The Washington times., 1901-12-02

elusive opera chair All is changed, but
the change viii hzFyly be welcomed by
such members as have known the de-
lights Of the old House The genial "Si''
Sulloway Will have a task in getting his
great f-ame-the greatest in all New
Hampshira-about the cloak ROOMS with
out rubbing the gaily-tinted walls. The
diminutive Dayton of West Virgins will
feel lost in the new atmosphere. The
pCnGeT1us form Of Payne of New York
viii be uneasy without the welcome
yawnng Of a battered lounge. and the
cadaverous Rhea of Virginia Will rattle
loosely in his pew ard unfamiliar chair.
Il is always a brilliant scene, that Of
the cJnveaing Of new House. II is the
popular body. and all sorts and conditions
CT people roam Uneasily about that wing
of the building. In the galleries On open
ing day. however, he gathering is a very
exclusive one inasmuch as admission is
by card only, and when the 35I members
and delegates have each supplied their
immediate families with seats there will
be but sCant score left for outsiders
For the first time in years not single
negro viii occupy a seat in the House
gallery on an opening day. This is the
first body in decades in which a negro has
not had a scat on the floor, and the alb
sence Of the col0red spectator will be
noted by many.
The galleries will begin to fill by 10
o'clock, and long before noon every seat
will be occupied On the floor, the spec
tacle viii resemble q Kaleidoscope more
than anything Else Almost every desk
will contain some floral tribute, bas-
ket wreath, or M yhaP q simple bunch
Of flowers These dots of coloring viii be
interspersed with the variegated attire
Of the members. and ex-mcmbers, who
win be swarming everywhere. 1t is a
Jolly aggregation, is the House. and for
maiity is thrown to the winds. For the
two hours preceding the fall Of the gavel
ever body VIII greet everybody else and
a general discussion of what has occurred
during the summer viii be entered into.
Ninety New Members.
Ninety new faces will appear on the
floor. Forty nine are Republicans, thir-
ty7eight are Democrats, and three are
Populists. The newcomers represent thir-
ty-ene States.
The most interesting feature of the
proceedings in the House today will be
the biennial drawing of seats Every
member. except Galusha Grew. VINO is
an ex-Speaker. and H. H. Bingham, the
rfather Of the House" will stand or an
equal footing, and will have to secure 10
sitions by lottery. The names are draig.
out Of a box, and as the name is called =
little round ball bearing the number of a
seat, is picked from a box by blindf0lded
clerk The number on the ball decides
where member viii sit during his term.
Election os the Speaker.
Promptly at noon the Clerk OF the
House Will call the body to order. After
prayer by Chaplain Couden, the Clerk
viii announce that the first business in
order will be the election of a Speaker.
Representative Henderson OF Iowa viii be
presented by the Republicans, and Rep
resentatiye Richardson Of Tennessee will
be proposed by the minority. The roll
VIII then be callee ana after each Mem
Der and Delegate has responded the Clerk
Will announce that Representative Hen
derson has been elected Speaker. \ com
mittee consisting of one Republican and
one Democrat viii then escort the Speaker
TO the chair. This Will all be done amid
loud applause and great demonstration.
The Speaker viii make a few appropri-
ate remarks. and will settle down to the
full power of authority. The lottery Of
seats will occupy about an hour. when
the caucus nominees for the minor offices
viii be announced. A committee will then
inform him that Congress has convened
aud awaits any message he may desire
to send.
DoinSs in the Senate.
To the glad strains OF applause with
the old chamber heaped with floral trib-
utes. and the galleries massed by gay
gathering, the Senate of the Fifty-sev-
snth Congress will convene at noon. It
should prove an interesting body. despi
the absence OF Pettigrew, Allen, Chandlt
and Butler, as a number OF old war
horses have replaced the fiery, untamed
and keen craftsmanship has sup
planted the old order of strenuous com
Diaint. The Senators who will occupy
the desks around the three semicircles
have lot Of hard work ahead, and a ma
jority of them realize this. When the
gayel drops as the hands of the marble
clock meet at the hour of u the members
of the most dignifed deliberatiye body in
the world VIII settle back in their chairs
TO remain there until the SHOWS OF win
ter have melted and until the beautiful /
grounds around the Capitol shall bloom
with June roses.
Nothing Bat business.
The usual brilliant scenes which mark |
an opening day VIII bring nothing that is
novel to the members Of the upper body of
Congress The new men who will appear
received a month of coaching during the
executive session which closed the DAYS
Of the Fifty sixth and ushered in the
Congress. They have all
had taste Of the joys. the laurels, the
loud acclaim and the cheer of the ocoa-
sion. They know only too well that it is
but for a brief hour. and that upon the
morrow a scant handful of country visi-
tors will glover at them from almost de-
serted galleries; the flowers will have
j and died. and in the lounges
around the chamber Will languish former
membe g whose names were only yester-
day in the mouths Of all, and who are now
for messengers and document
clerks. This will be a hard-hesded SEN
ate. II knows what to expect, and will
not be a hard loser. Therefore there will
be little Of the opening day enthusiasm
today, and business will follow rapidly
upon the moment OF prayer
The crowds viii be there in full force