The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04
LAWMAKERS long AGO
Assembling Of the Second Session
Of the Sixth Congress.
First Meeting Of the National Legis-
lature in the District Of Column
tatives In Attendance-Mcasu
Debated-Somc of the Bills Passed.

A century and sixteen days have passed
since the Congress of the United States
first met in Washington. The first legis
lative body to sit on Capitol Hill was
the second session of the Sixth Congress
That session convened on Monday, No.
vember II, 1900, though business was MOI
proceeded with on that day owing to the
hardness of Senators and Representative:
in appearing. Then, as now, it was
short session which met.
In the Senate, on that Monday, cen.
fury ago, there were John Langdon ant
Samuel Livermore, from New Hampshire
Dwight Foster. from Massachusetts
James Hillhouse and Uriah Tracy, from
Connecticut: Theodore Foster, from
Rhode Island; Nathaniel Chapman, from
Vermont; James Schureman, from New
Jersey; William Hill Wells, from Della
ware; John E. Howard. from Maryland
STEPHENS Thompson Mason, from Vir-
ginia; John Brown, from Kentucky; John
Anderson and William Cooke. from Ten
nessee. and Abraham Baldwin. frofn
Georgia.
There was no quorum present, ana the
Senate adjourned. 1t also adjourned iol
lack of a quorum on Tuesday, November
IS; Wednesday, November 10. and Thurs
day, November 90. On Friday, November
q, Timothy Bloodworth, from North
Carolina; Humphrey Marshall, from Ken
lucky, and Gouverneur Morris, from New
York, severally. attended. The credentials
of Dwight Foster. appointed a Senator
by the State of Massachusetts,, in place
of Samuel Dexter, resigned, were READ,
and he took his seat. The Vice President
being absent, the Senate proceeded 10
the election of President pro tempore,
and John E. Howard of Maryland was
chosen, the oath being administered by
Senator Foster, from Rhode Island. The
President and the House were notihed
that the Senate was ready to proceed to
business, and a message was received
from the House that it was assembled.
Meeting Of the HOuse.
On Monday November II the following
members of the House of Representatives
appeared and took their seats:
From New Hampshire: Abiel Foster
and Jonathan Freeman.
From Massachusetts,: William Shep-
pard, John Reed. Joseph B. Varnum. The
odore Sedgwick (Speaker), Peleg Wads-
worth, Silas Lee, and Lemuel Williams.
From Connecticut: John Davenport.
From New York: John Smith. Philip
Van Cortlandt, Jonas Platt, Henry Glenn,
John Thompson, and Theodore Bailey.
From Pennsylvania: Michael Lieb, Rich
ard Thomas. Joseph Holster, Robert
Brown, Peter Muhlenberg, Henry Woods,
and John Smile.
From Maryland: George Dent, George
Cahrio1 Christie
John C. Thomas, and Joseph N. Nichol-
sou.
From Virginia: Leven Powell, John
Nicholas, Robert Page, John Dawson, An
thony New, George Jackson. and David
Holmes.
From North Carolina: Nathaniel Ma
con, Richard Stanford, and Willis Aston.
From South Carolina: Thomas Sumter,
and Benjamin Huger.
From Tennessee: William C. c. Clair
borne.
john c. Smith. new member returned
to serve as a Representative from Con-
necticut in place of Jonathan Brace, re-
signed, produced his credentials. The
Speaker observed that it had heretofore
been the invariable practice of the House
to admit members to take their seats pre-
viously to being sworn, though the Con-
stitution directed the reverse. AS there
was a new member present, he suggested
the propriety of administering the oath to
him before he took his seat. Mr.. Macon of
North Carolina thought such a step pre-
mature. He was of the opinion that no
Inconvenience would arise from delaying
to administers the oath until a House
was formed, and he thought great eau
ton should attend an innovation opposed
to all precedent.
Mr.. Nicholas of Virginia asked whether
1t had been usual, in the case of a new
House to swear the members before the
choice Of Speaker? The Speaker replied
tina: it had not. Mr.. Nicholas said that
though, on first thought, he was favorable
to administering the oath at the present
time, yet this precedent inclined him to
think such step improper. The Speaker
waived the question.
This was the first parliamentary discus
sion in the American Congress at Wash
ington.
There not being a quorum present the
House adjourned till Tuesday, November
1S.
On that day the following members ap-
peared and took their seats:
From Connecticut-Elizur Goodrich
William Edmond, and Roger Griswold.
From New York-William Cooper and
Lucas Elmendorf.
From New Jersey-James H. Inlay and
Franklin Davenport.
From Pennsylvania-Robert Vain.
From Northumberland Smith.
From Virginia-Henry Lee, Thomas
Evans, and John Trigg.
From North Carolina-Richard Dobbs
spaight and Joseph Dickson.
From Georgia-Benjamin Taliaferro.
Appointment of Committees.
After the despatch of messag. TO the
Senate announcing that the House vas in
session, the following standing commit
lees were appointed:
Commerce and Manufactures-Samucl
Smith, Mr.. Vain, Franklin Davenport,
Mr.. Huger, Mr.. Parker, Elizur Goodrich,
and Silas Lee.
Elections-Mr. Dent, Lemuel Williams,
Mr.. Edmond. Mr.. Muhlenberg, Mr.. Evans,
Mr.. Dickson, and Mr.. Claiborne.
On Wednesday. November 10, Lewis r.
Norris. from Vermont, and Josiah Parker
md John Randolph, of Virginia, appeared
and took their seats. There being no quo
rum in the Senate, the House adjourned
Until Thursday morning at II o'clock.
On that day Abraham Trigg. from Vir-
yinia, and Andrew Gregg. from Pennsyl-
vania, appeared in the House. The fol-
owing standing committees were an
Ways and Means-Messrs. Griswold,
Powell, Bartlett. Nicholas, Inlay, Nichol-
ION, Taliaferro, Wood. and Smile.
Revisal and Unfinished Business
Messrs. Plat, Evans, and Aston.
Claims-Messrs. Macon, John C. Smith,
Norris, John Chew Thomas, Gregg, Hol-
mes. and Bartlett.
On Friday, November 81, the following
members appeared:
From Massachusetts. George Thatcher;
from New Jersey, John C0ndit, Aaron
and James Linn; from Pennsyl.
raia, John A. Hanna; from South Caro-