Evening star., 1944-02-20
Capital Sidelights
Bu Will p. Kennedy.

George Washingtons famous Fare
we'll Address is to be read by the
scholarly Senator Ebert D. Thomas of
Utah on Washington's birthday, Tues
day.
Col. Edwin A. HaSey, secretary of the
Senate. points out that the Farewell
Address contains 7,641 words and re-
quires approximately As minutes for it's
reading. Contrary to the general belief,
Washingtons valedictory never was de-
lvered. The record shows that: 1T was
never read by Gen. Washington in public
but printed in Claypools American
Daily Advertiser. Philadelphia, Septem-
Der 10. 1876. After Claypool's death, the
manuscript was ordered to be sold at
auction on February II, 1850. and was
bought by James Lenox for $780, and
is now part of the Lenox Library estate
in the New York Public Library Henry
Clay on January a. 1850, offered in
Congress joint resolution for its pur-
chase by the Government, but the man
uscript had been sold before the resolu-
ton was enacted
There was time, Sc years ago, when
page boy ruled the parliamentary pro-
cedure OF the House. This was Thad-
deus Morris, special page to Speaker
James L. Orr Of South Carolina in the
Thirty-flfth Congress- Speaker Orr "a
native Of IrelandD had been a newspa-
perman and lawyer. After retiring from
COnOreSS ha fha
Rights Convention in Charleston in 1851,
was member OF the Secession Conven-
ton in 1860 and one OF three commits
sioners sent to Washington to treat with
the Federal Government for the sur
render Of the forts in Charleston Har-
Dor. He also was member of the Con-
federate Senate in 1861, a soldier in the
Confederate Army during the Civil War,
a special commissioner to President
johnson to negotiate for the establish
ment OF provisional government for
the State of South Carolina in 1865
Governor of South Carolina in 1866 and
Minister to Russia from December,
1872, until he died in st. Petersburg In
May, 1873.
Speaker Orr. according to Noah
Brooks in his book on Washington in
Lincoln's Tiihe," published nearly half a
century ago, found in this young man,
Morris, then a mere boy, a remarkable
knowledge Of parliamentary law COM
bined with an extraordinary memory for
names and dates. It is recorded that
Orr at once attached Morris to the
Speakers chair, where he kept his place
until his death in March, 1864. Probably
young man who leaned negligently on
a corner of the Speakers marble desk,
apparently but slightly interested in the
proceedings of the House, but really re-
garding all that passed with the most
Watchful vigilance. The youngster kept
track OF the may confusion OF business
and could disentangle for the sometimes
bewildered Speaker the most labyrintine
complication. Whenever knotty ques-
ton OF parliamentary law or procedure
arose, Morris would solve the diflculty
with amazing facility. While the Speaker
was addressing the House In perfume
tory way, stating the question at issue
in order to consume the time needed by
Morris to gather his authorities, the
young man would silently place before
the Speaker reference book after refer
ence book, with chapter and verse duly
marked, perhaps taken from the records
of the earliest years OF the Government,
and collated for use as precedents In
just such case as that under consider
alton. The mute prompters hand was
the compass that enabled the tempest
tossed Speaker to steer clear of rocks
and shoals on which he might have
wrecked his reputation as a presiding
ofncer. Morris death was a real loss to
the House, but possibly some Of the
hair-splitting debaters who had failed
to trip the Speaker when they rose to
. question Of order" did not regard with