Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-04
FIRST TRIED IN YEAR 1859
Project Abandoned by Vote of Mem
bers the Following Year.
MEMORABLE SCENES RECALLED
Sessions Necessarily Held Outside
the Capitol Building Following
the British Invasion.

lresentatives, as also the proposed change
in the manner of seating the member
ship, recall much interesting history Of
the lower house. Although that body is
now in but its second permanent hall,
some sessions have been held elsewhere
and while In the first permanent cham
Der, now Statuary Hall. it had a series
Of experiences which has seldom fallen
to the lot Of a deliberative body. For
here, under vaulted dome, nat ceiling OF
glass and plaster and canvas covering.
such men as Henry Clay. James *. Polk,
John c. Calhoun, William Writ, John
Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, John
Randolph and others engaged in the STIR
ring debates which made their names ia
nous in history. And the propositions ad-
vanced by Supt. Woods Of contracting
the size of the hall and substituting
benches for the desks of members after
the manner of the English house of lords,
is not new.
When the Capitol building was under
construction, the time set for the removal
of the government offices to this city
rolled around before the needful accom-
| modations were provided. The work on
the north or Senate wing of the old build
ing was so far advanced that there was
| room for both the Senate and the House
of Representatives. The first had thirty
two members under Thomas Jefferson
and the latter 1O5, with Speaker Theodore
Sedgwick. Both of these bodies assem-
bled there in december. 1900.
Ready for Tenth Congress.
What is now Statuary Hall was then
being erected as the House of Repre-
sentatives, and it was ready at the open
ing of the Tenth Congress-, which was
called together on October 6. 1907, by
President Jefferson, because Of the for
eign interference with our commerce.
Joseph B. Varnum Of Massachusetts was
then Speaker, and Patrick Magruder. who
had been a representative of Maryland.
was elected clerk. There were then al
representatives. Within a few days after
converting of Congress it was found that
the hall was not a success acoustically
and that the ventilation was imperfect.
SO that during that session there were
many criticisms on these defects.
On this subject j. II. Latrobe, the sur
veyor OF the public building, wrote: In
every large room the great average dis
a cause of difficulty of hearing and speak
ing which cannot be removed. but the
effect Of this cause bears no proportion
to that indistinctness which arises from
the innumerable echoes that are rever-
berated from the walls and arched cell
ing of such a room 8 the Hall of Rep
resentatives. These surfaces give back
to the ear echoes not only of the voice
of the speaker. at perceptible distance
Of time from the original sound. but also
distinct echoes Of every accidental noise
and separate conversation in the House
and Hobbies, and renders debate very la
borious to the speaker and almost useless
to the hearers.
nishins the house the curtains and dra-
peries of the windows were made as
ample as proprfety would admit: draperies
We're hung In other proper situations. and
a large curtain closed the opening of the
columns behind the Speakers chair But
all this drapery bore a small proportion
to the extent of uncovered surface,
though 1t rendered those particular sit
uations of the nearer. thus freed from
echo, superior to all others"
New Place Of Meeting Necessary.
Various suggestions were made. and in
the session Of 1914 the experiment Of
suspending a canvas overhead was tried.
but 1t was not a success, for, while it
checked the echoes, ii so deadened the
sound as to render hearing difi1cult. be-
sides darkening the House. A short time
afterward. owing to the devastation by
the British, the sessions were held first
in the old post Office building. on E be-
tween 9TH and Sth streets. now the land
Office. but mostly. until December, 1919,
in the old Capitol at LIST and A streets
northeast.
In rebuilding under Mr.. Latrobe the
same general plan was followed as to
the hall. but it was slightly larger. and
in 1920 there were l02 seats provided
consecutively numbered to &C. on both the
right and left of the Speaker
There were still complaints as to the
ventilation and hearing, and suggestions
were made that the room be vacated and
the library be occupied, the room last
named affording a space of 81 by "a feet
and 80 feet high During the session of
1922 the architect. Mr.. Bulfnch. suggest
ed fiat ceiling, and expert advice was
sought to aid Mr.. Bulfinch in making the
hall better suited for deliberative pur-
poses In 1872 William Strickland of
Philadelphia made report stating that
the difficulties arose from three errors:
BY the breaking of the circular line of
wall by the colonnade above. by sinking
the location of the chairs and the seats.
He recommended that the wall be con-
tinued in the gallery. that the floor be
raised and the position of the speaker
be reversed Various expedients were
tried by hanging curtains, etc, with lit
tie no result.
The revision plan was discussed in en-
suing sessions, and a change of front
was decided In 1896 In that year James
K. Polk was elevated to the Speakers
chair, and 1T was then directly under the
clock at the north entrance to the hall.
This was occupied by him during that
session. OF course, the desks were re-
versed to face the Speaker. but the ar
raEgement was not a successful one, and
later the House resumed the old custom,
turning right about face.
Plans for New Chamber.
In the extension Of the Capitol new
House chamber was planned i'm the south
wing. and in 1858 Secretary of War JEFF
ferson Davis approved that plan. The
House had continued to meet in the old
hall, and at the first session of the
Thirty fifth Congress, in 1887. the Speak
er. James l.. Orr of South Carolina, re-
ceived letter from John B. Floyd. Sec
rotary of War, that the engineer officer,
Gen. Meigs. had notified him that the
House was ready for occupancy. There
upon the committee visited the House,
and Tuesday, December Is. that body
adjourned to meet In the new hall the
next morning The public had, however,
anticipated the meeting of the House
there. for on the previous Sunday Rev. c.
NJ. Cummins, rector of Trinity Church
and chaplain of the House. held services
there. and the capacity Of the room and