The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-11-29
INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT CONGRESS
SOME POINTS OF HISTORY IN
ITS CAREER OF t1S
YEARS.


lls years ago. there have been 1874
sessions of the national body of law
makers. There have been 119 regu-
lar and fifteen extra sessions; 80
speakers and speakers pro tempore,
and rs clerks. The longest regular
sitting was the first session Of the
.iftieth congress, which met Dec. ..
1897. and adjourned Oct. 20, 1888, a
period of 321 days. Other long $685.
sions were the first of the fifty-n.st
congress, 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
adjourning by limitation on the 4th
of the following March. These ses-
sions last from ninety to ninety-hve
days. Aside from these the shortest
ever held was the first session of the
thirteenth congress, which covered
1874 days and came Immediately after
The extra session. Other notably
short sessions were during the ilf-
teenth congress. 141 days; the fifty
eighth, la days; the fourteenth, AS
days; the eleventh, 156 days. and the
ffty-fifth, 1874 days.
Extra sessions are as old as congress /,
itself, the first having been called to-
gether Jan 4, 1890, little over three !
months after the first session ever |
nold came TO a close. Next came the |
extra session of the fifth congress.
then others, during the eleventh and |
after which there was a |
lapse of twenty-four years before it /
was deemed necessary to me4. 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-sev-
snth, fortieth, forty-frst, forty-sixth,
ifty-third, fifty-ffth and fifty-eighth
congresses.
The longest extra session was dur
ng the first congress and continued
,21 days. The next was a part Of the
ifty.fifth congress and lasted 142 days.
rhe shortest was of ten days dura-
ion. during the life Of the thirty
ourth congress. Altogether congress
las, since it's beginning, been in ex-
ra session 1885 days. or about three
ears.
Only seventeen states have fur.
ished speakers Of the house OF rep-f
Pennsylvania leads
nth 5, Massachusetts,, Virginia and !
coming next with 4 each:
,ther states have been represented
5 follows: New York, 8; Indiana, g.
ennessee, Q New Jersey, 2; Georgia,
Maine. 2: South Carolina, 2. and
Maryland, North Caro-
ma Ohio, Iowa and Illinois have sent
man to the speakers chair.
James G. Blaine OF Maine was A
Ieaker for eight sessions-longer 7
ian any other man ever presided over ;,
e deliberations OF the house. Schuy- !,
r Colfax and Samuel j. Randall each .,
coupled the speakers chair for seven q,
ssions. John Bell OF Tennessee was =,
eaker for 90 days, having been cleo :,
a to fill the unexpired term of An =,
ew Stevenson OF Virginia. Mr. a,
,lrs term is the shortest on record. 10
Only two speakers resigned-Henry 70
nv and Andrew Stevenson. Mr..
ny sent In his resignation by mail. A,
1. 20. 1920, during recess, and er
IS succeeded by John w. Taylor OF q
w York. Mr.. Stevenson resigned ~
ne 2. 1884, and was succeeded by an
In Bell--BrookIyu Eagle. NJ,