The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-25
s|XT|ETH CONGRESS MEETS
Cannon Re- elected Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
Members Draw For Seats-Adjonrn-
ments of Both Senate and House
on Account CT Deaths.

Washington, d. C-The meeting
| of the Sixtieth Congress resembled
social function rather than the as
sembling for the transaction of i'm
portant business of the country. So
| great was the demand for an oppor-
| tunity to see the National Legislature
started in it's work that the galleries
of the House were reserved for the
| families and friends of members, with
| very few places left for the general
public. In the Senate the same con-
dition prevailed, except that large
| space was kept for those who came
without tickets.
Early in the day the Capitol was
| filled with spectators, and In all the
corridors leading to the gallery en-
frances there were lines Of men and
women extending for long distances,
and many of these people stood for
hours in a vain hope of gaining ad-
mission as the more fortunate should
become wearied and give up their
places.
In each of the houses it was known
beforehand that the session would be
| short and the business confined to the
adoption of formal resolutions notify
ing the President that Congress had
assembled, the swearing in new Sena-
tors and Representatives, and other
acts that always accompany the Or
ganization of a new Congress.
Speaker Cannon Reelected.
The new House of Representatives
was called to order at noon by Mr..
Mcdowell, the clerk Chaplain Cou-
don offered prayer, after which the
roll was called. The roll call occu-
pied twenty minutes, and showed 365
members present.
Amid great applause on the Re-
publican side, Representative Hep
burn, of Iowa, nominated Joseph G..
Cannon, of Illinois, for Speaker.
Equally demonstrative were the DEM
ocrats when Representative Clayton
put in nomination John Sharpe Will
Jams, of Mississippi. Mr.. Cannon was
elected Speaker, receiving 2O7 votes.
Mr.. Williams received 154.
After Speaker Cannon had been re-
elected a committee, consisting OF
Representative Williams, James, of
Kentucky, and Sulloway, New Hamp-
shire, was appointed to bring him
into the House. Amid thunderous
applause, in which Republicans and
Democrats alike joined, Mr.. Cannon
was escorted down the central aisle
to his chair. In brief speech, Rep
resentative Williams presented him
to the House, and Speaker Cannon
made an address.
The Senate proceedings were
opened with prayer by the Rev Ed
ward Everett Hale, chaplain. Sena-
tor La Toilette was the first Senator
to be recognized, and presented the
son, of Wisconsin.
4 The Vice-President ordered that
the roll of Senators-elect be called al
phabetically, and they were sworn in
by fours, being escorted to the desk
by their colleagues. All of the Sena-
tors-elect were present in the cham
ber except Senator Bankhead, of Ala
bama, who is detained at his home by
illness. Under the form observed by
the Senate neither Senator Bank
head nor Senator Johnston could be
sworn in until the deaths of Senators
Morgan and Pettus had been an
nounced.
Messrs. Robert L. Owen and T. P.
Gore, of Oklahoma, not having been
elected to the Senate by their Legis-
lature, were not received by the Sem
ate, and their credentials will not be
accepted until after their formal elec-
ton on the 10th inst.
Resolutions providing for COM
mittee to inform the President that
Congress had assembled and is ready
to receive any communication he may
be pleased to make were adopted,
and Senators Allison and Teller were
designated to wait upon tie President.
Senator Teller then offered resolu-
tions of respect to the memory OF the
late Senators Morgan and Pettus, of
Alabama, and they were adopted and
the Senate adjourned.