Connecticut western news., 1898-12-29

Der In point of service and it's oldest in age. He had served continuously in the senate for more than 31 years, and he was 8S years old on the 14th of April last. With the single exception of Hon. Galusha Grow of the house of repre- sentatives, he was the only man in con- gress whose congressional career began prior to the beginning of the civil war. and he had the honor over MT. Grow in that his congressional service had been continuous, covering In the senate and house combined almost A years. Mir Morrill, was a native of Vermont. He was first elected a member of the Thirty-fourth congress, taking his seat at the first assembling of that body aft CT the 4th of March, 1855. He was re- elected to the Thirty fifth. Thirty sixth, Thirty-seventh, irty-eighth and Thir- ty-ninth congresses and was in 1867 elected to the senate to succeed Hon. Luke P. Poland. He held his seat in the senate since that date without interrup- tion, having been elected six times suc- cessively. His present term, to which he was chosen in 1896, would not have expired until 1903.
 Was Author of the Morrill, Tarin.
 It was at the beginning of the war that Mir. Morrill's practical business training first brought him forward as a man of national reputation. He was the author of the Morrill, tariff sact of 1861, which was the basis of all tariff legislation of war times. In 1864 he be- came chairman of the committee on ways and means, the principal commit tee of the house, and at that critical time of especial importance.
 After entering the senate MT. Morrill, continued to give his attention largely to financial and commercial questions and during the greater part of his term of service he was identified as a mem- Der of the committee on finance, which committee deals especially with these subjects. He became chairman of this committee in 1877, succeeding Senator Sherman when the latter entered the cabinet of President Hayes and he held this position continuously after that date except during the Forty sixth and Fifty-third congresses, when the Demo- cratic party controlled the senate and during those intervals he continued at the head of the Republican representa- tion on the committee.
 During his long career MT. Morrill, gave his attention to many questions, and no man in public life was more given than he to taking up a subject and holding on to it through years and years until consummated. He was the real father of the scheme for the con- struction of a building for the Con- gressional library, and to him and Sem ator Voorhees, who early Joined him in pressing this question upon congress, is the splendid library building a monu- tn ic rt olc ac the plan for the erection of a sister building for the United States supreme court He had been pressing a measure looking to the construction of such a building for many years and had on three different occasions prevailed up- on the senate to pass his bill for this purpose. His last appearance in the senate was on the 18th inst, when he made speech of half an hours dura- tion in advocacy of the supreme court building. He at the same time prevail ed upon the senate to pass the bill in the face of some opposition. To Sena-
 tor Morrill, probably more than any one else was the present splendid en- dowment of most of the state agricul- tural colleges due. He was the author of the original bill giving aid to these colleges from the proceeds of the sales of the public lands, and he had never l refused them the encouragement of his assistance.
 MT. Morrill, was an indefatigable worker, and. while not an orator, he spoke gracefully and forcibly and was | always listened to attentively. His l great age and high position caused him | to be universally esteemed by the other members of the senate