Abilene weekly reflector., 1900-06-14

tem., of the senate Senator Frye an
nounced his signature to the naval
bill. With some other measures it
was hurried to the president, who was
in waiting in his room at the capitol,
and was signed by him soon after.
The concluding hour of the session
was purely social session. No busi-
ness beyond the adoption of the Gus
tomary resolution of thanks to the
chair Senator Frye) was accom-
pllshed. In acknowledgment of the
compliment Senator Frye delivered a
brief and graceful speech, which was
received with cordial applause
throughout the chamber.
The conclusion of the work Of the
senate was quiet and perfunctory, at
tended by no exciting scenes, such as
are often incident to the close Of a
session, and when the gavel fell
finally, expressions of relief and glad
ness were heard from all senator's.
Patriotic Airs sung in the Hou.e.
Washington, June SIN marked
contrast with the exciting incidents
attending the bitter struggles Of the
closing hours of the session Speaker
Henderson laid. down his gavel at five
o'clock yesterday afternoon at the
conclusion of one of the most pic
turesque scenes which has ever oc-
Cured in the hall of representatives.
Party passion and personal rancor,
which have brought the house to the
brink OF actual riot several times
during the last As hours, gave way in
the closing half hour to good fellow
>ship, which found vent in patriotic
outburst that stirred the crowded
galleries to the highest pitch of en-
thusiasm. During brief recess taken
within 80 minutes of the time fixed
for the final adjournment to give the
president an opportunity to aftix his
signature to the bills that were being
rushed to him for approval, group
of members, led by Mr.. Mercer, of
Nebraska; Mr. Ball, of Texas; Mr..
Fitzgerald, of Massachusetts, and Mr..
Tawney, of Minnesota, congregated in
the area to the left of the speakers
rostrum and began singing patriotic
airs. The galleries were banked to the
doors. columbia, Gem of the Ocean,"
"Auld Lang Syne," "The Red, White
and Blue" successively rang out. As
the singing proceeded members joined
the group until without regard to age
or party the entire membership of
the house joined in the choruses. The
spectators in the galleries applauded
each song until the strains of "Dixie"
filled the hall. Then their unbounded
enthusiasm broke out in wild cheers.
But the enthusiasm "Dixie" evoked
was not to be compared with the re-
markable demonstration which fol-
lowed, when, in clear, ringing tenor,
Mr.. Fitzgerald, of Massachusetts,
started the national anthem with the
inspiring words, "Through the dawn's
early light" In an instant all the
men, women and children in the gal
leries were on their feet joining in
the singing After Speaker Henderson
had made graceful farewell speech
thanking the members for their cour-
tesy and had declared the house ad-
journed the members testified to his
popularity by singing For He Is a
jolly Geod Fellow" and the newspa-
per correspondents in the press gal
lery celebrated their emancipation
from the burdens of congress by sing
ing the "Doxology,"
The principal feature of the closing
day in the house was the reversal of
its action Wednesday night in turn
ing down the conferees on the naval
bill for yielding on the item relating
to ocean surveys. Over night the SEN
tlment of the house underwent CON-
plete change and yesterday the mem.
bers voted by large majority to ac-
cept outright the senate amendment
which goes much further than the
compromise which the conferees Of.
fered Wednesday. The new conferees,
led by Mr.. Cannon, who had brought
In n compromise which they consid.
errd more satisfactory, were ignomin-
iously pushed aside. II was a distinct
victory for the old conferees, Messrs.
Foss, of Illinois; Dayton, of West
Virginia, and Cummings, of New
York. The other feature Of the clos
ing day was the course of Mr. Lentz,
of Ohio, in blocking unanimous con-
sent legislation. For three days he
has objected to bills because the ma
jority would not allow the testimony
In the Coeur d'Alene investigation to
be printed and he maintained his po.
sition to the end