrats.
The ways and means committee then
secured leave to sit during the sessions
Of the house, after which, at four
o'clock, the house on Mr.. Dingley's
motion, adjourned until Thursday
next.
THE SENATE