Evening star., 1937-12-26

fixed by law for the Government to
take its permanent seat in Washington
City. In the latter part Of May, that
year, the President and his cabinet,
the various executive departments and
documents and other belongings Of
both houses of Congress were moved
from Philadelphia to the Federal City.
Acc0fdlne 36s04enn Browns history
Of the United States Capitol, the
north, or Senate wing, now occupied
by the Supreme Court and ready for
its congressional tenants November
II, 1880, was finished"
Assembled November II, 1890.
The Journal of the Senate records
that the second session Of the Sixth
Congress. comformably to the Consti-
tuition of Government of the United
States. assembled at the City of WASH
ington, being Monday, November II,
1900" Not being able to procure a
quorum, the business of the Congress
did not actually begin until Friday,
November 21, 1900.
Thomas jefferson was inaugurated
for his first term as President of the
United States March 4. 1901.
Col. .Jurney points out that from
the foregoing it will be observed that
the duration of Mr.. Jefferson's service
as Vice President, after the removal
of the Capital to Washington. and
therefore his occupancy of quarters
in the old Capitol in Washington while
occupying the Vice Presidency was
very brief, covering little more than
three months" He argues that "un-
doubtedly rooms were specifically re-
served and set aside for the Vice Presi-
dent then as now, but q careful ex-
animation of available sources of in
formation thus far has failed to iden-
tify the exact situation of the room
or rooms occupied by Vice President
Jefferson"
Senate Changes Ordered.
Glenn Browns history discloses that
in a letter from Mr.. Jefferson a.
President to Latrobe, architect of the
Capitol, on July Is, 1908, he says
Lay the floors of the Senate chamber
where the gallery floor now, is to be
the floor of the future Senate cham.
ber, open it above to the roof to give
it elevation enough, leaving the pres.
ent columns uninjured until we sex
that, everything else being done ane
paid for, there remains enough tt
make these columns of stone"
| Quoting from The Museum .ane
Washington and Georgetown" Daily
Advertiser, Georgetown, Potomak
Monday. November "a. l800," Col
Jurney finds: THE Senate chamber i!
in the form of an amphitheater, hav.
ing range of arches supporting thu
gallery, above which is row of loft,
pillars extending to the ceiling. ant
the apartment being handsomel,
painted and furnished has very mag
nificent appearance"
Both the quotation from jefferson,
letter and the substantiating and con
f1rming quotation from the George
Town" newspaper make it seem obvi
GUS that the original level of the foo
of the old Senate chamber was OF
what Is now the first floor, or base
ment. of the Capitol, Mr.. Jurney EN-
phasizes: rs it not reasonable t.
assume, therefore," he says, that tn
room occupied by the Vice Presiden
was on the same floor level with tha
OF the Senate chamber? 1t is possible
OF course, that this room may hav
been en- the floor level next above; tina
is, on the main floor of the building"
Several Possibilities Explored.
Continuing his argument, Col
Jurney calls attention that "after &C
counting for the space occupied by tn
House of Representatives at that tim
(Which Glenn Browns history show
was on the second or main floor o
the building), including the spac
until recently occupied by the onice
. Of the clerk of the Supreme Court
which appear to have taken up tn
entire space west Of the corridor an
opposite the Supreme Court room, ap
!, parently there was no space left on tn
J main floor In which the Vice Presiden