The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-27
ESTIMATE OF WHAT

gress in the history of the Govern
ment eve had a more picturesque
wind-up that the Fifty-ninth, it is
not remembered by the legislative
veterans. or by the oldest inhabit-
ants Of Washington. There always
have been happy speeches and songs,
and other things, which have come
to be taken as q matter Of course,
but Oh this occasion, Just as the
members of the House rose in their
places to sing, under the leadership
Of Representative Watson. Of Indi-
ana, the Republican whip, MY Coun-
try, IT'S Of Thee" every man pulled
a good-sized American flag from I'M
der his desk, unfurled it, and waved
it over his head. And as very few
of the $50 Representatives in Con-
gress were absent, the result was
picturesque and beautiful.
AS a result of strenuous work,
business was in pretty good shape.
Consequently there was plenty of
time for the usual formalities and
unusual informalities Of the closing
hours of the session and of the Con-
gress. In the lobby of the House
there was on view a massive smahog-
any chest containing an elaborate
silver table service Of over 800
pieces, the parting gift Of the mem
bers of the House in the Fifty-ninth
Congress to "The Sage of Athens,
the Ohio political wheelhorse," Cen
eral G~rosvenor.
The Senate, in the closing hours
Of the Fifty-ninth Congress, was the
centre of interest for hundreds of
persons, who filled every available
inch of space in the galleries and
overfowed all the corridors. The
attendance of Senators on the floor
represented about two-thirds the
membership of the upper ,. House.
President Rooseyelt's arrival at the
Senate wing was indicated when the
sergeant-at-arms summonedthe Vice
President from the rostrum, as the
hands of the clock touched eleven.
At the same time, the Presidents
daughter, Mrs. Longworth. came in
to the Presidents pew in the re-
served gallery.
Many Representatives came yer
from the House to look after pet
measures. They, too, sought Mr..
Spooner, to tell him how sorrow they
were that he Is to quit public life.
The occasion was not without its pa
thetic features. For example, Sena-
tor Berry, the one-legged Confeder-
ate who, for twenty years, has repre-
scented Arkansas, RAJ kept busy tell
ing his associates "Goodby." He
yields to jeff Davis. Others who
were enjoying their last hours of
legislative experience were Mr.. Mill
ard, the Omaha banker; Mr.. Dryden,
of New Jersey; MI. Alice, of Della
ware, and Mr.. Mulkey, the Oregon
bachelor who enjoyed the novel dis
tinction Of a months service.
On the Democratic side the outgo-
ing Senators, besides MI. Berry, Of
Arkansas, were Mr.. Dubois, of
Idaho; Mr.. Patterson, the Denver ed
itor. who gives way to Mr.. Guggen-
helm, of the smelter trust, and Mr..
Carmack, from Tennessee, who
yields his seat to Fiddling Bob Tay-
lor.
At 1905 o'clock the committee
to wait on the President
reported that the President had no
further communications to make to
the Senate. Then Mr.. Blackburn,
the Democratic leader, made a little
complimentary to Vice-Presi-
dent Fairbanks and offered a resolu-
ton thanking the Vice-President for
the impartial and fair manner in
he had presided over the up
per house. Senator Frye, president
pro tenn, took the chair and declared
the resolution carried unanimously.
A minute after he did so the tall
form of Mr.. Fairbanks assembled the
rostrum. In measured terms he de-
livered a brief speech and then de-
clared the Senate adjourned.
In the upper house Senator ALI
son and in the lower Representative
TaWney, of Minnesota, as chairmen
of the respective committees on ap-
preparations, made financial an
nouncements concerning the final
session. 1t was shown that, instead
Of facing a deficit in the Treasury at
the close of the fiscal year of 1908,
as once seemed imminent, there
would be a surplus of s2O,0O0,000
at that time. The total appropria-
lions at the present session Of Con-
gress aggregated apparently S919,-
9~48,679.63.
Norr D-,-e,r;oI-,e Cnraroop naod