The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-10
SEEN AND HEARD ATTHE CAPITOL

while Mr.. Lindsay was speaking on the
Porto Ricsn bill in the Senate Yesterday
tnere was at no time more than three or
TOUR Republican Senators in the chamber.
Mr.. Deboe, the speakers colleague. listened
10 the greater part of the speech. and Mr.
! Foraker. who is in charge of the bill. heard
Mr.. Lindsay's arguments from beginning
! TO END. \ considerable number of Demo-
cratic senators were present, and each
| gave the speaker his undivided attention.
| Inc galleries were occupied by a good
| sized crowd of interested auditors, and
Senator Lindsay's powerful voice could be
plainly heard even by those seated farthest
| from him.
Senator Cullom has been the recipient
of many congratulations since his success
in engineering the Hawaiian bill through
the Senate. He remarked yesterday that
the task of having charge of a bill of that
nature was one of the hardest he had
ever undertaken during the time he has
spent in Congress. Il feel sorry for Sena-
tor Foraker" he continued. for l know
just what he has before him. He must
know every word of his bill by heart, and
must be prepared to answer all kinds of
questions in regard to it." Senator Gull
lon said that while the Hawaiian bill was
under discussion both before the COM
mttee and in the Senate, he was under
constant mental strain night and day to
do what was expected OF him as the author
of it,
Representative Cushman is seen on the
floor of the Senate oftener than any other
member of the House. Mr. Cushman al
nd rif
his long lank figure. and rather solemn ex-
preston Of countenance, presents quite
ministerial appearance. 1t was this fact,
evidently, which caused a man in the Sem
ate gallery yesterday to inform the lady
with him that the tall dark man. standing
near the lobby door Indicating Mr.. Cush-
mani was the chaplain of the Senate. He
said he had forgotten the chapiain's name,
but that he had often heard him spoken OF
and knew from his appearance that he
must be the chaplain.
AS is usually the case during the con-
sideration OF pension bills. there was a
small attendance on the floor and in the
galleries of the House yesterday. During
Mr.. Louds speech, attacking special legis- |
lation, the galleries slowly filed, but dur |
ing the greater part of the session there |
were but few spectators. Mr.. Sulloway |
attracted considerable interest while !
speaking because of the fact that though /
one OF the most conspicuous men in the !
House he does not often indulge in de-
bate, combining his labors more especially |
to committee work.
During the reading in the Senate of the !
long bill to provide civil code for |
Alaska at the night session on Thursday. |
a tendency was at first evinced to have the |
reading hurried AS no Senator followed |
the text of the bill. the clerks might have |
skipped several pages without its being |
noticed. From the time that Mr.. Bate ar
rived, however, few minutes after the
session began. he carefully followed the
bill as it was read Under similar circum-
stances during the last session Mr. Bate |
insisted that even when a long bill was
being read it should be gone over slowly
and carefully. He argued that no legisla-
tion should be so hurried that bill would
not be plainly understood before being
voted upon. 1t took nearly two hours for
157 pages of the Alaskan bill to be read.
and at that same rate three more night
sessions will be required before the read
ing is completed.
Several members of the House of Repre-
sentatives are shorthand writer's OF more
or less skill. Many of those who are law
yers studied stenography for convenience
and effectiveness in making notes. One OF
the most skillful of these sound writer's is
Mr. Hit of Illinois
There were three picturesque groups Of
men at the Capitol yesterday. One was
composed of Idaho miners in attendance
upon the Occur d'Alene enquiry; another
was composed of Porto Ricans who pre-
sented a petition to the appropriate com
nittees of the House and Senate, and the
other comprised Pottawatomie Indians.
who came to press their claims OF title to
he land on which Chicago is built.