The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-26
Gavels in Both Houses
Fall Last Time at
II O'clock.
CLOSING HOURS
SERIOU S ONES
Senator Cores Charge Of At<
tempted Bribery Receives At
tention, and Committees Are
Appointed in Both
Branches to Make In
vestigation in Vacation.

Washington. June 25.-President
Taft walked out OF the Capitol at IL
o'clock tonight. smiling.
The second session of the Sixty-frst
Congress had Just adjourned. and he
had signed practically all matters Of
Legislation that had been placed before
him. He received ngratulationa
from the Cabinet and from members OF
both branches of Congress upon the
successful passage of most of his pet
measures. Mr. Taft shook hands all
around and continued to smile.
The clock in the Presidents room
was Ginning the eleventh hour when
the Senate bell rang four times, sig
Mailing the final adjournment of the
session. Without the loss of a mo-
ment the President, followed by his
| retinue of Cabinet members and as
| sistants. left the building.
The last measure signed was joint
resolution to authorize the Secretary
/ of War to loan tents to the Appalach-
ian Exposition to be held In Knoxville.
| Tenn, In September, which Mr.. Taft
! expects to attend.
| Each house in Congress tonight
marked its closing hour by voting for
an investigation of the McMurray Indian
contracts. Instead of the usual scene OF
IVcomparta>tively undignifed relaxation
both houses devoted exceedingly seri-
Gus attention to the charges of attempt
ed bribery and other forms of improper
influence made in the Senate yesterday
| by Senator Gore, of oklahoma, and sub
sequently in the House by Representa-
tive Murphy, OF Missouri.
TWO Investigations.
Two separate Investigations are pros
vided for--one in each house. Each
| mas cro
4 select committee of five members to
pursue the inquiry to the bottom dur
ing the recess of Congress, and to re-
j port whether any of its members are.
/ or have been interested in any of these
contracts. Until late hour in the day.
| II looked rather as the matter would
| so by default, but as soon as the two
| houses reconvened at . o'clock tonight,
| after recess in the afternoon, the
matter came up with rush, and crowd
ed galleries listened with intense inter-
est to the proceedings, which ended In
the vote to probe the charges
During the proceeding In the Sem
ate. in the Marble Room" adjoining
i the Senate chamber, We're Ex-Senators
| Long. OF Kansas. and Thurston. of
| Nebraska. who have been mentioned
in connection with the Indian con-
tract matter, as we'll as Attorney j.
i F. McMurray, of McAlester. Okla,
whom Senator Gore named as the
principal owner of the Indian con-
tracts in question,
Speaker Cannon appointed the fol-
/ lowing committee to conduct the
i House Investigation: Messrs. Burke,
i South Dakota, chairman; Campbell.
! of Kansas; Miller of Minnesota:
A Stephens, of Texas and Saunders. of
1 Virginia.
i Vice President sherman announced
Il the following committee to conduct
the Senate investigation: Senator's
Jones of Washington; Burton, of
4 Ohio; Crawford of South Dakota:
Hughes. of Colorado, and Percy. Of
Mississippi
! Galleries Crowded.
Eleven o'clock was the hour set tor
! the adjournment of the session; all
. the evening the Capitol corridors and
D galleries We're crowded with specta-
tors.
Aside from the serious atmosphere
surrounding the passage of the investi-
cation resolutions. the place wore this
usual aspect of adjournment tonight.
President Taft arrived at the Capito.
about 10 o'clock, accompanied. by six
members of his Cabinet. They Went
, to the Presidents room, where the Chief
Executive stood by to act upon moro
:, important bills coming to him from the
two houses.
The closing procedure was as usual.
There were the usual committees of no.
II LITIGATION from each house to the other.
end from both to the President. and the
| usual farewells
The gavels of the presiding officers
e fell at Approximately the agreed hour.
and the first regular session, the long
i session"--well named, seven months
of the ty-tirst Congress was at an
~ nd