Year: 1873

knowledge of the law and his skill as a
debater made him naturally leader,
though he was not very sociable in his
disposition. The silvery voice OF Dan
VOORHEES, has been heard, perhaps, also
for the last time in the House He, too,
has gone down with the Greeley ship.
The other day, when defending Brooks,
he made beautiful allusions to "these halls
which am about to leave forever;' but
for all that it is not impossible that the
eloquent, long haired Hoosier statesman
may turn up here some years hence when
he has outlived the disastrous effects Of
the last tidal wave


Sam Cox appeared to-day in black
banishing Tor once his schoolboy round
about, and appearing dressed like a Con-
gressman. Poor Cox When one think 5
OF him the mind instantly calls up ''Box
and Cox !" so full Of humor and thrusts is
this little man. He probably feels his
departure from Congress more deeply
than any of the outgoing members, as he
never was more happy than when IN the
full sunshine of a Congressional sitting
He lightencd many = dull, prosy debate
by his rattling humor, which was always
& gGt'Scnit to the House, where soiemnIty
Of solid wisdom is often banded to and
fro in debate until the depression occa-
stoned sometimes threatens serious effects.
Sam, like the LIGHT wine to a heavy din
ner, will be missed when not on the
House bill of fare Mercuto, as he is
| called by his G, leagues, has served in
| Congress fourteen years, and he will be,
like Macgregor, away from his native
heath when banished to private life.
| Bingham. the historical impeacher,
leaves also the scene of his triumphs. He
grew more and more bitter as his term
| was drawing to a close, and, with the
Credit Moblier trouble to sour his disposi-
| ton, he has not been an Over-agreeable
companion of late His gray hair has,
during the last few days, grown more and
more obstinate in its perverse bristling.
| To-day Bingham looked gloomy not at
all like the Bingham of old days, but a
tart old man. He is promised something,
they say, in the way OF a foreign appoint
ment to compensate him on his retirement
from active political life China is men
toned as the place where, he IS to be
shelvod His many friends came up to
| him to-day as he lay back in his lavorlte
position, gazing at the slylightS, to hid
him goodby


| The last half hour of the session was
full OF interest. Garfield the only c. NJ
member who has not yet recovered his
| equanimty, rose to personal eXplana-
ton. tie promised a future statement,
which he had not been able to bring
before the Poland Committee, and once
more asserted that his version of the affair
was true and that he had related it to
an intimate friend three years ago. Po-
| land arose and said, in his graceful digni-
fed way, that the committee desired to do


injustice to no one, and with this ended
the c. Nj. discussion for the Forty second
Congress-


One of the last scenes Of the forenoon
was a tilt between Acker, a democrat, OF
member from South Carolina Ackcr
explained why he had been the solitary
dissenting voice to the vote of thanks
given to the Speaker the previous session
| He then, in a rambling strain, reproached
the Speaker with having one day kept
him from the floor when ne wanted to
present the Amnesty bill. Speaker
Blaine listened in good natured way,
never noticing Acker any more than If he
| had heen talking about some Indifferent
topic, when Rainev, probably instructed
by the republican members, took the
floor and made speech full of bitterness
and complaint about the wrongs of his
race, which attracted quite large crowd
around him.


Talk about your Amnesty bin for
rebels" said he, land what about the
Civil Rights bills ?''


l.cker attempted to reply, but his own
side, TO their credit, prevented him Ackei
is a man who leaves Congress for the
good Of the democratic side. This wrangle
between a darkey and an insignificant
democrat was fitting end Of a Congress
which has so many SINS to answer for.


At ten minutes to twelve Speaker Blaine
made a very graceful speech, amid the
most profound silence and attention. He
made feeling illusions to his past happy
relations with the members, remarking
with Just pride, that not one of his
rulings had been reversed. The members
appeared deeply touched, and it was evi-
| dent that they looked with something like
affection upon the man who had presided
over them in the most trying emergencies
with SO much ability, trmness and impair
tiality. Several OF them remarked that, "a
a presiding officer, Blaine has not been
surpassed by any former Speaker and that
since the days OF Banks he has not been
equalled At five minutes to twelve down
came the gavel for the last time, and the
| Speaker, amid solemn silence. ad iourncd
the forty-second Congress without day.
The members then formed procession,
headed by Speaker Blame, and went oyel
to the Senate