Evening star., 1937-10-03
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Fermenting talk of an extra session
of Congress arouses interest in how
many times the Congress has thus been
called into special service In the very
first Congress there was third session
with Congress on the job for total
of 519 days. The first two sessions were
in New York then the seat of govern
ment, and the third session was the first
held in Philadelphia. where Congress
continued to meet until the second ses-
sion Of the Sixth Congress, which was
held after the Federal Government
moved to Washington as the Federal
City. The Fifth Congress. in Philadel-
phia, also had a third session. In all,
2l Congresses out Of the rs have been
in extra session. The record is held by
the Sixty-seventh Congress which held
four sessions to a total of 624 days.
Special sessions of the Senate have been
held ir AZ different years.
South Trimble, clerk of the House. has
just had two attractive jobs done at the
Government Printing Office-and on
one Of them is starting what is intended
to be AL annual custom. One is a spe-
cial official printing of the resolution of
sorrow passed by the House upon the
death Of his excellency Marquis Gusliel-
mo Marconi, president of the Royal
Academy of Italy and Senator of the
Kingdom. This had special binding
of midnight blue leather with gold let
tering and Italian tooling work border,
and was inclosed in an envelope to match
with MORE silk lining. The resolution
was attested by Mr.. Trimble as clerk of
the House. who also signed letter of
transmittal to Her EXcellency Marchion-
esse Marconi. to whom it was forwarded
through the State Department.
The second special job Just completed
is souvenir copy of George Washing
tons Farewell Address. with Rembrandt
Peale's 'port-hole' portrait of Washing
ton on the title page. Bound with this
in a buff and blue leather cover is
certification by clerk of the House with
the official seal that this address was
read in the House pursuant to House
resolution by Representative Edward
Leo O'Neill of New Jersey on February
%, Washingtons birthday anniversary
When Mr.. O'Neill comes to the Capitol
this week he is to be presented with this
souvenir copy. Hereafter similar copies
will be presented each year to whoever
is designated by the Speaker to read the
Farewell Address
An important task. which will prove
OF value to all members of Congress. is
nearing completion. This is being done
by w. Perry Miller. librarian of the
House. He is indeXing all of the hear
ings held by the various House COM
mittees on pending legislation, so as to
make them more readily available for
reference by members of Congress and
others. This is an extensive task which
has never before been undertaken, and
members who have examined portions
of the work already done say that it is
surprisingly comprehensive. Copies of
this new index will be supplied to all
members
Now that the sesquicentennial of the
Constitution celebration is now being
held all over the country-with a beau
tlfully illuminated" proclamation issued
by the President-a former House en-
pIoye, subsequently member. Edmund
F. Erik. is receiving requests from every
State IN the Union for copies of a beau
tlful souvenir booklet which he dis
trlbuted to his friends IL years ago
while he was clerk of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs. It contains facsimile
copies of THE first-born documents of
popular constitutional liberty" and is
profusely illustrated with historic pic
lures. In this booklet are: THE May
flower Compact" The log of the May
flower" THE Declaration and Resolves
Of the First Continental Congress" "The
Virginia Bill of Rights" "The Declara-
tion of independence, Articles of Con-
federation" the Constitution of the
United States, Washington's Farewell
Address," the Monroe Doctrine, Lin
coins Gettysburg Address," the history
of the Liberty Bell, THE Birth of the
Stars and Stripes" and "The Americans
Creed" written during the World War
by William Tyler Page, then clerk of the
House. who was later executive secre-
tary of the George Washington Bicen-
tennial Commission. On the dedication
page Mr. Erik wrote: "These documents
are the precious heritage of free insti-
tutions and American ideals which have
come down to us from out of the service
and sacrifice of those who, with the love
of God in their hearts reared a Govern
ment on the foundations of Freedom,
Equality, Justice and Humanity With
confidence in the right. undaunted in
their might they conceived and dedi-
Gated legacy-the greatest Nation on
Gods green earth"