Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-05
ENATE ADJOURNs IN TWENTY MINUTES
Allison and Morgan Appointed to Notify
President Of Organization.
CANNON ELECTED SPEAKER OF HOUSE
Rules Of Last Congress Are Adopted After
Short Debats
COMMITTEES ON RULES AND MILEAGE
Both Houses Adjourn ont Of
Respect for Memory of Members
who Died During the
Recess.

WASHINGTON. Dec 4.-The assembling
| today of the members OF the ffty-ninth
congress for their first session was marked
by no unusual Incidents but 1t attracted
to the capitol crowds of spectators. who
took a lively interest in the proceedings.
The day was perfect The sun shone
brightly and the air was keen. Society
was out in force and filled the reserved
galleries, while visitors unable to find seats
roamed the corridors to catch glmpses of
public men. In the senate the proceedings
were brief, but most of the spectators
seemed to find quite as much to interest
them in observing the senators who
| manned on the floor after adjournment
they could have experienced had the ses-
sion continued longer.
| The house was in session for more than
| three hours. and while the proceedings
| followed the program that has marked the
| opening of congress for many years. there
was enough of interest to hold an eXcep-
| tionally large audience during the entire
time.
One noticeable feature was the absence Of
| flowers which heretofore have been COM
! mon to both chambers. On opening days
the display had been so great that this
! exhibition alone would have been sufficient
to draw great crowds, and the absence
| of floral tributes, due to a resolution
adopted unanimously by the senate and
to an order of the speaker In the house,
robbed the occasion of much Of its pic
! turesqueness
During the sessions senators and repre-
sentatves visited the galleries and chatted
| with friends.
Senators Allison and Morgan were ap-
pointed by Vice President Fairbanks as
committee to notify the president that con
gress was ready for any communication
! he desired to make. The senate was in
session only twenty minutes. Senators
Aldrich of Rhoade Island. Knox of Penn
sylvania, Warner of Missouri and Frazier
of Tennessee took the oath of Office and
an adjournment was taken as a mark OF
respect to the late Senator Plat of Con-
necticut.
Organization of the House.
q The preiimiAaFy, stays TO aorganization
were taken by the house. Joseph q. Can
non of Illinois was reelected speaker, the
members of the house took the oath Of
office. the officers and floor employees of
the body were reelected the rules of the
last congress were adopted and members
went through the formality of drawing
for seats, all of which was enlivened by
the presence of crowds in the galleries,
the animation of the reunion of veteran
members and interest of new ones
In a brief speech against the adoption of
the rules the minority leader, Mr.. Williams
of Missouri touched on the interest of the
country in tarif1 legislation and told of the
new republican Ideas which were being
waited TO Washington on breeEes from
every part of the country" These, he
said. might be properly legislated for
I.la he a., .tV tl,ar 49,.
stand with the democratic members in
, opposing the adoption of the old rules and
T forming new ones, which would permit
r consideration of such legislation as popu-
lar opinion might dictate.
, A committee was appointed to act with
3 the senate committee in notifying Presi-
) dent Roosevelt that congress was ready to
transact business the rules committee and
I the committee on mileage were appointed
9 and the house adjourned. after session
G which lasted three and half hours. in
|, compliance with resolutions announcing the
} death of Senator Plat OF Connecticut and
Representative Marsh of Illinois.
House Called 10 order.
> For an hour preceding the opening OF
| the F'ifty-ninth congress there were scenes
of increasing animation on the floor and
In the galleries of the house OF representa-
| tiVes.
Legislative veterans exchanged cordial
+ greetings and newly elected members made
= acquaintances. AS early as 10 o'clock the
$ galleries began TO NIL. Admission was by
card only and the many who came to the
h capitol unprovided thronged the corridors
& in vain efforts to gain admission.
!, Both republican and democratic rooms
e were places OF animated discussion. Ever
l. before recess prospective legislation was
s discussed.
. An index to the business OF the session
e was the industry Of members in introducing
a bills As many as 100 public bills hav,
d been placed in the basket on the clerk
l. desk before II o'clock
IT Speaker Cannon arrived I'm his Office earlS
e and for an hour and half before the ses
sion began he held an enthusiastic recep
ton in his office adjoining the hall OF tbs
house Members Of both political parties
went to sec him and extend congratula
e tions. Half hour before noon there wal
not an empty scat in the galleries and lonl
lines had formed in the corridors.
Exactly at noon Major Alexander Nc
Dowell clerk of he house, called the bod!
~ Z 60 order standing 10 his place directly q
N front of the speakers chair. which WA
Dr. vacant The fall Of the gavel marked th'
H. beginning Of the Fifty-ninth congress.
n Cannon Is Named.
of Declaring the house in order he an
ID nounced prayer by the chaplain, Rev Dr
Henry Coudru. The invocation cofnpre
hended review OF the peaceful and pros
g. porous condition Of the nation, plea 20
g. patriotic and wise legislat tion and con
- eIuded with u repetition OF the Lord
prayer \ roll call ~ states to show III
W presence Of quorum was at once begun
A large number Of members was present
every scat on the republican side OF tn
or han being occupied, but with few vacan
n. seats on the democratic side. Al the con
~ clusion OF the roll cali Clerk McDowel
r.. announced 26l members present. quorum
of the Fifty-uinth congress. Consent wa
~ obiected 10 at this stage in the proceed
~ ings to place tho name OF Reproscntatlv
Na-sb,U ~. ~ on tho roll Speak