Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-28
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, Mar. %.
SENATE.

n0cKeQ 10 Inc CapltOi CC-Iay IN eXp6Cta
lion of hearing the formal report of the
Maine court of inquiry. By O'Clock
people were waiting outside of the Sen
ate wing Of the greet marble pile, and
when the doors to the Senate galleries
were opened at 9 O'Clock the rush for
seats began. Within an hour every
available inch in the Senate public gal
leries was occupied, and the reserved
galleries were packed to the doors by
II o'clock.
Thousands of persons who arrived
long before the Senate convened failed
to gain admission even to the upper cor
ridors of the Senate, so great was the
jam.
In the diplomatic gallery were Mr..
Abner Mckinley, the residents broth
er, and Mrs. Captain Sigsbee. The "a
tendance of Senators was unusually
large. 1t was quite evident that the in
dividual members of the body, despite
| the digu e I'd reserve in which many of
them were wrapped. were quite as in
terested in the proceedings as was the
general public Every Senator at the
Capitol was in his seat when the gav
of the Vice-President fell.
AS the Presidents messenger was rec
ogn zed by the Vice-President there
was hush in the chamber, majority
of the spectators expecting that the
message and report were to be read to
the Senate Immediately.
Routine business, however, was taken
I'D for time.
Then Mr.. Morgan arose and demand
ed the reading of the Presidents mes.
sage.
Instantly there was q hush in the
chamber and Vice President Hobart at
once laid the message before the Sen.
ate aud its reading was begun.
At the conclusion of the reading of
the message Mr.. Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, re-
quested that the findings of the court
of inquiry be read.
Ia reading the findings the clerk eX.
perienced great difficulty, as they had
not been placed in typewriter form
and were blindly written.
At the conclusion of the reading Mr..
Davis moved that the message of the
President, the findings of the court of
inquiry and the testimony taken before
the court be referred to the committee
on foreign relations aud ordered print.
ed. 1t was so ordered.
After some routine business Mr..
Money made q speech on the Cuban
question and when he concluded the
Senate adjourned as a mark of respect
to the memory of representative Simp-
kins of Massachusetts, Mr.. Mason hav.
ing given notice that he would to.mor
row briefly address the Senate upon
the Presidents massage.
HOUSE.
Except on the occasion of the inau-
guration OF President no such crowds
as surged through the corridors and
stormed the galleries for admission
have teen seen at the Capitol in
quarter of century. Curiosity in
the findings of the board OF in
quiry appointed to investigate the
Maine disaster was the cause. At day
light this morning people were already
seeking entrance to the Capitol and
hours before noon, when the two houses
convened, the marble stairWsys were
choked with pushing, jostling people
pressing toward the galleries. Not an
inch of space remained in the public
galleries at o'clock, though long lines
of people stretching down the 'air@ays
to the lower corridors continued to
press forward. Within few minutes
after the reserved galleries were thrown
open they too were completely filled
with the exception ofthose reserved for
the diplomatic corps and the families Of
the President and Cabinet. Admission
to these galleries was strictly by card.
Many distinguished personsges were in
the galleries. The hall buzzed like a
beehive with the qound of myriads OF
voices.
Upon the desk of the late Representa-
tive Simpkins, of Massachusetts, who
died suddenly on Saturday night,
wreath of cas- err lilies interviewer with
tulips, crocuses and lilies of the valley
cast an air of sadness over the vast as
semblage.
Fifteen minutes before the House
convened the floor YVES cleared. The
diplomatic and executive galleries
shortly afterward we're opened and be-
fore the gavel fell at noou not seat
was vacant. Altogether there were an
unusually large number of ladies in the
galleries and their gay spring costumes
added much to the brillisncy of the
notable scene. Chairman Dingley and
Mr.. Bailey and other leaders entered
the hall without demonstration. At IL
o'clock the Speaker called the House
to order.
The chaplain prayed to interpose his
power that the war clouds might pass
away leaving US in peace and tran
guilty. "Yet, if war must come, in
vindication Of truth and justice, mercy
and right, help US to be prepared
with brain and heart and Drawn to
meet it."
There were no preliminaries. While
the journal was being read the Presi-
dents messenger appeared with the
message, which was announced as soon
as the reading of the journal was con-
Guided. Speaker Reed himself broke
the large red seal of the envelope and
without SO much as looking at the mes
sage handed it to the clerk, at the same
time announcing in q clear. distinct
voice, "a message from the President
Of the United States"
Few presidential messages were ever
listened to with such breathless inter-