Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-09
AROUND CONGRESS.
Bill introduced to Enlarge Au-
gusta Postoffice.
Maine Members Regular in Attendance
and Hard at Work.
Numerous Applicants for the Few Offices Ntw
to Be Disposed Of.

Washington, ID. G., Dec. S-(Special)
The beginning of session of Con
gress always marks the dumping
| ground of bushels of bills into the
Legislative hopper. The present ses-
sion has not been any exception and
| hundreds of measures have been filed
| with the clerk of the House TO be
| printed and presented before the pro-
| per committees as soon as these com
| mittees are organized. The Maine peo-
| pie have not been behind this year
| and bills in which they are interested
| are already on file, 50 that they may
! take their numerical order before the
| committees. one of the important bills
| to people of Augusta and of the Ken
| nebec valley was introduced by Repre-
| sentative Burleigh on the opening day
| of the session. This is the bill 20 en-
| large the Augusta postotfce Augusta.
as readers Of the Journal know. has the
| second largest postofice in the State Of
| Maine. and the postal receipts there
| have grown TO an enormous extent in
| recent years far outstrippng the ca
| pacity of the present public building.
| This bill will be referred To the com
mittee Oh public buildings and grounds
| of which Representative Burleigh Will
| be member during the coming Con-
eress. While the general belief is that
| little legislation viii be allowed at this
| session on public buildings, Governor
| Burleigh has given the measure a good
! start and will be in position as soon as
| any legislation is allowed, to press the
Augusta postohice bill Members Of
the committee are always in a better
position than others to press such
legislation in which their districts are
interested. and there can be no doubt
that the interests of the Augusta post
office will be thoroughly cared for. A
conspicuous feature of the Maine dele
cation in Washington is the c"nstancy
with which they attend on sessions of
the House and Senate. to whichever
they may belong. Members from many
parts of the country do not deem It
thtir duty to be in their seats watching
legislation and be present To vote
whenever matters of importance t. tn
party come up. The same is true Of
party conferences and caucuses. What
might be called the old Maine dclegi
ton which had 50 much influence in
the House for years. was always con
spcuous for attendance. The same is
true of the new members, and one can
enter the galleries of the House al
most any hour of the day and see the
four Maine members present in their
seats. Captain Boutelle is often com
PEELED to be present in his committee
room on naval affairs during the prep
aration Of the great annual naval APP
preparation bill. But apart from that.
Captain Boutelle is always at hand III
the House The three junior members
Of the House are following the same
excellent example. In the caucuSes of
the present week when Republicans
should be on hand to attend to the i'm
portant Republican deliberations, the
Maine members likewise turned out
and were always present.
In the biennial drawing for seats all
the Maine members were fortunate to
secure very good desks for the next
two years. Governor Burleigh. who in
the last Congress was compelled to sit
in what is called the Cherokee Strip.
off to the southeast corner of the
House and next to the Democrats, was
the first Of the Maine men called and
he selected a fine seat on the center
aisle. This seat is within two rows Of
the rear. but While Governor BurleiGh
could have chosen seat further down,
he preferred to take the one little
further back. This was at the request
of Representative Burton of Ohio, an
influential man in the House. who
wanted Governor Rurleigh as his seat
mate Mr. Burton is the chairman of
the House committee on rivers and
harborS. and by some is regarded as
the ablest member Of the House, not
only from Ohio but from the Middle
West Representatives Allen and Lit
tlefield chose their seats further to the
right on the Republican side and sit
close to each other in the same row.
Between them are Representative Rus |
sell of Connecticut. who sits next to
Mr.. Littlefeld. and Representative |
Lands of Indiana who sits next to Mr. |
Allen. Representative Lands and
q .ittlefield are both members of |
the special committee to inNes- |
tigate the case of Brigham Henry Rob |
erts of Utah. Both Mr. Russell and |
Lands are very congenial men. Mr.. !
Lands is a young Indanian, has been |
an editor of an Indiana paper and is |
noted for his affablity and for his elo- |
ouence BY the way-it is worthy to !
mention the great honor conferred On
Mr.. Littlefield in selecting him to serve
on that special committee. II means !
his appointment to the judiciary COM |
mittee of the House. a most desirable |
appointment for which he had applied
some time ago.
All the Maine members are receiving
not few applications for offices in
Washington. and although the places
that can be given to them are very
few. the applicants are very numerous.
Several of these are already in Wash
ington. but while it is quite certain
that the names Of the successful ones
are already chosen. still others are
working for some places Willis +.
Wing Of Manchester. Maine. John ;.
Hubbard Of Hiram. captain y. u.
Haskell Of Mechanics Falls. and MAN,
others have applied. \ few of these
have received endorsement from the
members Of the Maine delegation. and
efforts will be made To give them
place. 1t is probable that not more
Continued on page g.