Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01
LONG LABOR OF CONGRESS
RECORD OF 11s YEARS OF HARD
WORK.
Extra Sessions From the Beginning.
Blaine's Eight Terms
as Speaker.

| Since the first. Congress met in 1889
lis years ago. there have been 1874
sessions of the national body of law
makers. There have been 119 regular
| and 10 extra sessions; 80 different
Speakers and Speakers pro tempore and
70 clerks. The longest regular sitting
| was the first session of the Fiftieth
Congress, which met December 5, 1887
| and adjourned October 20. 1885, a Pc
| Rod of 321 days. Other long sessions
were the first of the Fifty-ffrst Con-
| gress, 304 days, and the first Of the
Thirty-first. 3o2 days.
The second regular sessions of each
Congress are always short, both houses
| assembling according to law On the
first Monday in December and adjourn
ing by Limitation on the 4th of the
| following March. These sessions last
from ninety to ninety-f1ve days. Aside
| from these the shortest ever held was
the first session of the Thirteenth Con
gress. which covered 1874 days and came
Immediately after an extra session
Other notably short sessions were dur
ing the Fifteenth Congress, al days:
the Fifty-eighth, IA days; the Four
teenth. 14S' days; the Eleventh. 1876
days, and the Fifty-fifth, 1874 days.
Extra Sessions.
Extra sessions are as old as Congress
itself. the first having been called to-
gether January 4. 1870, a little over
three months after the first session
ever held came to close Next came
the extra session of the Fifth Con-
gress. then others during the Eleventh
and Thirteenth, after which there was
lapse of twenty-four years before it
was deemed necessary to meet more
than twice in two years. The next
extra session came with the Thirty
fourth Congress. nearly fifteen years
later. Others were during the Thirty
seventh, Fortieth, Forty-firSt, Forty
fifth. Forty-sixth, Fifty-third, Fifty
fifth and Fifty-eighth Congresses.
the First Congress. and continued POI
days The next was a part of the
Fifty-ffth Congress, and lasted 142
days. The shortest was of ten days
duration; during the life of the Thirty
fourth Congress. Altogether Congress
has. since its beginning, been in extra
session 1,OS5 days, or about three years.
Speakers States.
Only seventeen states have furnished
Speakers of the House of Representa-
tives. Pennsylvania leads with five,
Massachusetts, Virginia and Kentucky
coming next. with four each. Other
oSdeCS nave UceH represented as 1Ol-
lows: New York. three; Indiana, three;
Tennessee. two; New Jersey, two
Georgia, two; Maine, two; South Caro-
lima, two; and Connecticut, Maryland
North Carolina, Ohio. Iowa and Illinois
have each sent a man to the Speakers
chair.
James G. Blaine of Maine was Speaker
for eight sessions-longer than any
other man ever presided over the de-
liberations of the House. Schuyler Col
% Al
pied the Speakers chair for seven .ses-
sions. John Bell of Tennessee was
Speaker for ninety-three days, having
been elected to fill the unexpired term
of Andrew Stevenson of Virginia. Mr.
Bells term is the shortest on record
Only two Speakers resigned-Ienry
Clay and Andrew Stevenson. Mr.. Clay
sent in his resignation by mail October
20. 1870. during a recess. and was sue
ceeded by John w. Taylor of New York
Mr.. Stevenson resigned June 2. 1884,
and was succeeded by John Bell.
Clerks of the House.
Twenty-Five clerks have seen service
In the House of Representatives since
the creation of Congress. Nine states
have furnished them, and Pennsylvania
leads, as she does in the natter of
speakers. Ten of the clerks came from
the Keystone state; Kentucky, Virginia
and Tennessee have each three to their
credit: Illinois has sent two, and Mary
land, Ohio. Missouri and New Hamp-
shire one each.
A Pennsylvania Edward Mcpherson,
served longer than any Of the others
eighteen sessions, fifteen of which were
consecutive. Mr.. Mcpherson was first
elected in December. 1858, and served
until March, 1875. when he was dis
placed. owing to change in the po-
litical complexion of the House with
the return of republican majority
he was reelected to his old position
in December. 1881.