St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-05-22

supreme court of the United States,
the circuit court of the district. the
clerk, marshal, grand and petit juries
had apartments.
When, in the summer of 1900, the
government located at Washington,
with John Adams at the head, the
work on the capitol had been in
progress some years, the foundations
in, the walls of the south wing built
up few feet, and the work on the
north wing so far advanced that
| November II the second session of the
Sixth congress was convened therein.
| There were but 81 senators and less
| than $50 representatives. Mr.. JefRer-
son was vice-president; Gen. John E.
| Howard of Maryland, president pro
TEN. of the senate; Theodore Sedge-
wick of Massachusetts, speaker of the
house; S. A. Otis of Massachusetts,
secretary of the senate, and ]. w.
Condy of Pennsylvania, until Decem-
Der 3, 1900, and John Beckley of Vir-
ginia, until 1907, clerks of the house.
| The senate was permanently in this
wing, but not always in one. and the
case was the same with the house. In
January, 1901, the courts, with their
clerks and the marshal, moved into
the lower rooms, and in 1902 the first
case of murder was tried there, that
Of McGirk for the murder of his wife,
for which he was hanged near where
the Botanic Garden is now.
This was more than ordinary con-
gress, inasmuch as for the first time it
became necessary for the house to de-
eide the presidential contest, there
having been tie on the electoral vote
between Mr. Adams and Mr.. Jefferson,
and in the house the latter was
chosen. There was much other i'm
portant business relating to foreign
relations, Indian affairs, etc, and
from then till each house became set
tied in it's chamber the members
made the, best of their surroundings,
legislating amid the noise, dust and
the other customary Accomplishments
of building operations.
The south wing was covered in
1S06-07, and on October 26 following
the house in the first session of the
Tenth congress was there convened,
Gen. Varnum being the speaker, though
the chamber was not completed. 1t
was discovered at once that there was
SO much echo as to render it difficult
to conduct business, but this was par
TALLY overcome by the hanging of
draperies. Thus the whispering
stones" to which capitol guides are
wont to take strangers, now that the
walls are bare of drapery, are ac-
counted for; the discovery was then
made. In the north wing, after the
house in 1907 had vacated the library,
it was taken by the senate, and the
work in the senate chamber, as well
as on the rooms occupied by the
courts, was completed. The senate, in
the meantime, occupied the library,
but February 10, 1910, it was again in
its chamber. In 1911 both wings were
reported substantially complete, but
subsequently appropriations were
made for finishing the north wing.
Thus stood the capitol at the time
of the invasion by the British, August
%, 1914; two wings covered in and oc-
cupied, and across the foundation of
the center building, laid before 1903,
was an inclosed walk connecting the
two. After the war, while congress
occupied temporary quarters, the
damage was repaired and the central
building erected, being finished about
1928.