The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-12-08
A BRILLIANT SCENE
Flowers and Fair Women Ad-
ded Luster to the Occa-
sion-Opening Ses-
sion Very Brief.

A Washington special says: With
the senate in session thirteen miR~tes
and the house fifry-three minutes, the
! last session of the fifty-eighth coll
eTess was assembled Monday at noon.
! THE time Of both bodies was devoted
s entirely to the usual formalities Of
ppening day. There were the greet
ings between members the great floral
display, and the hundreds of visitors,
with beautifully gowned women pre-
! dominating, corridors, committee
rooms were thronged. The hustle ex-
tended even to the floors of the cham
bers.
. The gavels of Senator Frye, presi-
dent pro tenn. of the senate, and Speak
.aer Cannon, of the house, fell exactly
mt II o'clock. The opening prayers
were made by the chaplains, Rev. Ed
ward Everett Hale, D. D., in the SEN
I ate and Rev. H. N. Couden, in the
house. In both house and senate COM
lnittees were appointed to wait on the
president to inform him that congress
was ready to receive any communica-
don he had to send. Resolutions of
respect to. the memory Of the late
s Senator Hoar, Of Massachusetts, and
Senator Quay, of Pennsylvania were
adopted by both houses, and the OBJ
jections taken were in further tribute
TO their memory.
5 The only business outside Of the U.s.
ual frst-day routine was the adoption
= of a resolution in the house extending
until January 5, 1905, the time within
which the merchant marine commits
sion may make its report.
The opening was under the usual
interesting conditions and amid those
scenes that for years have made the
re-assembling of congress among the
notable events Of the country.
Hundreds of sightseers thronged the
corridors and crowded into the CALLER
les to witness the formal proceedings.
From one end of the capitol building
! to the other busy tread of statesmen
and the flutter of femininity distin-
guished the occasion from any other
IN the: official or social calendar of the
year.
From the lethargy which has char
acterized Washington since early in
the spring, the city awakened to a
/ new era and heralded with apparen;
JOY the day which opens both the OF.
fetal and social seasons.
Many newly-elected members were
at the capital, although they will not
enter office until after March 4th.
A particularly sad feature of the re-
assembling was the absence Of kindly
faces grown old in the service of the
country.
The galleries, rather than tie floor,
proved the center of attraction, for
rows upon rows Of handsomely gown
cd women looked down upon the
statesmen who grouped about the
chamber or strolled in and out of the
cloak rooms to exchange greetings
with old friends or to recognize new
ones.
Many members Of both bodies were
flooded with "reminiscences in the form
of floral pieces and the chambers pre-
scented an appearance which they new
er know on any other occasion. Bas-
. kets ana clusters Of bright roses,
. chrysanthemums and other fall fow-
ers covered the desks. Though rain
and sleet fell during the entire morn
ing, these discomforts were INSULT
cient to mar the success of the event.
For an hour or more preceding the
calling of the house to order by
Speaker Cannon, the members slowly
fled into the chamber and'texchanged