The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-08
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building,

Colorado Building, Washington, Nov. 'I. The Fifty-eighth Congress. which as- semDles first. iu extraordinary session, Is the largest Congress In the history of the United States -.
 With ninety Senators and ass Represent atives. the resective chambers of the two houses will be filled almost to their ut most capacity, At the present rate Of progress or the country the exigency of Ialr representation must in no great while require either an enlargement of the chambers or the population apportion- ment so increased as to keep the mem Dership within the accommodations as at present provided. The Hall of the House IS now ready to receive the full body of 5s0 members. or fourteen more. for about fO seats and as many desks have been provided The floor of this national au- ditorium has been entirely changed in aspect There is a greater rise of seats and desks from the row which environs the Speakers towering desk. the ascent oeing gradual to the now attenuated lob oy next to the walls. The seats are so grouped that there Is not the same num- per in any single group. but are so placed as 70 form symmetrical whole. Thus the spectacle that may be presented when there Is full attendance of the House VIII be more impressive than ever.
 There Is no change in the appearance of the senate Chamber. that gathering place or Sts mighty statesmen looking about as 1t did last spring when the long deadlock m Delaware was broken by the election of two Senators from Delaware which gave to the Senate Its full quota of nine ty members.
 Besides being the largest Congress, no otner since the Forty years ago-has marked so large an ac- cesslon or membership. The increase of ene present Congress came through the apportionment based upon the census of ISoO. which aforded a gain of twenty-nine members, the membership having stood at So[ at the beginning of the Fifty-fourth n nKrd NH Hz The size of the Senate has steadily grown with the admission of new States into the Union, with the exception of the civll war period. when from sixty-six senators. in the Thirty-sixth Congress to ntty members in the Thirty-sixth Con gress. By the beginning of the Forty nrst Congress the Southern States had been reconstructed" and, with the ad- mission Of several Western States, the Senate membership rose to seventy-four
 The First Congress, 17S9 met with twen- ty-slx senators and sixty-five Represent atives. The increase has been steady and m keeping with the growth of the Re- public. Twice In the history of the House mas the size of its membership been re- duced. From the First to the end of the Iwenty-seventh Congress the number had gradually risen from the original sixty nve to 242 members. The apportionment law enacted to take effect for the Con- gross ensuing was nearly doubled and the number Of Representatives was reduced
 
 steady but slight to the outbreak of the civil war which, taking away the South- ern members. depleted the membership to liS. few Western territories were turn ed into states during the war and repre- sentation allowed to some of the South ern States which made some show of ioy- atty to the Union, by the close of the war the House having 192 members The Forty-hrst Congress insofar as concerned representation. saw restored Union and a House with 243 members Since the Forty-1rst Congress, beginning March O. Is.9, me increase in the House member snip mas been continuous the largest in- crease at one time being through the apportionment based upon the Ninth Cen sus in 1870, which gave the House a gain or 1fty members and total of 293. That was the size of the House in the Forty third, Forty-fourth. Forty-fifth, Forty sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses The Forty-eighth then saw a gain of thirty two members. making the total S25. So 1t stood until the iFfty-frst Congress when live more members were added by new States Three more came with the next Congress and the Fifty-third gained twenty,shree t,eay, by the a22Sortionment of the of Utah soon after gave the House 357 members, which was the maximum until the present Congress-
 Certain scribhlers on social topics here- abouts. with more zeal to fill space than to supply facts. in givng a kind of run over summarizing of the married. uumar- ried and otherwise situated Senators, speak of Senator Pettus as a widower. The privileged few who enjoy the en- nobling acquaintance of Mrs. Pettus, the beloved helpmeet of the distinguished Ala bamian, feel a mixed resentment and amusement at this carelessness on the part of the social chroniclers. Mrs. Pet tus. In years is perhaps the oldest spouse of Senator in Congress. as MT. Pettus is the oldest Senator. But like her hus- hand she seems immune to tho infirmities of venerable years which she wears brightly. serenely and wisely. There are many people in Washington who have known Mrs. Pettus only since her hus- hand came to the Senate but who account that knowledge a cherishahle thing.
 The gossip in question came along with chat about the marriages of Senator Platt of New York. and Senator Stewart