The Portland daily press., 1899-03-06
DIRECTOR OF THE CENSUS.
IN THE HOUSE.
Thanks to the speaker and MIR. Reeds
Response.

ThnhkS 10 sPtahNh anu Ana A.~NN"
Response.
Washington, March 4-Wearily the
House sat through the silent watches OF
the night recessing from time to time
while awaiting conference reports upon
tho anpropriation bills. The floor of the
House was Uttered with waste paper which
drifted ankle deep about the desks ana
| made the hall look as II 1t had been
swept by snow storm. The leaders up
on whom the burden OF the closing hours
fell most heavily, and the Speaker, who
| had the greatest responsibilities all, re-
manned constantly in their places. watch
| ing vigilantly the presentation OF the con-
| tests between the two Houses. The ilDnl
! agreement on the river and harbor bill
containing the compromise on the Mica
rnrua canal forced the Senate to surren-
der the provision Tor the racine capie
about six; the District of Columbia
with the provision for secretarian institu-
tons eliminated about Z O'Clock: the de-
ficiencv at s 80 and the final conft rerce
renort upon the naval bill at about $50
a. IN. :,
The hall presented n sodden, bedragglea
looking scene when the da! iiRht slItlng
through the ground glass ceilings dimmed
to yellow light this morning. Outside u
fine cirizzling mist was falling complete.
Iy snrouding the top of the dome ana
glueing the wet half masted flags over
the two wings to their STATS. The mem
bers sat listlessly in their seats. the lew
persons in the galleries slumhering pence-
fully.
About O'Clock MIR. Henderson aroused
the House By an electric speech 1t was
one of the most eloquent OF this Congress.
The surroundings added impressiveness
to his utterances. The dishevelled mem
bers and tho wreckage of the night were
sactarian institutions in. thu uistrict OF
Columbia, provision for which had been
stricken out of the district appropriation
hill by the conferees. With force anu
pathos he denounced the bigotry of the
confereee, who, he said, were willing at
the behest of secret organization, when
did its work in the dark, to turn the
home,ess and friendless into the streets.
Tho scene was dramatic in the extreme
when Mr. Henderson recallsd the DARK
DAYS of the war when the white cappeu
sisters of Merry were ministering ON the
battlefield to the stricken and dying soIu
iers, w.
began to take or the appearance OF Ire.
Members went below for baths and break
last and returned refreshed to their sta
tions AS early as 1.3O the people began
to pour into the galleries, The mp"
tant business of the house had ute
practically completed WheH tiie ho ~.
| recessed for an hour at $50. All that
remained was the enrolment of bills anu
| the final ceremonies.
AT 1879 when the House re-conveneu
the galleries were again packed TO tne
doors and the hall buzzed with the con-
fused murmur of voices An American
flag had been lowered from the press
gallery above the Speakers chair.
The closing scenes OF the House wero
of more than usual interest. AFTER an VIZ
nsnaI resolutions. That offered by Mr.
Bailey, thanking SpeakersResd ana tns 8
remarks of the:minority leaderss wers a en
character to lend dramatic Turn "
the proceedings. The action Oh .ne the
| ana the Speakers reply aroused Ihe
House and spectators to enthusiasm, tt.
| After adjournment members anu 'isi'
ors Joined in singing patriotic airs.
A DRAMATIC EPISODE
At Has the assistant doorkeeper o.