Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-05
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5, 1899
nun r,psr nay OF CONGRESS.

The president did not send in his mes
sage 10 Congress yesterday beng aware
.. the purpose OF the Senate to adjourn
Of an early hour in respect 10 the mem
orv of Vice President Hobart. The mes
cage will be laid before both houses To-
dav 1t will be a formidable document
II is said to contain 22,o0J words-some oil
them pretty long ones, too, We guess
and If printed in fun would make more
than two pages Of Dispatch-type
In the House yesterday Mr.. Roberts
occupied much more attention than any
other man. His right TO seat was cnal-
lenged at the outset.
We remember u case occurring IN the
Virginia House Of Delegates where "a
member was challenged as he came 10
the book to be sworn, but being there
with a duly-attested certificate OF election
II was held that he was as much mem
her for the time being as any other man.
If was successfully argued that he had
as much right to object TO the seating OF
his challenger as the challenger had 10
object TO him. In the United States
House of Representatives there are pre-
cedents sustaining a different view and
the result OF yesterdays action in MI
Robertss case was to carry the question
over until to-day, when II is expected
that the House will decide whether he
shall be sworn in or not. An q native
vote. however, would not neces lrily In
dicate that he was to be allowo' TO hold
his seat on the contrary, sucn action
might very well be followed 10y move
ment looking to a fun enquiry into the
case on its merits. OR the House with
out expressing any opinion. might refer
the case to a committee and thus shut
Roberts out from participation in the
proceedings pending Investigation
The House had laid before it Yesterday
q cart-load OF petitions, asking It not to
admit Roberts to membership. They are
evidence Of popular sentiment on the
subject, and TO that extent are of value
but, unfortunately. they will not help
members solve the knotty constitutional
problems which arise IN this case. How
ever, No may venture ~ N+Ni'- '' N-
opinion that some members who other
wise might not be prompt 10 see the
legal points raised by Roberts's oppo-
nents will have their vision qulckened by
aheso mammoth petitions.
What are called 1.-The Reed rules" were
readopted by the House yesterday by a
marty vote. Thus Speaker HenCe-son Is
clothed with the same arbitrary authority
which Tom Reed welded. Mr. Reed how
ever. undertook 20 administer these rules
tefore the House adopted them for him.
II IS one thing for a House 20 adopt rules
dor its own guidance and quite another TO
have a speaker foist them upon IL.
Now we shall see whether Mr. ilender-
son will exercise his power as merclless-
" and show as much political bias as
Reed did. Mr. Henderson Is an out-and-
out partisan. but We are told by some OF
his biographers that he is "a humane
man. We hope so; but we must wait and
see He will be compared constantly with
Reed. and for aught we know may at
t.pps TO out-Herod Reed. on the other
hand, 1t may be possible that ne mas
some ambition 10 win a reputation Tor
himself as fair-mnded man. When he
thinks of Mr.. Reeds disappointment in
political life he will have reason TO doubt
n Reeds course was a very sagacious
one after all.