Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-12-07
Speaker Henderson Is Again Sc
lected to Preside Over House
Routine Business Is
Transacted.

washing tOn, Dec. oil he opening
day of the first session of the Fifty
seventh congress in the house of
representatives furnished a spectacle
that delighted the crowded galleries.
The machinery of the house is cum
brous, and is set in motion by a la
borious process, but the spectators
evidently did not consider it tedious,
as they chung to their places
which lasted AZ hours, probably half
the time being consumed in the mo-
notonous calling of the roll.
Sworn in ms Speaker.
The organization of the house was
accomplished according to time-hon-
ored precedents. At the conclusion
of the roll call, showing 31S mem
bers present, Mr.. Cannon Qll.) nom
mated David B. Henderson Ga.), and
Mr.. Hay (Va.) nominated Mr.. Rich
ardson (Tenn) for speaker. A roll
call for the election then followed.
The vote for speaker was: Hender-
son, 100; Richardson, 149; Stark
(Neb.), 1; Cummings IN. ", 1.
ODSdhCI sui was S"OI III III ny
Gen. Bingham, Father of the
House," and after delivering a very
graceful speech in recognition of the
honor bestowed upon him he, in
turn, administered the oath to the
members-elect.
The usual committees were APP
pointed to inform the president and
the senate that the house was or
ganized and ready to do business,
committee of three, consisting of
Messrs. Payne, Bingham and Rich
ardson, was appointed to join sim
liar committee of the senate and
wait upon the president and inform
him that congress was ready to re-
ceive any communication he might
have to make, the rules of the last
house were adopted after a slight
Jar, and then the biennial seat draw
ing occurred.
In the Senate.
Washington, Dec. "a profusion of
floral offerings, quite unusual in
quantity, in variety and in beauty,
Monday transformed the senate cham
Der into a veritable flower show. AL
most every member of the body was
the recipient of one or more of these
evidences of the regard of his friends,
and the atmosphere of the chamber
was heavy with the odor of rare plants
and blossoms. The display of chrys-
anthemums was notably beautiful,
many of the specimens being of the
choicest varieties.
Flood of Bills.
Washington, Dec. Sit was estima-
ted by officials of the house that over
5000 bills had been introduced before
- o'clock Monday. There was much
rivalry for the honor of having bill No.
1, no less than Is members having
asked for this precedence. The indi-
cations are that the bill of Mr.. Nc
Cleary restricting the sale Of oleomar-
garine will be so designated when the
records are made up. The bills took
wide range. Among them were the
following:
Three Pacific cable bills; protesting
against the conduct of the war in South
Africa; removing the duty on hides; giving
bankruptcy law; to create a reciprocity
commission; to make oleomargarine sub
ject to state laws; giving the thanks of
congress to Rear Admiral Kempff, Amer
lean naval commander at Taku, China;
to punish frauds at elections of congress
men; making February II, Lincoln's BIRTH
day, national holiday; granting state
hood to Oklahoma; creating a department
of commerce, labor and manufacture;
amending the constitution so as to define
assaults on the president, vice president,
members of the cabinet and justices of
the supreme court, and giving congress the
power to fix penalties; appropriating $50,
600 for a monument to President William
H. Harrison, at South Bend, Ind; provid-
ing for a, flexible currency responsive to the
needs of business; a constitutional amend
ment giving congress power to fix uniform
hours of labor; joint resolution amending
the constitution so that congress will have
power to pass general laws for the organ
ization of corporations; constitutional
amendment repeating the fifteenth amend
ment; constitutional amendment forbid
ding appropriations for sectarian purposes;
for tax on incomes and inheritances; for
a permanent census bureau; constitutional
amendment for woman suffrage; for cleo
ton of United States senators by popular
vote; to make oleomargarine subject to
the laws of the state to which it is trans
ported and to change the tax or oleomar-
garine; admitting New Mexico to state
hood; amending and making more effe ctive
the act to protect trade against monop-
olies, ETC.; to prevent combir atoms in re-
straint of trade; to exempt wire nails, wire,
barbed wire, ETC., from duty; for the pun
ishment of persons assaulting. or killing
the president of the United States.