The States And Union

A Big Dance.

By unanimous consent the House concurrent resolutions granting the use of the rotunda and certain other portions of the capitol for the use of the managers of the inauguration ball was taken up.

Mr. Grimes asked an explanation.

Mr. Fessenden said the committee on public buildings and grounds had already considered this matter, and were all but unanimous in favor of it. It was for the unofficial ceremonies attending the inauguration, the ball, &c., and it was impossible for a building to be up large enough.

Mr. Sumner suggested the Patent Office; it had been used four years ago.

Mr. Cattell said the Patent Office was full of old traps, which could not be removed.

Mr. Pomeroy asked if there was any law which obliged a ball to be held.

Mr. Fessenden replied that there was a law so far as public opinion was concerned.

Mr. Cameron thought no good could come of this matter, and opposed the Senate taking any part in this useless pageant. He did not want any ball or any dance in these halls. When Jefferson was inaugurated he got on his horse, strode up to the capitol, hitched his horse to a stake and walked into the Senate chamber and took the oath, and then went home again.

Mr. Nye asked if there was anything to prevent Gen. Grant from doing the same thing if he could find the stake. (Laughter.)

Mr. Cameron was willing to pay his proportion of ball expenses; supposed it would cost them $30 apiece; he did not mind this but he did not want any of it in the Capitol. Four years ago we were disgraced in the chamber in the eyes of the world, and the foreign ministers insulted, and although he had no fear of a repetition of that scene, he thought it was better to avoid all these ceremonies. The next thing we might have a President who would come up here and demand to have a ball in the Capitol.

Mr. Trumbull thought it exceedingly inappropriate to hold a ball in this building. It was said that there would be no liquor in here, but he apprehended that liquor could be obtained very near, and it was not desirable to have any bacchanalian in the capitol.

Mr. Ferry thought it very meet to have a merry-making at the inauguration, and saw no objection to the ceremonies taking place here. The whole building would be under the control of the sergeants-at-arms of the two houses, who had a most efficient police under their charges.

Mr. Sumner said the question was not whether to have a ball, but whether the ball should be held in this Capitol. This resolution was essentially bad in itself, and would set a bad precedent. People would want to dance at other times than the inauguration, and there would be no end to the applications that would be made for the use of the Capitol for a dance.

Mr. Patterson, of New Hampshire, believed it would offend the prejudices of a large portion of the American people to give up this building to such a purpose. He would sooner dance in a tent.

Mr. Fessenden.--Can't get one big enough.

Mr. Patterson.--Well, then let them dance under the tent of Heaven.

Mr. Hendricks asked whether the Capitol had ever been used for a dance house?

Mr. Nye was sorry that the religious prejudices of the Senator from New Hampshire had been aroused, but they had scriptural authority for dancing. There had been dancing before the ark, dancing after coming out of the Red Sea, and various other times when dancing was permitted.

Mr. Doolittle asked if there had ever been dancing pursuits to act of Congress? [Laughter.]

Mr. Patterson, of New Hampshire, asked if it would not be proper to have an amendment providing for a show in connection with the other ceremonies: the Black Crook for instance.

Mr. Nye.--There have been many worse shows here than the Black Crook.

Mr. Doolittle asked if the Senator did not know that a large proportion of the people of the United States, who owned the Capitol as much as we were opposed to dancing --the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists particularly.

Mr. Nye was born a Presbyterian, was judicially a Baptist, by habit an Episcopalian, and by inclination a Methodist, (great laughter:) but despite all this, and old as he was, he felt like dancing himself. (Laughter.) He imagined that the great trouble with his friend Mr. Doolittle was that the dance was for General Grant. [Laughter.]

Mr. Cameron thought it would be much better for all concerned to have the ball somewhere else. No liquor were to be had here it is said, and this would make it very dull: for a dry dance is no dance at all. [Laughter.]

Mr. Conkling remarked that undoubtedly a large part of the American people would regard the giving up of this Capitol to a ball as a most inappropriate. The ball would be held of course, whether it was held here or not, and Gen. Grant could certainly be inaugurated in pursuance of the constitution and laws, even if no ball was held.

Mr. Fessenden could see no harm at all in letting the parties have the Capitol. His moral and religious sensibilities might be very obtuse; but he could see no danger in it, and those who thought the Capitol would be desecrated could stay away.

Mr. Wilson did not think it proper to give up the rotunda, where John Quincy Adams fell and our martyred President lay to the dance.

Mr. Yates would welcome the inauguration of General Grant with bonfires, and bells, and cannon, but he did want to give up the rotunda for a ball.

Mr. Morton believed it would be just as appropriate for the gentlemen having this ball in charge to apply to the vestry of any church in this city for the use of their church building for a ball as to ask for the rotunda. He had no objection to a ball whatever, but there was propriety in all things.

And then by a vote of 27 yeas to 3 nays, the Senate decided not to turn the Capitol into a ball room, drinking saloon, &c.