The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-12-05
SIXT|ETH CONGRESS
IS NOW IN SESSION
BOTH HOUSES ARE CONVENED AT
NOON TODAY.
MESSAGE COMES TOMORROW
Committee Appointed to Notify Pres
ident the Assembly is Ready For
Observation-Disclosures
is Again Speaker.

IS again speaker.
Washington, d. c., Dec. 1.-THE Six
tieth Congress assembled at noon to
day. Long before the gavels fell in
the senate and house stream of PEG
pie had filled the galleries and over
Hooded into the corridors. Admission
was by card only. For days visitors
in some cases, almost threatened con,
gressmen and senators for pasteboards
The procedure in the senate was
formal and brief. In the house the en-
tire membership had to be sworn in.
Speaker Cannon and other officers Sc.
lected and seats assigned. In the up
per house Fairbanks presided, the or.
ganization of the senate being continu.
Gus. Rev. Edward Everett Hale,
chaplain, offered prayer, the roll was
called and Fairbanks announced q
quorum present. The swearing in of
the newly elected followed, after which
Senator Hale, master of ceremonies,
offered the usual resolution directing
the appointment OF committee to
act with house committee to inform
Roosevelt congress was assembled and
prepared to receive communications,
The committee win not report until to
morrow.
Senator Allison of Iowa was named
as the senate member of the commit
tee.
Then another resolution was adopt,
ed informing the unsuspecting house
the senate was ready to go to work.
One more resolution was needed tc
start the legislative machinery. Reso
lutions were then offered officially in.
forming the senate of the deaths OF
Senators Pettus and Morgan, of Ala
bama, and out of respect of their mem
cries adjournment was taken.
The bulk of the crowd besieged the
house, where the procedure was more
spectacular Alexander Mcdowell
clerk of the house, called the body to
order. In the presidential gallery was
Mrs Longworth, her mother Mrs,
Roosevelt, and sister, Ethel. The
blind chaplain, Henry Condor, offered
prayer, the roll was called by states
and a quorum found present. The
question of who would be chosen
speaker was placed before the house.
Col. Pete" Hepburn, chairman Of
the republican caucus, which had de
cided upon Uncle Joe" as successor
to himself, nominated the Illinois
member. The chairman of the demo
crat caucus placed John Sharp vii
liams, minority leader, before the
house as the proper man to be speak.
er. Cannon walked in walk. He
was not present when elected.
When he was appeared he was greet
ed with an outburst of applause. Will
liams introduced Cannon to the house
as the man who win be and deserves
to be its speaker" The speaker
brought the gavel down with his left
hand He stood with his right uplift.
ed as Ben Bingham, father OF the
house." having the longest continuous
term of service to his record, ad.
vaneed and administered the oath OF
Office. Then the usual photograph was
taken. Cannon made a short speech.
The new members were then sworn in.
Next came the'selection Of minor Of
ficers. Both parties had their slate,
Williams started the first scrap by tell.
ing the new republican members that
the rules were arrogant and harmful
and should not be adopted for more
than thirty days. Despite the warning
the rules were adopted Then came
the biennial lottery-the drawing OF
seats.
Marbles bearing numbers we're
drawn one by one from box by a
page. biindfolded. The member hold.
ing the number corresponding with the
one drawn from the box was given
that seat.
Bryan got the first applause from
the house. Representative James, OF
Kentucky, steered Bryan onto the
floor. After he was escorted to the
chair Speaker Cannon said: This
house is the only institution under
the constitution where the will of the
people is expressed with a fair, APP
Proclamation TO scientific accuracy.