The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-03
THE HOUSE TN SESSION
New Members SwoFn in and tie
Message Read.
Conner of Town. DoIiiver,s Successor,
Directed to stand Aside ON obj G.
tiOn by BaiIey-Reapporsi
and Army REORGANIZATION Bills In
troduced-UnusuaI Floral Display.

| calling o. the roll Of the House by States,
which showed the presence of a quorum
The credentials of those men elected 20
succeed members of the present Congress-
who have died OF resigned were presented
and read. The oath was administered to
them except in the case Of Mr.. Conner Of
! Iowa. elected to succeed Mr.. Dolliver. who,
on objection from Mr.. Bailey Of Texas.
was directed by the Speaker 10 stand aside
a message from the Senate, announcing
that that body was in session, was re-
| ceived. and a committee on the part OF
the House was named to present SINH
lar communication TO the upper body
and announce to the President of the Uni
| ted States that Congress was in session
and ready to receive any message he
might wish to submit. The House took
recess at O'Clock, and reassembled ut
{ 2 o'clock, when the President Message
was presented, and the reading of it be
gan at 2:0I o'clock
At the rate Of reading during the first
half hour. the message viii not be con
/ cluded until between and 4:39 o'clock.
At one point in the proceedings. Mr..
| Hull Chairman Of the Committee on Mill
/ tary Affairs, sent TO the clerks desk the
| Army Reorganization bill. and Mr. Crum-
j packer. from the Committee on the Cen
sus, introduced the Reapportionment biIl-
These measures we're appropriately refer
| red
The fog which half hid the Capito1s
dome and made nearby objects seem far
away had not lifted this morning when
session scenes and sounds were manifest
in the House. The bald-face clock which
ticks beneath bronze spread eagle in the
north gallery and which in obedience to
+ parliamentary requirements has so many
times violated its trust, had not marked
the hour Of when people began to gather
on the floor and in The galleries. The
grey, misty light of the morning fell
! through the glass panels of the roof and
lighted up the blue cloth over the tops
OF the desks, the crimson carpet and its
yellow flowers This carpet appeared bril-
7 liant in the semi about the Speak
er's desk and in the centre aisle where
it had been renewed, but in the radiating
aisles and between the members desks II
was ashen and thTeadbare in may places,
showing the foot marks OF last session.
Oak wood fires gIowed cheeri1y il the
cloak rooms and little knots of employees
were grouped around them.
The first men to appear on the floor of
the House this morning were z L. Lamp
son, reading clerk, and John T Chancey
and Isaac X. Hill, special employees.
Pages here and there began to worm
themselves between the desks and reveIy-
ing cane chairs Of members Before g
o'clock men began TO take possessiOn4of
seats IN the front row of the north gallery
and mis-
| appearing in the northeast and the east and
west galleries
The first member OF Congress to enter
the House was Mr.. Esch OF Wisconsin He
had evidently come directly from train
He wore light whipeord top coat with a
brown velvet collar and a battered ami
misshapeH brown fedora hat Under on,
arm was a bundle Of mail Mr. Eseh ex-
changed cordial greetings with Mr.. Lamp
son, Ike Hill, and Captain Chancey. AS
the Wisconsin member removed his hat
preparatory to taking his seat, he showed
the curious little bald spot that shines out
at the crown Of his head from his mass of
deep black hair. and which is one OF the
distinguishing marks of Mr.. Esch.
Mr.. Brownlow Of Tennessee was the next
member 10 appear. He looked as he has
for the last decade. His hair vas
freshly baTbered and be wore the usual
white eEavat, rolling collar, fulI-bosom
shirt, with plenty Of pieats and a Prince
Albert coat He had a little congratulate
II chat with Mr. Esch and as both gen.
tlemen are members OF the Committee on
Military Affairs their talk quickly turned
upon the subject of the members of that
committee who had arrived in Washington.
Mr.. Gardner of Michigan and Mr.. Jett
OF Illinois entered the House from differ
ent sides at the same moment Mr. Jett
has made no change in his manner of
black bToddcIcth, low cut w2istcoat, and
wealth of white shirt and collar
At 10 o'clock there had arrived Messrs
Clayton Of Alabama, Kahn, Thomas, Clay
ton Of New York, Sims, Cox, Brosius,
Stark, and Barney.
Speaker Henderson arrived at the Cap
itoi at 1880 and proceeded Immediately
to his Office, where scores OF Representa-
tives who had not seen him since adjourn
ment called to pay their respects.
At this time messengers had begun to
bring IN great baskets and bundles of flow
ers. chrysanthemnms and roses predomi-
mating. By the hour OF convening the Re-
flower show. Some of the desks most con-
spieUousiy adorned we're those of Messrs
Heatwole. Cannon. Babcock. Boreing. Do
yener, Burke Of South Dakota, Reeder,
Ca1derhead, Hedge, Stewart, w 4. Smith.
Bull, ConneIl W S Green. Sheldon. and
NDJS, all fSpuDflc6HS.
There were fewer flowers on the Demo-
cratic side There was bunch of yellow
ehrysanthemums on the desk of Mr.. Hall
and huge elaster of roses and chrysan-
themums on the desk of Mr. Norton of
Ohio MessFs- McRae and Brundidge also
had floral offerings
At II O'Clock the galleries, with the ex-
ception of the executive and djDIo-
matte, were well filled and some Of them
were crowded. The space in front of the
clerks desk and back Of the blue screens
was thronged with talking. chattering. and
gestieuIating men. Groups of sisntseers
were being piloted through the congested
aisles by guides. Occasionally the heavy
tones Of Mr.. LittIefeId's voice could be
heard above the din. Judge Linney was
shaking hands with many people and
probably denouncing the North Carolina
Election law; Alexander Mcdowell. Clerk
of Che House. was congratulating Republi-
can members and eoRdoling with certain
of the Democrats. an.l Captain French File
Clerk Of the House, appeared to be en-
gagged in the same occupation Messrs-
Rixey, Lewis, and Lanhan were holding
conference. and Mr. Stokes had already
resumed his old-tine habit of writing iet-
ters Nessrs. Kitehin Wheeler and Clav-
Ton Of Alabama, were jesting about poll
tics in general. Mr.. Carmaek was opening
his mail AID Senator PeITese was talk
ing IN a group at the left of the Speakers
desk. More flowers and visitors were
constantly being brought into the House.
The hall was actually becoming perfumed
with the scent of roses and carnations.
District Commissioner Macfarland was
on the floor of ths House and Messrs Bal
ley Of Texas. Stephens of Texas, TaIbert.