The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-06
in a half dozen words. The speaker adj
dressed the house briefly saving:

in a half dozen words The speaker ad.
dressed the house briefly saying:
Gentlemen Of the House of Repre-
sentatives. this high honor which you
have conferred upon me I profoundly
appreciate. All the more do ! appre-
ciate it, coming as il does with this
generous expression from both sides OF
n chamber There Is yet left another
method for a presiding officer to ex-
press his appreciation of such an honor:
that Is, by a kindly, firm and faithful
administration Of the law n the rules
that govern this body. 1t will be my
aim to discharge impartially the duties
of this office. AS / said at the opening
Of the last congress-, no presiding officer
can successfully administer the duties
Of his Office unless he has the support
Of the body over which he presides. 1
asked for it then; you gave il to me
throughout the entire congress. Permit
me once more to invoke that patience,
kind consideration n splendid support
which was accorded to me in the last
congress.
The maker of laws should not be a
breaker Of the laws. We proceed under
law and rules: and the duties d%evolving
upon each and all of the membership
Of this house will be far better conserv-
ed if this principle is kept in mind and
acted upon"
After the oaths had been administer
ed Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, presented a
resolution for the election of the follow
ing Officers of the house; Alexander
Mcdowell. of Pennsylvania, clerk;
Henry Casson, of Wisconsin, sergeant
alarms; William ]. Glenn, Of New
York. door keeper; Joseph c.. McElroy.
postmaster, Rev. H. y Couden, of
Michigan, chaplain.
Mr.. Hay, of Virginia, on behalf of
the minority presented a substitute res
olution containing the James of the
candidates selected by the democratic
caucus last Saturday. The minority
resolution was voted down and Mr..
Cannon's resolution was adopted with
out division.
The usual formal resolutions to no
tify the president n the senate of the
organization of the o were adopted.
Mr.. Dalzell then offered the resolution
agreed to by the republican caucus on
Saturday for the adoption of the rules
of the last house with certain specified
This drew the first fire from the otter
house.
This drew the first firefrom the other
side. Mr.. Dalzell was proceeding to ex-
plain the nature of these amendments
when Mr.. Richardson interrupted to
ask whether the opportunity was to be
given to offer amendments and on re-
ceiving a negative reply he protested
against such action. He said he desir-
ed to offer some amendments which ne
though would prevail if the gentle
man from Iowa (Hepburn) could deliy-
er the forty votes which the newspapers
had said he had in the republican eau
Gus last Saturday.
Mr.. DalZell pointed out that the rules
were practically Identical with these
of the Fifty-frst, Fifty-fourth and sue
ceeding congresses and practically iden-
teal with those of the intervening dem
Ocratic congresses. He yielded five
minutes to Mr.. Richardson who occu-
pied the time in denOuncing the rules.
He said he would move to commit the
rules to the Omlnitte on rules when
appointed.
While MIR. Richardson was speaking
Of Mr.. Hepburn's forty followers, Mr..
Steele, of Indiana, countered by kin
if the Mcclellan resolution offered at the
democratic caucus last Saturday would
command forty votes on the democratic
side. To this Mr.. Richardson returned
an evasive reply.
Mr.. Hepburn said he had attempted
to secure modification of the rules in
the ffty-third ongre which was DEM
ocratic and upon that occasion Mr..
Richardson himself had bitterly OPP
posed the change. This sally raised a
shout of laughter on the republican
side.
Mr.. Dalzell moved the previous Ques-
ton which was ordered-176 to 143.
Mr.. Richardson moved to commit the
resolution to the committee on rules
which was lost-142 to 1S5 and the reso-
lutions her were adopted.
The speaker assigned the contested
| election cases from Alabama, Kentucky
and Missouri to elections committee NO.
1: those from North Carolina, Ohio and
| South Carolina to No. 2, and those from
Virginia to No. 3.
On motion of Mr.. Elliott, OF South
| Carolina, a resolution was adopted to
| allow the importation free of payment
of duty of all articles from foreign
countries and the transfer of foreign
exhibits from the Pan-Amerlcan expo
sition at Buffalo for the purpose of ex-
hibition at the South Carolina Inter-
State and West Indian exposition at
Charleston, S. G.
At 4:3O o'clock the house adjourned.