The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
OLD-TIME LAWMAKERS.
Difference Between Two Houses of
Legislature Defined.
Richmond Times Dispatch

Richmond Times Dispatch.
1t is getting to be very much the custom
nowadays for newspapers to speak of the
upper and lower houses of the General
Assembly.
That nomenclature some years back was
resented by the members of the House of
Delegates as too much of an imitation of
British speech when reference was made to
Parliament. Here in republican Virginia
delegates rarely could be brought to admit
that there was any upper" or lower"
house, and Speaker Ryan was wont to ex-
plain that the only difference between
senator and delegate was that the former
was entitled to receive a penknife from the
State and the latter was not. Even that
difference has been removed at this ses-
sion. The delegates now draw a penknife
from the State just as a senator does.
Originally the idea was that a member of
the Legislature needed a knife in trimming
his quill pen. When the quill went out of
vogue, and the metal pen came in, the
House cut off the knife perauisite. and so
it was for many years, but lately members
found out that their pencils needed TO be
sharpened, and provision thereupon was
made for the distribution again of knives
So customs and fashions return, though the
reason that dictated them no longer exists
On gentlemen's frock coats, above the
tails, buttons are still placed, though
swords and swordbelts are no longer worn
In time we even look for the restoration
of the legislative snuffbox. when it will be-
come the duty of the clerk Clark of each
house to keep a supply of snuff sufficient
for each member and to send the box
around the House whenever any difficult
question is up for consideration, or when
members show a disposition to fly into a.
temper with one another
Another old fixture" of the CAPITOL was
big stove, on which an aged colored wom-
an roasted peanuts to be sold to members
and visitors. That old stove is still pre-
served as one of the most valuable antique
assets of our commonwealth II was made
In England in 1170 and was considered a
wonder of ingenious mechanism i'm it's day
1t is a three-story affair, and was not built
for cookery, but for heating purposes; but
all the same il was found TO be a pretty
good peanut roaster and was so used in the
rotunda many years. Ii was first used as
heater IN the House OF Burgesses at VIII
llamsburg, and was brought to Richmond
when the Capitol was transferred here.
upper or lower house What il had
was the" House; a goodly company OF
fiorid-complexioned gentlemen. many of
whom queued their hair. wore velvet coats
and lace ruffies. knee breeches ard buckles
and low-quartered shoes At least the rich
planters did. The men of the mountains
were not so ornate I'm their dress, and no
wonder for they had TO ride down here
horseback. and had trunks in which TO
bring dress suits; no wagons in which to
haul the trunks. and finally, in most cases.
no. such suits TO put into the trunk afore-
said. But they were intelligent, good
brave gentlemen all the same and the
crack or their rifles was heard in the revo-
luton, along with those of their Iowland
compatriots, from the hills of Boston TO
the rice fields of South Carolina. The bonds
Of fraternity which bound them together
we doubt not, were cemented. IL not formed
at Williamsburg when they took snuff, or
roasted peanuts maybe together. Later
on as a commonwealth Virginia adopted the
bicameral systematic Senate and the
House-what some or our friends now
speak Of as the upper" and lower
house.