Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-04
10 Business Was Transacted Pending Its
Receipt and Reading,
NO RESOLUTIONS ON NEGRO TROOPS
Fenrose and Foraker ASK for Information
Regarding Discharge Of Battalion.
FAMILIAR FACES MISSING IN HOUSE
work of Grim Reaper During Recess
is Referred to by Chaplain Condor
COMMITTEE 60 wait on
President.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The Fifty-ninth
congress began its last session at noon to-
day. II took the senate fifteen minutes to
arrange its preliminaries and the house al
hour. The senate received from President
Roosevelt a long list Of appointments for
it's confirmation and in an executive ses-
sion OF nineteen minutes decided that as
the nominations had been received before
the body had been organized formally to
make no combinations until the presidents
annual message had been received and the
session fairly started.
Senators Penrose OF Pennsylvania and
Foraker of Ohio came forward with reso-
lutions Of inquiry regarding the discharge
/ Of the negro troops Of the Twenty-hfth in
fantry. one was addressed to the presi-
dent and the other to the secretary of war
After the ripple Of surprise had passed and
V.co President Fairbanks had suggested
that it was unusual to transact any busl-
ness until the presidents message had been
! received the resolutions went over with
| unanimous consent. Senator Dupont Of
/ Delaware took the oath Of office.
! The opening of the two houses was wit
messed by an animated throng which filled
/ the galleries to their capacity. Hundreds
went away disappointed in not gaining ad-
mission to witness the session OF either
senate or house.
Not in years has a larger number Of
members-elect OF the lower house Of con-
gress presented themselves at the speak
er's desk to take the oath Of Office Death
has been unusually active among the mem
bership during the closing days Of the last
session and the beginning Of the present
and Chaplain Couden feelingly called the
attention Of the body to the work of the
grim reaper during the months since ad-
| journment.
Speaker Cannon appointed Representative
James r. Mann Of Illinois as a member OF
the board Of regents OF the Smithsonian
Institute vice Robert r, Hott of illinois,
deceased.
The galleries of the house were crowded
at an early hour The absence of flowers
from the desks OF the members was much
commented on, but the order Of the speaker
prohibiting the floral display was generally
commended for its good sense similar
rule was made in the senate two years ago.
Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, daughter of
the president occupied seat I'm the execu-
tive gallery, accompanied by Miss Hagner.
the social secretary Of the wife OF tie
president
The routine work of the house incident
to the opening day was quickly despatched.
the roll call showing nearly 300 members
present
Representative Bourke Cochran Of New
York who recently married Miss Ide, was
the subject OF hearty laughter when his
personal request that he be permitted to
absent himself for an indefinite period on
account Of business was laid before the
house by the speaker
After the appointment of the usual COM
mittee TO wait on the president and in
form him that the house was organized and
ready to receive any communication he
might desire to make of interest TO the
public service the house adjourned out OF
respect to the memory of the deceased
members
President Roosevelt's message will be re-
ceived both In the house and senate to-
morrow. No bills were introduced in the
senate. In the house there were thirty
eight public measures and $50 OF a private
character.