River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-04-10
CONGRESS MEETING
BOTH SENATE AND HOUSE ARE
CALLED TO ORDER AT
NOON.
SPEAKER CLARK REELECTED
Representatives Take Oath of Office
But Usual Drawing for Seats Is
Omitted, owing to the New
Arrangement.

Washington, April z. - The extra
ordinary session of the Sixty-third
congress convened today.
Popular interest conferred in the
house of representatives where Rep
resentative Chamn Clark, Democrat,
was reelected to the speakership
shortly after the session opened. Rep
resentatives James R. Mann of Illi-
nois, Republican, was placed in nomi-
nation for that office by the minority.
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; doorkeep-
er, Joseph J. Sinnott of Virginia; post
master, William M. 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 today
was suspicious in Democratic his
tory. 1t marked the first time in near
ly a score of years that Democrats
have had complete control of the SEN
ate, 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 senators and representatives, with
fair sprinkling Of suffragettes.
Convene Promptly at Noon.
The presidential proclamation di-
rected that both houses convene at
noon and promptly at IL o'clock the
gavel of Vice-President Marshall fell
in the senate. A new chaplain, Rev.
T. J. Prettyman of Washington, de-
1ivered 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 BUSH
ness.
In the house Clerk Trimble ascend
ed to the speakers rostrum and di-
rected the reading of the presidents
proclamation. He was accorded
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 jolzingly 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.
After the roll call the election of
speaker took place.
Members Are Sworn In.
Then came the swearing in of men,
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 the
house and swore to perform it's duties
we'll 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 a formal
character was then taken up.