The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-12-15

NM turning congressman and In
VI " tending visitors will find
some gratifying changes in
the historic old chamber once used as
the house of representatives and known
as the hall Of statuary. This famous
chamber, which might with propriety
be called the American pantheon, has
since the last session Of congress been
completely renovated and subjected to
artistic treatment which makes it In
point Of beauty, dignity and Impress
iveness one of the most attractive in.
teriors in Washington. Besides this 1t
Is perhaps the place of greatest historic
interest in the national capital.
From the year 1907, when it was
first finished, until 1914. when it was
burned and defaced by the British in
an attempt to destroy it, this chamber
was occupied as the hall Of representa-
tlves and again from 1919, when 1t
was restored, until 1857. when the
! lower house Of congress moved into
the chamber which It ~ occupies.
What stirring scenesy were enacted
here during these important years Of
our national history! 1t was here that
Madison was inaugurated president in
| 1909 and again in 1913. Here Monroe
was inaugurated for his second term in
| 1921, and here Fillmore took the oath
of Office on July 10. 1850, following the
death of President Tyler Here John
| Quincy Adams was chosen president
over Andrew Jackson in 1925, when
| the election was thrown into the house
of representatives and here as an aged
veteran he was stricken with his NOR
tai Illness in 1913 Here Henry Clay
presided with marked distinction as
speaker of the house of representatives
| IN the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth
and Eighteenth congresses Here Dan
lei Webster and later Abraham Linz
coin sat in turn as obscure representa-
tives, each before the day of his merS'
dian fame. Here occurred the stormy
debates incident to the war Of 1912 and
the war with Mexico and the prelimi-
nary struggle over the questions Of
to our civil war.
1t was of this chamber that Charles
Dickens wrote in his American
Notes. In 1912: ut is a beautiful and
spacious hall of semcircular shape,
supported by handsome pillars. One
part of the gallery is appropriated to
the ladies, and there they sit in front
rows and come in and go out as at
play or concert. The chair Is canopied
end raised considerably above the floor
of the house, and every member has an
easy chair and a writing desk to him.
self, which is denounced by some peo'
pie out of doors as most unfortunate
and injudicious arrangement, tending
to long sittings and prosaic speeches.
1t is an elegant chamber to look at, but
a slngularly bad one for all purposes
Of hearing"
Hanging conspicuously in the Cor
coran Art gallery there Is an old sketch
In oil of this chamber painted in 1929
by Samuel Il. B. Morse. The Morse
picture and the Dickens description
fully corroborate each other, and 1t
was with the view Of making the
chamber itself corroborate the paint
ing and pen picture that the recent
restorative work was done.
Work on the present restoration of
statuary hail, which is incidental to
the radical changes and Improvements
made in the capitol during the past
year. was begun Immediately after the
adjournment of congress in July last
and has progressed without Interrupt
ion until now. employing the skill Of
rcty artists under the direction of Jo-
81 4 Rakemann of Washington, who
org years ago assisted the famous
,aiian painter, Constantine Brumidi,
IN tie decoration of the rotunda and
lie senate corridors and committee
rooms. Following similar work done
last year in the supreme court cham