Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-12-07
CONGRESS CONVENES.
Great Crowd Witnesses Opening
OF the House.
SPEAKER HENDERSON SWORN IN.
The Admission of Roberts, Of UtahS
Protested a Against A short Ses--
sion OF the Scnnte--Thc
Proceedings.

w NhHlllklOHi b'NNlhbNl u iAl'l w
GUS crowds witnessed the opening
scenes In the house Monday. The
principal interest conferred In the dis
position Of Mr., Roberts, the Mormon
representative from Utah. Those who
anticipated q sensational denouement
were disappointed, The programme
outlined by the Republican leaders at
their conference on Friday night was
partially carried out. The objection
to the administration Of the oath to
Mr.. Roberts was entered by Mr.. Tay-
Ter, OF Ohio, as predicted, and he
stepped aside without protest, except
to ask II, by doing so, he waived any
of his rights, TO this the speaker re.
sponded In the negative,
There was not II protest from any
quarter against the objection to the
administration OF the oath to Mr..
Roberts, but, on the contrary, the only
voice raised except that Of MIR, Tayler
was that of McRae, Democrat, OF
Arkansas, who joined with Mr., Tay-
Ter in his protest Mr. Tayler offered
his resolution TO defer the case to u
special committee, BY mutual arrange
ment, the consideration Of the resolu-
ton was postponed until tomorrow,
in order that the routine business In
connection with the organization
might be transacted today.
Although Mr.. Roberts was not sworn
in he secured a seat. This, however,
was by an accident pure and simple,
In the seat drawing lottery, no pro-
vision had been made for Mr.. Roberts,
but when the drawing was completed
two others, as we'll as himself, had
not been provided with seats, and the
speaker asked and secured from the
house permission for those members
who had not drawn seats to make such
selections as they could. Under this
authority, MIR. Roberts got seat in
an obscure portion of the hail. His
daughter sat In the gallery and
watched the proceedings from begin.
ming to end,
The election Of Speaker Henderson
and his induction into office, the ap.
pointment of the usual committees to
wait upon the president and the r t
drawing contest, with the usual anus
ing features, went of without hitch.
The only other feature out Of the Or
binary was the adoption OF the Reed
rules for the present congress. The
Democrats knew that II was futile to
more than protest against the adop-
ton of these rules after the Repub-
leans had decided upon this course in
caucus, and the debate upon the reso-
luton to adopt them was very brief
They were adopted by strict party
vote.
As the minute hand Of the clock
opposite the speakers rostrum over
took the hour hand at noon, the gavel
OF the clerk Of the last house, Major
Mcdowell descended with n bang
The indescribable buzz ceased. The
members arose and the spectators in
the galleries bowed their heads. In
this stiffness, the voice of the blind
chaplain, Rev. Henry Couden, Of Michi-
gan, was elevated and his prayer made
the OCCASION reverent,
After the invocation, the reading
clerk began ealing the roll, and min
ute later the buzz had recommended,
making noisy background for the
staccato notes of the clerk as he called
out the names.
Mr.. Roberts sat listening intently for
his name, and when II was cailed, he
responded "here" in a loud voice. But
he looked nervous and i'll at ease
There were no demonstrations during
the roll call. When II was concluded,
Clerk Mcdowell announced that 352
members had answered to their
names, quorum. "The next thing in
order" announced the clerk, lis the
election OF speaker"
Mr.. Hepburn, Of Iowa, offered res
olution which was adopted viva voce
providing that the house proceed TO
the election Of speaker for the Fifty
sixth congress. Thereupon Mr. Gros-
Venor, of Ohio, as chairman of the Re-
publican caucus, presented the name
Of David b. Henderson, Of Iowa. The
mention Of the name OF General Hen
derson was greeted with round OF
applause from the Republican side.
Mr.. Hay, of Virginia, chairman of the
Democratic caucus, nominated James
d. Richardson, of Tennessee, and his
name drew the plaudits of the Demo-
cratic side. Mr.. Ridgely, of Kansas,
nominated John c. Bell, of Colorado,
as the Populist candidate, and Mr..
Wilson, Of Idaho, placed Francis G.
Newlands, of Nevada, In nomination,
as the candidate of the Silver party.
Each party having put forward its
candidate by the direction Of the
clerk, the roll was called, and each
member voted for'the candidate Of his
political affiliation.
The roll call resulted: Henderson,
III; Richardson, 1853; Bell A; New
lands, 2. The clerk thereupon an
nvunced the election of Mr.. Henderson
amid great Republican applause. He
designated Mr., Richardson, Mr.. Bell
and Mr.. Newlands as committee to
Aha snankap IN the chnir