| Show TELEGRAPHIC THE CLOSING HOURS Las of The FortySeventh Congress SENATE Washington 4At 315 the doors reopened and a bridge bill passed At 345 the Senate took a recess until 4 oclock When the Senate reconvenedas the conference report on the Sundry civil appropriation bill was not yet ready for presentation presenta-tion Hawley moved to take another ifieen minutes recess but Van Wyck objected and called for the yeas and nays so Hawley withdrew the motion The next half hour was spent in idly waiting for the report At 435 it was received with message that the House had agreed to it Allison moved the adoption the report Read and adopted without dissent The Senate then at 5 am took a recess until 10 am The President pro tern called the Senate to order promptly at 10 oclock but senators came in slowly and nearly half an hour elapsed before be-fore a quorum was present to do business The President then laid before the Senate the House joint resolution making an appropriation for alterations of internal revenue dies plates and stamps and providing provid-ing blanks for rebate Allison explained that the changes for which it provided were made necessary by the passage of the internal revenue act The joint resolution passed On motion of Davis West Virginia Vir-ginia the House joint resolution giving the capital police an extra months pay passed Van Wyck offered a resolution confirming the committe on pen sions as now constituted the first Monday in December next and authorizing it to sit during vacation to consider bills and continue the investigation ordered by the Senate into alleged extortions by agents in pension and other claims Ingalls asked whether the resolu tion had been voted upon by the committee on pensions VanWyck replied that the resolution resolu-tion was in accordance with the wish of the committee but the reply re-ply was not satisfactoryand Ingalls objected sending the resolution over until tomorrow On Morrills motion the committee commit-tee on finance was ordered to prepare pre-pare a compilation and index of the existing tariff laws together with tabulated comparative statements of rates of duties and imports under un-der the several tariff acts since the organization of government and such other statistics on the subject as it may deem proper On motion of Anthony a resolu tion was adopted for the appointment appoint-ment of a committee of senators to meet the House committee to wait upon the President of the United States and inform him that Congress had completed its business and was ready to adjourn The President appointed Anthony and Bayard At 1145 Anthony and Bayard reported re-ported that they had performed the duty as signed them and that the President stated that he had no further communication to make to Congress The President pro tern assuming that the President of the United States had signed the Sundry civil appropriation bill appointed as the Senate members of the commission provided for in that bill to inquire into the compensation etc of officers and employees of both Houses and report to Congress Messrs Platt Cameron Wisconsin and Cockrell The galleries and corridors were crowded even more densely than last evening and owing to the general buzz of expectancy which always attends such occasions repeated re-peated appeals from the chair were required to secure sufficient order on the floor to enable the senators to be heard Pretistly at 12 oclock the president pro tern Edmunds brought down his gavel and said Senators The hour has arrived at which by the Constitution and laws or the United States the Fortyseventh Congress terminates It becomes the duty of the Chair therefore to declare this session adjourned without with-out day and in doing so he wishes you and each one of you a pleasant and safe journey to your homes and every felicity in your future lives The Senate stands adjourned without with-out day Applause HOUSE Washington 4At 830 Blsbee from the committee reported a resolution I res-olution stating that theoharges made against Clerk Bailey were not proven pro-ven Laid on the table Then the dead lock upon election cases continued until 4 oclock when Hiscock presented the conference con-ference report on the sundry civil appropriation bill The House recedes re-cedes from its disageement to the Senate amendments which srikes from the bill the provisions for the repeal of preemption laws and the ratification of the Sioux treaty The report was adopted Hiscock introduced a joint resolution reso-lution appropriating 20000 forthe alteration of Internal revenue dies plates and stamps and providing blanks for claims for rebates Passed At 439 a motion was made for recess but friends of the bonded ex I tention bill opposed it and raised a point of no quorum For half an hour tellers stood in their places and became the butt of 9 jocular remarks and suggestions on the part of members who were in the best of humor The usual scenes attendant on an all nicht session were enacted bough the galleries were practically vacant the attendance on the floor was good and members lounged back in chairs and smoked told stories and laughed to their hearts content At 5 oclock Butterworth moved to proceed to business on the speakers speak-ers table a motion which elicited a shout of laughter Ruled out of order by the speaker The speaker suggested there were upon his table a number of important House bills with Senate amendments which should be considered He asked unanimous