The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1913-04-10
CONGRESS MEETS
IN EXTRA SESSION
Both Senate and House Called to
Order at Noon.
SPEAKER CLARK is REELECTED
Representatives Take Oath Of Office
but Usual Drawing Tor seats Is
Omitted, Owing to the New
Arrangement.


Omitted, Owing to the New
Arrangement.
Washington, April THE extraor.
binary session of the Sixty-third con-
gress has convened.
Popular interest centered in the
houses of representatives where Rep
resentative Champ Clark, Democrat
was reelected to the speakership
shortly after the session opened. Rep
resentatives James r. Mann of ILL
nois, Republican, was placed in nomi
He received a rousing demonstration
but was Overwhelmingly defeated.
Other officers selected by the house
were as follows: Clerk, South Trim.
BILE of Kentucky; sergeant-at-arms
Robert E. Gordon of Ohio; doorkeeu.
er. Joseph j. Sinnott of Virginia
postmaster. William NJ. Dunbar.
No election of officers was held in
the senate. that body having been or
ganized before it's adjournment on
March II.
The converting of congress was au-
spicious in Democratic history. 1t
marked the first time in nearly a
score of years that Democrats have
had complete control of the senate,
the house of representatives and the
presidency.
Long before the hour set for throw
ing open the doors OF the house and
senate galleries, the capitol was be-
sieged by sightseers seeking admit
lance. Among them were hundreds
of prettily gowned women-the wives
of senator's and representatives, with
fair sprinkling of suffragettes.
Convene Promptly at Noon.
The presidential proclamation d.
rected that both houses convene at
noon and promptly at - o'clock the
gavel of Nice-President Marshall fell
in the senate. A new chaplain, Rev.
F. ]. Prettyman of Washington, de-
livered the invocation. The roll Of
senators was called in the usual way
and committees appointed to notify
the house and the president that the
senate was ready to transact bust
ness
isa. In the house Clerk Trimble ascend
N1 to the speakers rostrum and d.
rected the reading of the presidents
proclamation. He was accorded a
noisy reception. The proclamation
was read and Trimble announced that
in accordance with precedent and the
constitution it was necessary to call
the roll of the new house by states.
The house chamber had been
equipped with benches instead of the
old style desks and looked much like
the English commons. While the role
was called members jokingly asked
each other how they liked the new
seats and the old timers tried to fig
ure out how they could ever get used
to this radical innovation.
speaker took place.
Members Are Sworn In.
Then came the swearing in OF mem.
bers. AS the clerk called each state
and the names of members in the
delegation of that state. the delega
ton presented itself at the bar of tln
house and swore to perform it's duties
well and faithfully.
The delegates from Alaska, Hawaii,
Porto Rico and the Philippines next
took oath of office.
Committees were next appointed to
inform the president and the senate
that the house was in session and
ready to transact public business.
Heretofore it has been customary
to make the selection of seats the
next business to be taken up by the
house at this point. This time there
was no drawing for seats. as it had
been determined that members should
have choice of seats on arrival each
day. Only to Leaders Underwood and
Mann and Chairman Fitzgerald of the
appropriations committee was con-
coded the right to pick and hold a
seat
Representative Henry, who was
chairman of the rules committee in
the last congress. then presented a
set of rules for the guidance Of the
house. These were practically the
same as were in effect at the last
session. The rules were adopted.
Other routine business OF q formal
character was then taken up.
Mad s.vino n.uoh%.,,. re.