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Memorial address on the life and character of Abraham Lincoln
Memorial address on the life and character of Abraham Lincoln Author:George Bancroft Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: APPENDIX. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at 10.30 p. m. on the 14th of April, 1865, and died at 7.20 a. m. the next day. Congress was not in session, but a ... more »large number of members hastened to the Capitol on the receipt of the startling intelligence, and on the 17th a card was published by Senator Foot, inviting those Senators and Representatives who might be in the city the next day to meet at the Capitol, to consider what action they would take in relation to the funeral ceremonies. The members of the 39th Congress then in Washington met in the Senate reception room, at the Capitol, on the 17th of April, 1865, at noon. Hon. Lafayette S. Foster of Connecticut, President pro tern, of the Senate, was called to the chair, and the Hon. Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, Speaker of the House in the 38th Congress, was chosen secretary. Senator Foot, of Vermont, who was visibly affected, stated that the object of the meeting was to make arrangements relative to the funeral of the deceased President of the United States. On motion of Senator Sumner, of Massachusetts, a committee of four members from each house was ordered to report at 4p.m., what action would be fitting for the meeting to take. The Chairman appointed Senators Sumner of Massachusetts, Harris of New York, Johnson of Maryland, Eamsey of Minnesota, and Conness of California, and Representatives Washburne of Illinois, Smith of Kentucky, Schenck of Ohio, Pike of Maine, and Coffroth of Pennsylvania; and on motion of Mr. Schenck, the Chairman and Secretary of the meeting were added to the Committee, and then the meeting adjourned until 4 p. m. The meeting re-assembled at 4 p. m., pursuant to adjournment. Mr. Sumner, from the Committee heretofore appointed, reported that they had selected as pall-bearera on the part o...« less