Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-22
BENCHES IN HOUSE
NOT NEW FEATURE
Have Been Used Twice by
Body in the History of /
Congress. |
WERE NOT POPULAR :
IN THE 0lOEN DAYS
In View of Past Experience, Many
Believe Present Seating Plan
Will Not Continue Long.

Old-timers in the Capitol looking
down from the galleries upon the floor
of the House of Representatives saw a
strange sight today, for the workmen
under Elliot Woods. superintendent of
the Capitol. have finished the installa-
ton of the benches. or seats, which will
take the places of the long-used desks
and swivel chairs.
The chairs are like enormous theater
seats with heavily padded arms and
broad and comfortable cane bottoms.
Small boxes under each seat will have
To suffice for the storage of papers. APP
Piles and other treasures of the MEM
bers. The change has been made To
accommodate the largely Increased
membership of the House.
Benches were in use before i'm tho
House. when that body met in what il
now called Statuary Hall. That hall was
occupied by the representatives from the
time Of the restoration of the building,
after the devastation by the British i'm
1914. until December Is. 1851 and once
later when the present hall in the south
extension of the Capitol was completed.
Greatly Inconvenience.
During the occupancy of the old halt
the members were much Inconvenience
by the acoustics of the hall. and vari-s
Gus plans were adopted to render ii a
suitable place for deliberatiye BODY.
Oftentimes members in addressing the
Speaker we're obliged to turn their back
on him that they might be heard, and
as early as 1Sf5 propositions were made
for changing the apartment then used as
library. west of the rotunda, into the
hall
In the meantime the members had in
"a nd inU mt rh.a fIfi
members decided larger hall would be
required. In 1919 the number of repre-
sentatives was but 1S1. on ratio OF
35,GOJ, and to keep down that number
a ratio of representation was gradually
increased until 1s43 when 10000 was the
figure and the number of representatives
223
Before 1850 seats had to be arranged
SO as to seat some of the members next
to the wall, and the reporters were
forced back to desks between the col
umns.
Extension Necessary.
1t then became evident that something
should be done toward accommodating
the committees as well as the larger de-
Lucrative body, and measures for a larger
hall were taken In the project for the
extension of the Capitol. This extension
was commenced in 1851, and the work
proceeded so well that by December.
1857, the present hall was nearly ready
for occupancy The 18th 1t was first
opened to the public. when the chaplain.
Rev. George ID. Cummins, held divine
services. But the House did not meet
therein until December 16
While there was no complaint on &C.
count Of the acoustics. other than the
great size. handicapping those with weak
voices, there was some complaint in re-
gard to ventilation. The number of men,
Der, 1858. a committee was appointed to
report on the expediency Of removing the
desks.
This committee was composed of Repre-
sentatives Miles, Letcher. Washburn OF
Maine and Pendleton Morris.
March g. 1859, the committee reported
resolution to remove the desks and make
a Encouragement. The committee re-
ported that 1t had unanimously come
to the conclusion that the bringing of
the members together in a more COM
pact area was not only expedient. but
desirable. While one of the committee.
Mr.. Washburn of Maine, favored the
resolution, his brother, Mr.. Washburn OF
Illinois, opposed it. After some debate
the resolution was adopted by a vote of
1O3 to IS. At the close of that session
the desks were removed and the benches
put in.
Not a Popular Move.
1t was not. however, a very popular
move, for few of the members insisted
that they should have their desks In the
hall, and brought them there. During
the session beginning In December, 1853,
some other dissatisfaction was apparent
February 20 resolution was adopted
inquiring il the orders of the House had
been violated, and February n a resolu-
ton was adopted for the removal of the
benches at the end of the season. and
the return of the desks. This resolution
was adopted. and in December 1860, the
House again was seated at the desks,
since which time the growth of the coun-
try reflected in the increased number of
representatives has crowded the House.
In view of the experiment of 1890
there are many who regard the present
CHI heinc for only a session nr