Evening star., 1946-03-31
Capital Sidelights
By Will P. Kennedy.

by VIII r. X henneQy.
Beset by agriculture control problems,
members of Congress are taking a long
view backward to the first legislative
proposals along this line, which were
viewed as so revolutionary and impor-
tant that they we're the subject Of
confidential message from President
Jefferson dated January 18, 1908, which
was held secret for nearly a quarter of
a century.
On December 20, 1925, the House by
resolution called upon the then Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams to transmit
copy of the Jefferson message, which
he did on December ~. 1t was received
and considered in a closed session and
made the subject Of a Secret Journal
This hand written document is pre-
served in the official files of the House,
and recently has been studied by men,
bers. President Adams, transmitting it,
said that he was leaving to the judg-
ment of the House to determine whether
any adequate reason yet remains for
withholding it from publication"
IICSluC1t OCnCI SOll idu lcCOlA-
mended an exploring expedition across
the continent" President Adams ex-
planned, while continuance of the act
for establishing trading houses with
the Indian tribes was under considera-
ton" jefferson argued: Two meas
ures are deemed expedient": % To en-
courage the Indians to abandon hunting,
to apply to the raising OF stock, to agri-
culture and domestic manufactures and
thus prove to themselves that less land
was needed to maintain them. t2) For
the Federal Government to multiply
trading houses among the Indians, and
thus place within their reach those sup
plies that would contribute more to
their domestic comfort than possession
of extensive but uncultivated wilds.'
President Jefferson explained that: The
appropriation of $4,000 for the purpose
of extending the external commerce of
the United States while understood and
considered by the Executive as giving
the legislative sanction would cover the
undertaking from notice and prevent the
distractions which interested individu-
ais might otherwise previously prepare
in its way"
In the Declaration Chamber, Inde-
pendence Hall. Philadelphia. wnere ITO
years ago body of determined men,
fearless of their personal fortunes,
signed their names to the Declaration
of Independence, their brave deed was
performed by Pickering candlelight from
an Irish chandelier, first lighted 16
years earlier. The British Parliament
in 1746 enacted law which placed a
blight on the Gaelic glass industry until
1780. So this Irish chandelier Is q rare
specimen Of that period of Irish handi-
craft. Other lustres of this type, in
cluding side lights, came from Ireland
at the same time to adorn other parts
of the Independence Hall group but the
Declaration room chandelier is said to
be the only one definitely known to be
authentic. Experts have claimed that
this is the finest old lustre IN the world.
Pendant at the bottom. below three
tiers of artistically festooned jeweled
motifs in exquisite detail, Is the chief
ornament, carved in the form of pine
apple, with the blackish tinge that
Identifies Waterford glass.
* y X
1t also is timely to remember that
the first official bell-ringer of the old
Liberty Bell, bearing the inscription.
Proclaim liberty throughout the land
unto all the inhabitants thereof" was
Edward Kelly.
y \
An old Capitol tragedy was recalled in
cloakroom gossip the other day-the
fatal shooting of Representative William
P. Taulbee Of Kentucky, both an ordained
minister and lawyer, by Charles E.
Kincaid, q correspondent of the Louis
vile Times. on February %, 1890. Mr..
Taulbee died at Providence Hospital on
March II. The shooting occurred on
the marble stairs from the east cor
ridor Of the House to the ground floor.
Both men were armed and had drawn
their guns. The quarrel had developed
during about year and generally was
credited to a scandal story In Kincaid's s
paper in which there were insinuations
of Mr.. Taulbee's implication. On April
8, 1891, a jury in the District Criminal
| Court found Kincaid mot guilty"