The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-17
THE OPENING
DAY Of CONGRESS

tConunuca from Page -
being most complimentary to the new
~ elected speaker
The fact that % Speaker was to Doe
elected and that this was the first ses-
sion " "a new Congress added TO the
interest that usually attaches To- an
opening day. Long before noon. when
the gavel fen the galleries were filled,
the ladies being largely In the ma
jority Many more were disappointed.
holders Of cards OF admission even be-
ing among this number
The Democrats today rallied around
new leader Williams of Mississippi
having been chosen TO take the place
OF Richardson Of Tennessee. who rec
tired from the leadership of the mi
nority.
Promptly at noon Clerk of the House
Alexander Mcdowell called the House
to order. A call of the roll by states
developed a quorum and the clerk
called for nominations for Speaker.
Cannon was formally named and Hay
of Virginia, chairman Of the Demo-
cratic caucus, named Williams of Mis-
sissippi As the call proceeded ii was
noted that the old members generally
occupied their former seats, while new
members occupied those made vacant.
The red carnation was much in evil
dence on the Republican side, fully
one third of the members of the ma
jority side wearing the blossom on
coat lapels.
When the vote for Speaker was taken
it was found that Cannon had received
1873 votes and Williams 1876, Cannon be-
ing declared duly elected as Speaker
of the House.
Williams of Mississippi and Grosve-
nor of Ohio were appointed COM
mittee to notify Cannon of his cleo
ton and to escort him to the Speakers
chair. Williams introduced Cannon.
Cannon in a brief response said:
II appreciate the honor you confer in
choosing me as the presiding officer
of the House. After twenty-eight
years service in the House such an
expression of your confidence touches
me profoundly. | thank you. If l err
in the performance of duties of office
it will be an error of the head, not
of the heart. In the performance of
the duties of Speaker I bespeak the
kindly cooperation of each member
of the House. l am ready to take the
oath of office"
Bingham of Pennsylvania, upon
whom falls the titular honor of father
of the House." in accordance with
custom, administered the oath to the
Speaker The members were then
sworn in by Canon. Following this,
resolution was adopted re-electing
the old officers of the House. Com
mittees were appointed to notify the
President and Senate that the House
was ready or business.
Dazell of Pennsylvania offered the
resolution adopted in the Republican
Fifty-seventh Congress be adopted for
the Fifty-eighth, with the addition
that the Committee on Industrial
Arts and Exposition be made a stand
ing committee and increased to fifteen
members.
Williams of Mississippi said that the
minority should have a larger repre-
sentation on the committees than now
provided, saying that when their re-
presentation was reduced it was eX-
planned to have been due to the fact
that the Democratic membership had
been decreased. Now, he said, it has
been increased. and he hoped that the
majority would grant the request.
on demand, the ayes and noes were
called, the resolution being agreed to
by a vote of 19l to 165.
The biennial lottery for seats was
begun at - o'clock. When most of
the members had drawn seats, mes
sengers began bringing in the floral
tributes and placing them on the
desks, but the confusion resulting
from applause caused the Speaker to
direct that no more be brought in.
Some of those brought in We're most
elaborate. One piece, made to repre-
sent a locomotive, amid laughter was
placed on the desk of Baker of New
York, who offered a resolution in the
Democratic caucus proposing that De-
mocratic members do not accept favors
or passes from railroads.
The preliminaries incident to or
ganization and seating of members
having been disposed of, Hit of Illi-
nois, who has been chairman of the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the
House, offered a resolution asking the
President for papers bearing on the
Panama affair.
WASHINGTON, November with
the galleries crowded, with the cham
Der a mass of elaborate floral tributes
and nearly every Senator in his seat
the gavel of President pro tenn Frye
sounded at noon today, calling the
Senate together in the second extra
ordinary session of the fty-eighth
Congress.
Hoar and German were appointed
by the House to inform the President
Congress had organized and was ready
10 receive any communication he had
to make.
A resolution offered by Cullom fix.
ing IL o'clock noon as the hour Of
converting daily was adopted, after
which the Senate adjourned.