Show IT STARTS OFF WELL Senate Proceeds to Business on Fall of Gavel I PRESIDENTS MESSAGE LREAD This Gains a Day in the Session Which May be of Immense Import Senator from Vermont ance New is Presented and Takes the Oath of Office Many Political Greetings Exchanged Notable Meeting Was Between Hanna and Jones of tat 11nn Arkansas Deaths Announced i WaGhln ton Dec 31n the Senate today the work of the short esslon of the Fiftysixth Congress was successfully success-fully launched It hud been the purpose pur-pose ul of the Senate to announce the death Of Seuators Gear of Iowa and Davis of Minnesota Immediately after assembling and then to adjourn and to receive the message oC the President tomorrow hut as this had been announced an-nounced by the leaders of both ranches of Congress to be n business session It was determined to receive sesson i the message today and thus gain one day In n session In which that much time may be of immense Importance Aside from the reading of the message mes-sage and the administration of the oath of office to William B Dlllinghnm tho new Senator from Vermont who succeeds suc-ceeds the late Justin S Morrill no business transacted The other new ness was tam ncted member DCS of tho body former Representative r Repre-sentative John C Dolllver who succeeds suc-ceeds the late Senator Gear of Iowa was present throughout the session but his credentials were not presented and I he was not sworn in These formalities will be complied with tomorrow now that the Senate has been officially informed In-formed of the death of Senator Gear When the Senate convened It was within with-in the shadow of the death of two of its most distinguished members POLITICAL GREETINGS Since the Senate last convened a great atonal campaign has been inaugurated inaugu-rated and conducted to a conclusion and as Senators assembled they exchanged ex-changed political greetings as well as the warm handclasps of personal friendship A notable meeting on the floor just before the session opened was that between Mr Hanna of Ohio and Mr Jones of Arkansas the chairmen respectively of the Republican and Democratic national committees Surrounded Sur-rounded by many of their colleagues they exchanged cordial greetings and Jaughed and chatted for several minutes min-utes The air of tho chamber was heavy with the perfume from magnificent magnifi-cent floral pieces GAVEL FALL AT NOON The fall of Senator Fryes gavel caused a hush to fall over the chamber at 12 oclock and then Mr Mllburn the venerable blind chaplain i a beauti ful prayer paid touching tribute to the deaths of Senators Davis and Gear The call of the roll disclosed the presence oJ sixtyone Senators and the Senate then proceeded to routine business A resolution by Mr Hoar that a committee com-mittee to two Senators be appointed to join a similar committee of the House to inform the President that the Congress Con-gress was in session and ready to receive re-ceive any communication he might have to make was adopted he chair appointed ap-pointed Senators Hoar and Cockrell The Senate then took a recess of forty for-ty minutes and on reassembling Mr Hoar announced that the President has expressed his pleasure that Congress once more was in session and that he would communicate with it forthwith MESSAGE IS READ Instantly Maj Pruden one of the secretaries sec-retaries of the President was recognized recog-nized and presented the awaited message mes-sage of the President I took Mr Bennett Ben-nett the secretary of the Senate one hour and fifty minutes to read it DEATHS ARE ANNOUNCED Mr Allison then announced the death in July last of his colleague Senator John Henry Gear and offered the usual resolution of sorrow which was adopted I Nelson of Minnesota who had re turned only two hours before from St Paul announced formally the death of Senator Davis saying that in his or Tho Nation has lost one of Its wisest public servants and the State of Minnesota Min-nesota one of its most dlstn h e Ions I-ons t The Senate then at 345 oclock on motion of Mr Allison as an additional mark of respect for the memories of Senator Gear and Senator Davis ad journed |