Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-04

At $50 o'clock the final conference re-
port on the naval bill was presented by
Mr. Boutelle. He explained that the sem
ate had yielded to the house as to the
number of ships to be authorized Q0,
and the house had confirmed the armor-
plate provision so as to limit the cost of
arplor to $500, but had secured the elimi-
nation of the provision for an armor-
plate factory. The report was adopted
and the house recessed again until
1890.
At II O'Clock a resolution was adopted
directing the speaker to appoint a COM
mittee of three to join a similar COM
mittee from the senate to wait upon the
president and inform him the two
houses had completed their business and
were ready to adjourn unless the presi-
dent ha dsome further communication to
make to congress. The speaker appointed
Dalzell GepD of Pennsylvania. Reeves
Tep.) of Illinois and aLnham (dem) of
Texas and another recess for an hour
followed.
When the house recOnvened for the last
time the hour of final adjournment was
but half an hour away. The engrossing
clerks were now the busiest people about
the capitol and almost every minute one
of them rushed in with belated meas
ures in his arms. The last Legislative
act of the house was the passage of a
joint resolution authorizing the accept
ance by the United States of the cesson
Of a tract of land from the state of Mas
sachusetts needed to extend the lines of
the Boston navy yard.
1t was now 145 by the clock, but the
doorkeeper, with a long pole set back
the hands ten minutes. This raised
loud laugh
Immediately afterward was a most
dramatic episode. General Wheeler, who
has carefully refrained from exercising
his privilege as a member of the house
pending the determination of the question
! as to his right to his seat in the house,
arose from his old seat down near the
front Of the democratic side, and loudly
asked for recognition
'Mr. Speaker" he called.
The speakers face was flushed slightly,
but he looked straight ahead as if he
did not hear.
II ask unanimous consent to speak for
the speaker disregarded him. Every eye
was now riveted upon the diminutive fig
ure of the grizzled old veteran Of two
| wars.
The situation was intensely dramatic,
| but Payne, floor leader of the majority,
| hurried to the rescue.
He moved a recess for ten minutes
pending that, I ask unanimous con-
sent to speak for three minutes!" de-
manded Wheeler.
| The speaker then turned toward him
for the first time, and, looking straight
into the gray eyes of the general, ignored
his request completely, putting the mo-
tion Of Payne tnd declaring it carried
AS the hands of the clock pointed ia
seven minutes to 12, although it was real
ly three minutes past the hour, the COM
mittee appointed to wait upon the presi-
dent marched down the aisle. The speak
er had retired to his room and Payne
speaker protein, was in the chair. Dali
zell, in the CENTER announced the COM
mittee had fulfilled it's duty and the
president had made reply he had no fur
! ther communication ii make.
| "The president requested us to state ~
| he continued, that the Fifty-fifth con-
gress had performed it's extraordinary
duties manfully and he requested me to
extend to each and every member the
best wishes for safe return to home'
But five minutes remained. In it was
enacted one of the most dramatic scenes
ever witnesser in the hall of representa-
tives. Payne summoned Dockery dem.
| of Missouri to the chair and he in turn
recognized Bailey, the minority leader in
this congress, to present resolutions
thanking the speaker for the impartial
manner in which he had presided over the
deliberations of the house. A great hush
fell upon the vast concourse in the gal
leries as Bailey began to speak. Dockery
when the applause had subsided, appoint
ed Bailey Bell (pop.) Colorado, and
! Payne to escort the speaker to the chair
! A moment later as the speaker emerged
from the loby escorted by the committee
the cheers that greeted his appearance
made the rafters ring. Slowly the speaker
| ascended the rostrum Gracefully Dock
! cry informed him of the action of the
house and then relinquished the gavel to
him. Then the speaker faced the house
and returned his thanks for the honor
that had been conferred upon him.