The Gilded Age by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

by one and weaken their party, for they had no personal stake in the

bill.

Sunset came, and still the fight went on; the gas was lit, the crowd in

the galleries began to thin, but the contest continued; the crowd

returned, by and by, with hunger and thirst appeased, and aggravated the

hungry and thirsty House by looking contented and comfortable; but still

the wrangle lost nothing of its bitterness. Recesses were moved

plaintively by the opposition, and invariably voted down by the

University army.

At midnight the House presented a spectacle calculated to interest a

stranger. The great galleries were still thronged–though only with men,

now; the bright colors that had made them look like hanging gardens were

gone, with the ladies. The reporters’ gallery, was merely occupied by

one or two watchful sentinels of the quill-driving guild; the main body

cared nothing for a debate that had dwindled to a mere vaporing of dull

speakers and now and then a brief quarrel over a point of order; but

there was an unusually large attendance of journalists in the reporters’

waiting-room, chatting, smoking, and keeping on the ‘qui vive’ for the

general irruption of the Congressional volcano that must come when the

time was ripe for it. Senator Dilworthy and Philip were in the

Diplomatic Gallery; Washington sat in the public gallery, and Col.

Sellers was, not far away. The Colonel had been flying about the

corridors and button-holing Congressmen all the evening, and believed

that he had accomplished a world of valuable service; but fatigue was

telling upon him, now, and he was quiet and speechless–for once. Below,

a few Senators lounged upon the sofas set apart for visitors, and talked

with idle Congressmen. A dreary member was speaking; the presiding

officer was nodding; here and there little knots of members stood in the

aisles, whispering together; all about the House others sat in all the

various attitudes that express weariness; some, tilted back, had one or

more legs disposed upon their desks; some sharpened pencils indolently;

some scribbled aimlessly; some yawned and stretched; a great many lay

upon their breasts upon the desks, sound asleep and gently snoring.

The flooding gaslight from the fancifully wrought roof poured down upon

the tranquil scene. Hardly a sound disturbed the stillness, save the

monotonous eloquence of the gentleman who occupied the floor. Now and

then a warrior of the opposition broke down under the pressure, gave it

up, and went home.

Mr. Buckstone began to think it might be safe, now, to “proceed to

business.” He consulted with Trollop and one or two others. Senator

Dilworthy descended to the floor of the House and they went to meet him.

After a brief comparison of notes, the Congressmen sought their seats and

sent pages about the House with messages to friends. These latter

instantly roused up, yawned, and began to look alert. The moment the

floor was unoccupied, Mr. Buckstone rose, with an injured look, and said

it was evident that the opponents of the bill were merely talking against

time, hoping in this unbecoming way to tire out the friends of the

measure and so defeat it. Such conduct might be respectable enough in a

village debating society, but it was trivial among statesmen, it was out

of place in so august an assemblage as the House of Representatives of

the United States. The friends of the bill had been not only willing

that its opponents should express their opinions, but had strongly

desired it. They courted the fullest and freest discussion; but it

seemed to him that this fairness was but illy appreciated, since

gentlemen were capable of taking advantage of it for selfish and unworthy

ends. This trifling had gone far enough. He called for the question.

The instant Mr. Buckstone sat down, the storm burst forth. A dozen

gentlemen sprang to their feet.

“Mr. Speaker!”

“Mr. Speaker!”

“Mr. Speaker!”

“Order! Order! Order! Question! Question!”

The sharp blows of the Speaker’s gavel rose above the din.

The “previous question,” that hated gag, was moved and carried. All

debate came to a sudden end, of course. Triumph No. 1.

Then the vote was taken on the adoption of the report and it carried by a

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