The record-union., 1899-03-04
With the Galleries Crowded With
fnxi)us Spectators,
The Lower Branch Of Congress Struggles
Through a Day Of Heated Debate.
At Times the Hall Was Like Bed
lam, It Being Almost Impossi-
BILE for the Speaker to Preserve
Order-The Big Questions in
Dispute Postponed Far Into the
Night.

OaSpute postponed Far A0tO INC
Night.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-Crowded
galleries looked down upon the strug-
Cling members of the House to day as
the closing scenes of the legislative
acted. Step by step the leaders in
charge of the appropriation bills
pushed them through the final stages.
and during every lull in the considera-
ton of the conference reports mem
bers clamored for recognition for be-
lated local bills in the vain hope OF
rescuing them from death on the cal
endar.
/ At times the House was like bedlam.
Pound as the Speaker would with his
gayel. it was almost impossible t. pre-
serve order, and to the casual VISITOR
/ in the gallery the proceedings on the
| floor must have been about as iutellisl-
BILE as an exciting day in the wheat
pit would be to a parish priest. The
noise and confusion on the floor,
punctuated with the constant banging
| of the Speakers gavel or backgrounded
with the drowning voice of the Clerk,
talking at the same time, pages sour
J. ying up and down the aisles-all this
/ was utterly distracting. But the peo-
ple in the galleries stayed on, anc there
were a dozen persons in line in the
corridors waiting for every vacant
seat. so great is the attraction OF
dying Congress.
| Walker of Massachusetts,, after many
| unsuccessful attempts, got an oppor-
tunity during the afternoon to voice
| his views on currency reform, and Sc
verely criticised some of his Repuoll-
can colleagues. When the great pea
| con light on the dome of the Capltoi
| hlazed forth as darkness fell. thou-
sands were attracted to the brilliantly
Illuminated wings of the Capito' Where
tho two houses were to sit cur the
night In the reserved galleries OF the
House were congregated the ellte OIL
the society of the National Capitai,
while the public galleries were BANKED
! to the doors. Stylishly gowneo laoies
and gentlemen in evening dress aodeo
eclat to the occasion
The big questions in dispute petWeen
the two houses being naturally the las.
to be adjusted, were postponed lar iii'o
| the night. From time to time silot'
recesses were taken. These We're
simply breathing spells, however, anu
soon the leaders were at 1t harGer Than
ever.
! ~, II O'Clock to-day the House en-
tered upon the last legislative day cl
the session Nearly all the neHips.s
were in their places, anu the puoir1
galleries were crowded in ANTICIPATION
| Of spectacular scenes. The desk OF the
l1ata Representative Crawford OF IeXas'
who died at midnight last mgnt' w@S
| sbrouded in black and covered Win
| flowers.
Immediately after the reading OF the
journal Burke CD of Texas an
nounced the death of his colleague III
feeling words. and the usual resoiu-
lions were adopted.
The following committee was APP
! nointed to attend the funeral Mess
Burke and Henry of Texas, Desral-
fenreid. Lanham and McRae OF AT,
kansas Smith of Kentucky, Brewer u
! A1ahama Moon of Tennessee. NC.
| C,,eary of Minnesota, and Mahaiy u
New York ,ho
walker (R) of Massachusetts, VINO
had been seeking the privilege. u az
! dressing the House for several aass'
tben secured unanimous consent "
a,v for an hour. such time, how
80 not to interfere with conference
reports. +ha hill
Tho following conferrees upon the piii
o.. ,,royida Code of Criminal Proceu-
ure for Alaska were appointed: Messi .
warner of Illinois, Gibson OF Ienh"s-
| coo and Maddox of Georgia, anu 'ne
hill, was sent to conference.
The h;u to permit the re'mpor'l-r'n
30 wild animals for exhibition PURPOSES
was adopted. c,;+tee
walker Chairman of the Commitaee
-, RANKING and Currency, then 'ooN
tho aoor under the privileges grantee
him earlier in the day. The statement
was largely personal, showing the el-
forts walker had made during long
series of years to secure monetary iesis,
lation In, this connection he answered.
nublished criticisms of his coursr, am.
went into an elaborate explanation u
the long fight in his committee, whien
! resulted in the report of a Dill anu i.S
subsequent withdrawal.
His colleague, Barrett (R) OF Massa-
chusetts, demanded an opportunity 10
reply. claiming that Walker had asreea
TO Weld him time. This Walker Denied
saving he always kept his promises 10
God and man, but mot according to the
standards of his colleagues.
| Barrett denounced the denial as an
.unmitigated falsehood,"
Walker proceeded to criticise the Cur
rency Committee selected by Grosvenor.
Chairman of the Republican caucus
Walker spoke in high terms of H. Il.
Hanna of the indianapolis Monetary
Committee, but denounced the manner
in which he and his colleagues had lob
bied about the Capitol for alleged cur;
1 rency reforms. ''The difficulty with
these reformers," said he, is that they
obtain their facts from canvasback and
terrapin, and their arguments from
champagne The result is robbery.
DO you expect the next Congress,
interposed johnson (R.) Of Indiana. TO
enact any banking and currency legisla-
ton worthy of the name? do not.
| Eff it does replied Walker, '.it will
mean certain defeat for the Republican
;e 7x,v,