un-animous consent for that purpose Butterworth objected which led to i a remark from Steel that the whiskey bill was standing in the way of other business Butterworth replied with borne warmth that the whisky bill was entitled to as much consideration as any other measure while he vehemently hemently declared that the whisky bill should never be considered on Sunday Such a propositton is unworthy un-worthy the democratic party and much less a member of the rs publican pub-lican partyAfter al other unsutcess ful roll call on the election case members settled down to fun and sleeping Members became targets for paper balls and copies of old bills which were thrown at them from all directions and many a nap was unceremoniously disturbed As i the morning approached however sleep departed and members appeared ap-peared as bright as in the early hours of the evening Shortly before dawn Young suggested sug-gested as a compromise proposition that at 11 oclock the House should vote upon the whisky bill and elec tion case Randall objected Do you propose queried White to swap off the colored representative represent-ative for whisky CI do replied Young with frankness frank-ness relished by the House and greeted with roars of laughter Shortly after 4 oclock am Robinson Rob-inson rose and called attention to this Congress making a record before be-fore the country and a record in history He thought everybody would agree with him that too mueh whisky was taken out of bond already al-ready Shouts of laughter It was In the interest of good order and good government for the House to take a recess for three hours in order to avoid any difficulty or any personal per-sonal controversy and in order to avoid any false attitude before the country Let every man have time countrr to cool and reflect let members come back in three hours and try to do their duty according to their convictions He asked unanimous consent for a recess of three hours Objection was made and again the monotonous roll call was proceeded pro-ceeded with At its conclusion at 620 the House took recess until 930 amAfter recess Huffman protested in the name of the religious sentiment senti-ment of the country against attending attend-ing to anything but indispensable public business The chair being temporarily oc cupId by Blackburn the usual complimentary com-plimentary resolution to the Speaker for the ability and courtesy with which he presided was offered by Randall Blanchard inquired whether one objection would prevent the present consideration of the resolution If so he would object The Speaker pro tem said it would not The question was then put Blanchard and several others insisting on a count and the resolution resolu-tion was adopted 86 to 8 In the course of the forenoon Knott stating that his congressional career would in an hour and a half close forever appealed to the courtesy cour-tesy and magnimity of the members to let him have the poor privilege of voting on the bill in which the people of his own congressional district dis-trict and state were profoundly interested in-terested What bill is it asked his colleague col-league White It is the bill such a number Knot replied What exclaimed White in atone a-tone of surprise and horror The whisky bill and on Sunday never never loud laughter I call for the regular order An effort was then made to get the Lee and Richardson case out of the way of other business by a motion mo-tion to lay it on the table but the motion was voted down llSOReeae offered the following resolution which was unanimously adopted Resolved That the House has just learned with the deepest sorrow of the death of Hon Alex H Stephens Ste-phens Governor of Georgia and so long a useful and distinguished member or this house that the House expresses heartfelt sympathy sympa-thy with the people not only of Georgia but with the people of the whole country over the loss of the statesman and patriot On motion a committtee to wait on the President and inform him that Congress was ready to adjourn was ordered and appointed Bingham from the postoffice committee reported the postal telegraph tele-graph bill Referred to the committee com-mittee of the whole VarIous requests to take up and pass bills by unanimous consent were made but invariably met with shouts object bat when through some inattention or on account of the tumult in the Hall one such attempt at-tempt was successfulin regard to the bill fixing the terms of United States courts in Texas and there was aloud rear of laughter At 1150 the committee to Trait on the President reported that he had no further communication to make to Congress Then the Speaker began his closing clos-ing address He said Gentlemen of the House of Representatives sentatives The time has come when our official offi-cial relations as Representatives In the Fortyseventh Congress are toe > to-e dissolved In a moment mole this House of Representatives will be > known only in history Its l c swill s-will staad many of them it is be lieved through the future history of the Republic On the opening day of this Congress I ventured the suggestion and expression of hope that it should be marked peculiarly as a business Congress It has successfully grappled with more vital l material and moral q questions of the country than its predecessors Many of these questions ques-tions have been settled wisely and well by appropriate legislation It would be quite impossible at this time to enumerate the many impor