Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-17


yeaf. and accoTdingiy IA September Il, 1768
q resolution Of CUngreis was passed, desig-
mating the hrstE Wednesday IN January,
l!S0. Tor appointing doctors In the several
next Be the day for the electors to assemble
in their respective states and vote for q
President. and that the first Wednesday In
March next Dc othe time and the present
the proceedings understhe said Constitution.
Oddiy enough. soothing is said, even in this
resolution as to the assembling Of Congress
on the 18th Of March, The resolution simply
says that 1t Is che time for commencing
proceedings under the new Constitution. By
that Constitution there was to be no meet
ing OF Congress- untilfthe first Monday in
December. At the same time 1t was mani
rest, ana mad been recognized in the resolu-
ton OF the constitutional convention, that
there could be no President until the votes
were counted in the presence Of Congress.
SO tnat II proceedings were to commence
az all they must commence by the assem-
ping OF the new Congress for that purpose.
The First Meeting Of Congress.
Accordingly Congress did assemble In
New York. nominally- on the 4th of March,
1882 On March but eight of the twenty
two senators appeared Adjournments were
had from day to day until the 18th, when
an urgent call was sent out Adjournments
were again made from day to day until the
leth. when another call was sent out The
Senate then adjourned again from day to
day until April Q, when, a quorum having
appeared, the vote was counted, and George
washington and John Adams were declared
elected President and Vice President, and
committees We're sent to look them up at
their homes, where they had remained. The
Dclioing that was in use was that of the
CITY OF New York, and the city was thanked
Tor the accomm odatons furnished.
On Aprh IL the Vice President appeared
nd o5f
tinued from day to day until the 25th when
the houses learned that the President had
received notice of his election, and had
asIeeu 70 attend at any time that the
houses would appoint. It was understood
uhat preparations could not be made be-
fore Thursday, April 80, and 1t was ordered
tnat the president should then be received
by Do.h houses in the Senate chamber He
i ,' IN the city of New York. having
been conducted over, the Hudson in a
barge, and was received with acclama-
tion.I on the Both Of April the minutes tell
US tnal ne was duly received by the Vice
Ilesiuent, conducted to the chair and given
the oath or office. and that the crier made
proclamation, Long live George Washing
t . PRESIDENT Of the United States" Thus
me new government had begun on the 4th
% oa. 1narcn put 1t had no President until the
8Oth OF April. The counting of the vote
was not, as 1t Is now, by a previous Con-
gress' put by the one that was elected to
t taae once, and which thereupon met for
tne purpose of counting the votes and pIac-
ing the President in office.
IL is probable that the fathers Of the Con-
s.dtutio n supposed that this procedure
We mou a De continued to this day. They had
~ uream that the old Congress would sit
DetWeen election day and the time when
me new Congress would have the right to
"a take once. and expected the new President
~ NC sworn IN In the presence of Congress
.nai had peen elected with himself pre-
clseIy as the mayor. Of a city Is sworn In
IN the presence of the board of aldermen
VINO nave been chosen at the same election.
tba oo, thls would have continued to be
liz suS course OF practice ifait had been Dos
sioie TO hold elections in time for a meet
q the nrst Congress on the first Mondav of
H1HOSoeinoer' lfSS, instead of the 4th of March.
Farmer Senator's.
1t has elsewhere. been noted how loath
Tue senator's wereIto leave their farms be-
ioie the SEED was In the ground. The SEN
a.ofs from New Jersey. just across the
-Nei' were as late as any others. They
prooapiy heard how many senators were
already in New York and knew that thew
could wait until a quorum was likely tn hs
assembled. But the question of the dav Of
meeting immedia teiy troubled the Congress-
On September %. after long session in tha
city OF New York, it was resolved that the
next meeting should be on the first Mon
day In January, a1790. THAT Congress- Of
l79o sat till July 10 when they ordered the
records sent to WASHINGTON for the fret
MONDAY In December. 1880. Congress then
sat ,ili March z. T7N, being the first short
session. and passed a resolution that after
the I'd Of March the first annual meeting or
congress Should be on the first Monday of
october then next. That Congress ordered
mat IT'S second session should be on the 9Th
Gay OF November. 1902 and afterWard we
IND the meetings of Congress on Decem-
Der =, 1888: November 3, 1874; 4th Of De-
cember. 1913 and 1876; May Is, 1877; Novem-
Der Ii. 1877; Sd Of December. 1898, etc.
Thus the fathers of the Constitution had
intended that sessions should be held at the
date when congressman took office but
the change from December to March with
the crops and Washington weather were
too much for good intentions. The first
Wednesday Of March. 1889. happened to be
on the 4th. and as the Congress holds for
two years and the President for four years
the 4th Of March has become a fixed day
without reference to the day of the week,
although In almost all the states governors
are elected for a term Of years, but take
office certain week day of q particular
month. But Washington held the first
presidency only from April &c. or for a lit
tie over three years and ten months, and
Let US remark that the difficulties under
which We labor were not the intention of
the trainers OF the Constitution. but came
from matters beyond their control. The
delay In the ratification Of the Constitution
pushed over the beginning Of our govern
ment from December till March, and eyery
thing else merely followed.
If those are right who desire the abolition
Of the short session, then perhaps at what
ever OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Congress- hould
hold its first session on the 4th of March
until some amendment to the Constitution
shall have made more convenient day.
1t is hard to make changes, and certainly
1t Is too much to expect of any officer such
elf-abnegation as to consent to the short
ening OF his own term, but deeming 1t of
the highest importance that the term Of
Congress and the presidential term should
begin shortly after election, 1t is not. per
haps, too much to expect that a constitu
tional amendment might be passed shorten
ing the presidential term next after it's
ratification, so as to end on January 1 or 2
and making the congressional term begin
In December Even If political interests do
not require such change. business inter-
ests do. The long period Of uncertainty be-
tween the election and the meeting of each
new Congress Is a menace to prosperity
The injury to the country done by such a
period of waiting has necessitated two ex-
ira sessions within ten years, one to repeal
the Sherman law and the other to enact the
Dingley tariff. These are only examples Of
the effect Of that delay.
Difficulties az to Change.
The whole country is Indebted to the
agitation for change of the Inaugural
ton to April 80 for bringing this ques-