Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-03-05

DATE BUT NO LESS INTEREST
ING.
Washington, March 4-Wearily the
House sat through the silent watches
Of the night, recessing from time to
time while waiting conference reports
upon the appropriation bills. The floor
OF the House was Uttered with waste
papers, which drifted ankle deep about
the desks and made the hall look as
if it had been swept by snow storm
Suill the weary and heavy eyed legisla-
tors kept to their posts through the
night. The leaders, upon whom the
strain and burden of the closing hours
fell most heavily, and the Speaker, who
had the greatest responsibility of all,
remained constantly in their places
watching vigilantly the progress OF the
contests between the two houses.
The final agreement on the river and
harbor bill, containing the compromise
on the Nicaragua canal, was secured
about 80 a. M; the sundry civil, in
which the House forced the Senate to
surrender the provision for the Pacific
cable, about o'clock; the District Of
Columbia bill, with the provision for
sectarian institutions eliminated, about
o'clock; the deficiency at $50, and
the final conference report upon the
naval bill at about $3.50 a. m.
The hall presented a sodden, bedrag-
gled looking scene when the daylight
sltted through the groundglass cell
ings, dimming the yellow lights, this
morning. Outside a fine drizzling mist
was falling, completely shrouding the
top of the dome and glueing the wet,
half-masted flags over the two wings to
their stats. The red-eyed members
sat listlessly in their seats. The few
persons in the galleries slumbered
peacefully.
About z O'Clock Mr.. Henderson
aroused the House by an electric sreeoh
1t was one of the most eloquent Of this
Congress. The surroundings added i'm
pressiVeness to his utterances. The
dishevelled members and the wreckage
on the question of sectarian institu-
lions in the District of Columbia, pro-
vision for which had been stricken out
Of the District appropriation bill.
With force and pathos Mr.. Henderson
DENOUNCED THE BIGOTRY
Of the conferess, who, he said, were
willing, at the behest of a secret Or
ganization which did its work in the
dark, to turn the homeless and friend
less into the streets. The scene was
dramatic in the extreme when he re-
called the dark days of the war when
the white capped sisters of mercy were
ministering on the battlefield to the
stricken and dying soldiers.
With the advent of day the House
began again to take on the appearance
of life Members went below for baths
and breakfast and returned refreshed
to their station ). AS early as 1880 the
people began to pour into the galleries,
the first party to arrive being a dozen
ladies, who took their places in the
public galleries. The important bust
ness of the House had been virtually
completed when the House recessed
for an hour at 80. All that remained
was the enrolment of bills and the
final ceremonies.
At 10: 80, when the House recon-
vened, the galleries we're again packed
70 the doors and the hall buZzed with
the confused murmur of myriads OF
voices. An American flag had been
lowered from the press gallery above
the Speakers chair.
At 11:45 O'Clock by the clock but the
Assistant Dorkeeper with a long pole
set back the hands ten minutes. This
raised loud laugh. Immediately af
terward came a most dramatic episode.
Gen Wheeler, of Alabama, who has
carefully refrained from exercising his
privileges "a member of the House
pending the determination of the ques-
House
AROSE FROM HIS OLD SEAT
down near the front on the Democratic
side and loudly asked for recognition.
Mr. Speaker" Mr.. Speaker" he
called.
The speakers face was flushed
slightly, but he looked straight ahead
as if he did not hear.
Il ask unanimous cinsent to speak
for five minutes" shouted the General.
But the speaker disregarded him. Ev-
cry eye was now riveted upon the dim
inutive figure of the grizzled old vet
eran of two wars.
The situation was intensely dramat-
ic, but Mr.. Payne, the floor leader of
the majority, hurried to- the rescue.
He moved a recess for ten minutes.
Pending that / ask unanimous con-
sent to speak for three minutes"
demanded Gen. Wheeler. "The speaker
then turned toward him for the first