The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-02
ALGER SWORN IN.
The Ceremony Attracts Unusual
Attention in the Senate.
His Family and a Number of
Personal Friends Present.
HEAR THE MESSAGE.
Both Houses Listen Attentively
to Reading of the Document.
The Speaker Fills Some Vacan-
cies on Committees.
HEAR THE MESSAGE.

cl0S on committees.
Washington, Dec. 2-There were two
events of interest in the senate today, tht
swearing in of General Russell A Alger,
as a senator from Michigan, and the
presentation of the presidents annual
message.
Before the senate convened Mr.. Alger
appeared on the floor and was heartily.
congratulated by his new collea gues.
The family of the new senator with
number of personal friends occupied
seats in the reserved gallery to witness
1.-THE ceremony, while members of the
Michigan delegation in the house came
over from the house for the same pur
pose.
Immediately after the reading of the
/ journal. Mr.. Burrows presented the ere
dentials of Mr.. Alger and asked that the
oath of office be administered to him.
The new senator then was escorted to
the desk of the president pro tenn, Mr..
Frye. by Mr.. Burrows, where the oath
was administered. Mr.. Alger's seat Is
on the extreme right of the Democratic
side of the chamber and was completely
! hidden from view by huge floral pieces.
1t was necessary to remove them before
! he could sit down.
Messrs. Platt (Conn.) and Jones
/ (Ark.), the committee appointed by the
senate to join a similar committee from
the house to notify the president that
congress had assembled, reported that
they had performed this DUTY, where
upon Mr.. Barnes, assistant secretary to
the president, delivered the presidents s
| message to congress. Printed copies had
been furnished each senator and they
closely followed the reading of the docu-
ment. But few Democrats were in their
seats when the reading of the message
/ began
Senior Quesada, the Cuban minister,
again occupied a seat in the diplomatic
gallery and evinced much interest in
the massage.
IN THE HOUSE.
Washington, Dec. 2.-The house met
at noon today with a large attendance
and crowded galleries. Immediately
after the reading of the journal Gordon
4 Russell. who was elected to fill the va
| cancy caused by the death of R. c,
Degraf affenreid of Texas, and Edward
i Swami, who was elected to fill the va
cancy caused by the death of Amos j.
Cummings of New York, appeared at
the bar and took the oath.
The speaker announced the following
committee appointments:
Mr.. Hill (Conn.) on ways and means; !;
| Mr.. Palmer Pa.) on judiciary; Mr.
Fowler IN. j. director of the Colum-
bian institution of rthe deaf and dumb.
| and Mr.. jenkins (Wis.) as consulting
/ trict of Columbia.
Mr. Bingham (Pa) from the commit
tee appointed yesterday to wait upon
/ the president, reported that The COM
/ mittee had fulfilled its mission and that
the president stated that he would COM
municate at once in writing. The house
then took a recess until 1880 to await
the arrival of the presidents message
When the house reconvened, Mr.
! Barnes, assistant secretary to the presi-
| dent, announced the presidents mes
! sage, which by the direction of the
speaker, was Immediately read by the
! clerk.
The reading of the message was lis
tened to attentively, especially those
portions relating to the regulation of
trusts, the tariff and the Isthmian canal
bill. There were no demonstra tons I'M
/ til the reading was concluded when
there was a generous outburst of ap-
plause on the Republican side. The
reading consumed exactly an hour.
The presidents message was referred
to the committee of the whole house on
the state of the union without objection.
| MI. Cannon moved to consider tomor-
row the bill to defray the expense of
the anthracite coal strike commission
1t was SO ordered.
After Mr. Lanahan (Tex) had an
nounced the death of his late colleagues
Representative Degraffenreid and Shep-
pard of Texas, the house at lao D. m.
as a further mark of respect, adjourned
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Washington. Dec 2.-Senator Cullom
today introduced bill to amend the
Sherman antitrust law. It prohibits
interstate commerce in articles pro-
duced by trusts, the penalty for viola
tions being fine of from $500 to S., 000
Representative Hull, chairman of the
house committee on military affairs, has
introduced a bill for a general staff OF
the army. The bill follows closely that
which was recommended by Secretary
Root
Upon the conclusion of the reading OF
the message, which occupied one hour
and fifteen minutes, it was ordered tc
lie on the table and be printed
A concurrent resolution offered by Mr.
Morgan (A1a.) providing for the printing
of compilation of bills and debates il
congress relating to trusts was referred
| to the committee on printing.
The senate then at 1:27 p. m, on mo-
ton of Mr.. Lodge, went into executiv,
session.
The doors were opened at :35 Mr.
Frye laid before the senate a number
|; of annual reports of government Off
ciaIs and then had read the resignation
of Rev. w H. Milburn, the blind chap
lain of the senate.
After theMtransaction of some routin,
business, MI. Plat tConn.) presented {
resolution expressing the sorrow of tht
senate over the death of Representativ.
Charles H. Russell of Connecticut
which was adopted, and as a furtlel
mark of respect. the senate at so p. n,
adjourned until tomorrow.
CuADD CrrrE EnD rDrrCrc