Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-06
SHORT SESSION OF
61st CONGRESS OPENS.
Brief Sessions Of Both Houses, witt
More Than Usual Interest Manifest
Formally Observation-Disclosures.
dent Only Business Done.

| Washington Dec 5.-The closing
session of the 61st Congress opened at
moon today. No business was transact
| cd, both branches meeting merely to
appoint a joint committee to formally.
| appraise the President that the legis-
| ]ative branch of the government was
| ready to proceed to call the rolls of
members and to adjourn after adopting
| resolutions to the memory Of those
| members who had joined the vast ma
| jority since Congress last met.
The usual animation marked the
opening in both the Senate and House.
but the reunion of old legislative
| friends was tinged with sadness be-
cause of the heavy toll death had tax
| en- among their number in the last few
| months. In consequence the Senate was
| in session only a quarter hour While
| the House occupied 80 minutes of time
| before Speaker Cannon declared it ad
| journed until tomorrow. The members.
| like school boys released from a class
| room. then poured from the Capitol to
| face u binding snow storm that had
| set in with the dawn of the opening
| daN>
More than usual interest was mani
| Tested in the opening because of the
passing OF the balance of political pow
| or V it'll the end of the session. As q
! +, suit the galleries We're crowded with
visitors on the floor secretaries and
clerks whose positions give them the
! privilege of entering the chambers,
| lined tie walls.
Since adjournment last june there
| have been four deaths in the senate
| rial ranks. rendering it necessary to
make official announcement of each
case when the Senate convened. Vice
| President sherman was prompt in
making his appearance and brought
the Senate to order with a rap of his
2avCl just at noon. Immediately came
, the opening PRAYER bv DR.. Ulysses
Grant Pierce who referred to the UNI |
| usual number of deaths during the
recess. The roll call disclosed so SEN |
ators present. only eight failing to re-
| s1ord to their names.
Resolutions by Senators Hale and
| Cullom providing for the notification
of the House and the President re-
| spectively that the Senate was sitting
and prepared for business We're adopt
| ed before the Senate took cognZance
| of the work of the Grim Reaper. In
accordance with Mr.. Cullom'S reSoiu-
ton, the Illinois senator and Money
OF Mo. were appointed to await upon
the President. The secretary of the |
Senate was instructed to carry the
necessary information to the House
| The death announcements were made
| in the order of seniority and in each
| case by the colleague of the deceased
men. Senator Martin of Virginia broke
| the official news of the death of Sena
| tor Daniel of that state, Senator Bacon
! announced the demise of Senator Gay
| of Georgia; Senator Foster performed
| a like service in behalf of Senator
| McEnery of Louisiana and the series
closed with announcement of the death
of Senator Dolliver of Iowa by Sena
| tor Cummins of Iowa.
Resolutions expressing the profound
sorrow of the Senate over each of the
deaths were adopted, after which an
adjournment was taken out of respect
to the memory of the four men.
In the House the entrance of Rep. |
Champ Clark of Missouri caused as
much applause as did that of Speaker
Cannon. Mr.. Clark did not appear
upon the floor until after the chaplain
had concluded the opening prayer
| Called to order by Speaker Cannon
| nromptlv on the stroke of II, the
House remained in session long enough
ONLY to hear a prayer, the roll call tot
adopt resolutions of sympathy on the
death of Rep. Brownlow of Tennessee,
Foulkrod of Pennsylvania. Tirrell OF
achusetts. and Gilmore of Louisi-
ana. and the members of the other
House who have died since the ad-
iournmeiit of the previous session and
TO have the oath of office administer
Cd TO three new members. Represen-
tatiyes Tawney. Calderhead and Clark
were named by Speaker Cannon mem
hers of the Joint committee to call up
on the President and notify MN 'ha'
Congress had assembled
| The new members who entered upon
their duties We're John j. M1tcheii
of Massachusetts,, to succeed the iate
Charles 0. Tirrell. r. NJ. Lively, OF
Texas, to succeed Gordon Russell VINO
resigned to become federal judge
and T. D. Massey of Tennessee TO sue
coed the late w. p. Brownlow.
Worldwide arbitration to settle the
differences between nations was De
sought by Rev. Henry D. Cruden IN
lh;s onenine prayer in the House. The
cbanIain EXPRESSED the hope that as
g. ,nament of the worlds navies and
|armies might be brought about IN the
near future.
OF the 391 members of the House
LAS answered to their names at the
roll call. \
Fewer bills and resolutions were IN
ltroduced in the House today than Is
usual on the opening day OF Congress
but SO public bills and resolutions.
AS an outcrop of the House commls-
Ision investigation of Indian contracts.
IRurke of South Dakota. chalripan oi
L., :..oo ;,troduced n measure