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Show SIXTY-FIRST CONGRESS MEETS A Speaker Calls the House to Order and Is Applauded Ap-plauded by Friends and Enemies Alike. Vice-President Sherman Presides Over the Senate Numerous Nu-merous Bills Designed to Carry Out President Taft's Policies Are Introduce! in Both Houses. By EDWARD B. CLARK. ) from the Senate, Speaker Cannon appointed ap-pointed a committee to join a like committee of the Senate to wait upon the president. The members of the body directed to notify Mr. Taft that the House was in session were by the appointment of the speaker, the Republican Re-publican leader, Sereno E. Payne, and the Democratic leader, Champ Clark. The first day in the House as usual brought out hundreds of legislative measures in bill form, all of which were read by their title only and then referred to the proper committees. It was evident from the tone of the bills introduced that some scores of representatives rep-resentatives were anxious to father measures which had been recommended recommend-ed by President Taft as being necessary neces-sary to carry out proposed policies of progression. The bills ranged from ! those intended to correct alleged ex- 1 isting evils in interstate commerce to v those to give increases of pensions to veterans of the civil war. Applause Greets Speaker Cannon. If Speaker Cannon anticipates any m particular trouble with the "Insur- gents" of the House at the coming ses- Vj Washington, -Dec. 6. The Sixty-first Sixty-first congress of the United States met at noon to-day for the first day of its first regular session, with Vice-President Vice-President Sherman in the chair of the senate, and Speaker Joseph G. Cannon Can-non in the chair in the House. While this congressional gathering is the first regular session, it is the second session in reality, for congress met in extraordinary session last spring at the call of President Taft to consider the matter of a revision of the tariff. Some interest was lacking in the proceedings of the first day in the capitol because at the beginning of the extraordinary session in March last the speaker of the House was elected. Moreover, before the extraordinary extra-ordinary session was ended, 'Speaker Cannon appointed all the committees which are to take legislation under consideration for the next two winters. win-ters. The appointment of the committees commit-tees ended the C.mpaign on the part of the members for choice chairmanships chairman-ships and, if the chairmanships were not forthcoming, for seats in the more important subsidiary bodies of the Hous. Ready for Work at Once. The members have had time to get over jealousies and rivalries and so is that, so far as committee work is con-concerned, con-concerned, the House not only is ready to proceed at once to consider legislation, but most of the members have brought themselves into a frame of mind to do what they are called upon to do without regard to their past feelings of disappoinment and perhaps, anger. As is always the case on the opening open-ing day of congress, admission to the House and Senate galleries was by card and only those fortunate enough to know senators and representatives sufficiently well to secure admission tickets were allowed to witness the proceedings. Galleries Are Crowded. The galleries of both House and Senate were jammed with people. All classes of Washington society were represented in the throng of visitors. The diplomatic gallery in the House and in the Senate as well, was filled to its fullest capacity with ambassadors, ambassa-dors, ministers, attaches and the ladies la-dies of the different legations. Members Mem-bers of the families of the president and of the vice-president of the United States occupied seats in the executive galleries; and the cabinet and judiciary judici-ary and army and navy circles were well represented. By a rule which was adopted not long ago, flowers are barred from the floor of the House excepting when they are to be us.ed as a tribute to the memory of some deceased member. The result of this rule is that now on fhp nnpninp' HnVQ nf ennp-rpca tho Speaker Joseph G. Cannon. 1 j sion, he gave no evidence of it when he took the chair as presiding officer. He was greeted with great applause from the galleries and from the floor of the House, many of the Democrats and insurgents joining in the demonstration, demon-stration, though in either case possibly pos-sibly the hand-clapping was given as an evidence of regard for the office of speaker, rather than as evidence of any overweaning affection for the speaker himself. With the committees ready to begin work, the House wil settle down to its winter's business at once. No bills will be passed immediately because all measures must be considered in committee, and the meetings of the desks of the members are bare of floral decorations. In the old days committees will be held daily from now until the Christmas holidays and some of the more important House " bodies will sit during the recess. When congress reassembles in January Janu-ary many of the committees will be ready to report bills, and the debates of the winter will begin. Opening of the Senate. Vice-President Sherman called the Senate to order at noon. Rev. Edward Ed-ward Everett Hale, the chaplain of the Senate, having died during the summer recess, his place as chaplain, temporarily, was taken by a local 1 clergyman who offered prayer. In the Senate the roll was called and it was found that nearly all the senators were in their seats. The resolutions were adopted to the effect that committees com-mittees be appointed to inform the House and the president that the Senate Sen-ate had assembled and was ready to begin the business of the session. As was the case in the House many bills were introduced for consideration during dur-ing the winter by senators who, like the representatives, desire to have a hand in forwarding administration pol- mEf- icies. After a comparatively short session j "in the open," the galleries were cleared and the Senate went into executive ex-ecutive session behind closed doors for the purpose of considering nomin-ations nomin-ations for office sent to the Upper House by President Taft. Vice-President Sherman. both House and Senate were turned into conservatories for the time of the opening proceedings. At sharp noon Speaker Cannon called the House to order and asked the chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, to offer prayer. In his prayer which was in a sense a Thanksgiving offer-ering, offer-ering, the chaplain referred to the prosperity of the country, the opportunities oppor-tunities of the present and the bright hopes and promises of the future. Absentees Are Few. As soon as the prayer was ended the clerk of the House called the roll of membership by states and it was found that there were only a few absentees. ab-sentees. The roll call ended the reading read-ing clerk of the Senate who had appeared ap-peared in the House was recognized, and he announced that the Upper House had passed a resolution to inform in-form the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate being assembled, as-sembled, that body was ready to proceed pro-ceed to business. The House also was told that the Senate had appointed appoint-ed a committee to join a House committee com-mittee to inform the president of the United States that a quorum of each house was present and that congress was ready to receive any communication communica-tion that he "may be pleased to r.p.ke." On receipt of this message Tests of Diamonds. Most persons are obliged, in the purchase of a diamond, to rely implicitly im-plicitly upon the word of the man who sells the stone. While many years of observation and experience are needed to become an expert with respect to the value and purity of diamonds, yet there are certain extremely simple sim-ple tests capable of being made by the most inexperienced. One is by means of a needle hole pricked through a piece of ordinary cardboard. Looking through the stone tested at the cardboard, one will see two holes if the diamond be spurious only one if the gem be genuine. The reason for this is that an imitation SJ diamond will give a double refraction, the real stone but one refraction. It is claimed that there is no acid J, having any perceptible effect upon a genuine diamond. Hydrofluoric acid will, if dropped upon a stone made of glass, corrode it, but upon the bona fide stone it will have no effect at all, Harper's Weekly. |