tant laws which have been enacted to foster and promote the substantial substan-tial interests of the whole country Congress enacted into law the first 3 per cent funding bill known to the country and under it a consid erable portion of government bonds have been refunded at lower rates than ever before It did not hesitate hesi-tate to take hold of the question of polygamy and it struck the first effective blow in the direction of Destroying that greatest remaining public crime of the age Laws have been passed to protect tho immigrant immi-grant on his way across the sea and upon his arrival in the ports of this country Laws have also been passed to extend the charters of banking institutions so that financial finan-cial disorder cannot take place which would otherwise come at tie expiration of the old bank charters Many public acts were passed relating to the Indian policy and land policy of this country which will prove wise The post office laws have been so changed as to reduce letter postage from 3c to 2C the lowest rate ever known in the United States No legislation of > this Congress will bo found i upon the statute books revolu I tionary in character or which will oppress any section or individual in the land All leg I islation has been in the direction of I relief pension laws have been enacted en-acted which are deemed wise and liberal Appropriations have been made to pay the deserving and unfortunate fortunate pensioner internal revenue rev-enue taxes have been taken off and the tariff law revised Sectionalism has been unknown in the enactment of laws In the main a fraternal spirit prevailed among members from all portions of the union what has been said in the heat of debate aud under excitement and some times with provocation is not to be regarded in determining the genu ing feeling of concord existing between be-tween members The high office I have filled through the sessions of this congress enabled me to judge better of the true spirit of members that compose it than I could otherwIse other-wise have done Itis common to say the House of Representatives is a very turbulent and disorderly body of men ths is true more in appearance than reality Those who look on and do not participate see more apparent confusion than exists in reality The disorder that often appears upon the floor of the House grows out of the earnest active spirit possessed by members coming from all sections of the United States and indicates indi-cates in high degree their strong individuality and their great zeal in trying to secure the prompt discharge of duty No more conscientious con-scientious body of men than compose com-pose this House of Representatives in my opinion ever met Partisan zeal has in some instances 103 to fierce word conflicts on the floor but when the reason which gave rise to it passed by party spirit vent with it I am very thankful for the considerate con-siderate manner in vhich I have been treated by tie House in its collective capacity I am also very thankful to eaT individual member mem-ber of this body for his personal treatment of me I shall lay down the gavel and high office you clothed me with filled with good feeling toward each member of this House I have been at times impatient im-patient and sometimes severe with members but I never purposely harshly treated any member 1 have become warmly attached to and possessed of high admiration not only for the high character of this House as parliamentary body but for all its individual members I heartily thank the House for its vote of thanks The duties of Speaker are of a most delicate kind His decisions in the main are made without time for deliberation and are often very far reaching and controlling con-trolling the legislation of the country coun-try on important matters and they call out the severest criticism The rules of this House which leave to the Speaker the onerous duty and delicate task of reconciling individuals individ-uals to present their matters for legislation leg-islation render the office in that respect exceedingly unpleasant No member should have the legislation legisla-tion he desires depend upon the individual recognition of the Speaker and no Speaker should Do compelled to decide between be-tween members having matters of equal importance I suggest here that the time will soon come when another mode will have to be adopted which will relieve both the Speaker and individual members from exceedingly embarrassing if not dangerous power During my administration in the chair very many important questions have been decided by me and I do not flatter myself that I have in the hurry of decisions made no mistakes mis-takes butl do take great pride in being able to say no parliamentary decision of mine has been overruled by the judgment of this almost evenly politically balanced House although many appeals have been taken I congratulate each mom ber of the House upon what has been accomplished in the discharge of the important duties of Repre 1 sentatives and with the sincerest z hope that all may return safely to I their homes and wishing each a successful and happy future I now i exercise my last official duty as pre t siding officer of this House by de a Glaring the term of this House under the Constitution of the I i United States at an end and that it t shall stand adjourned sin die When the Speaker closed his remarks t f re-marks there was a very general i manifestation of applause on both sides I J |
