Congress hall; . e House, both of themfrom New England, Matthew Lyon, of Vermont, and RogerGriswold, of Connecticut, had a series of rencontres, whichcaused much commotion and comment, and became the subjectof squibs and caricatures, and of at least two satires in verse,The Legislative Pugilists and The House of Wisdom in aBustle. On the 22d of January, while the House was votingfor members upon the committee to prosecute the impeachmentof Senator Blount, some allusion was made by Griswold to astory that Lyon, during the Revolutionary War, had been com-pelled to wear a wooden sword because of
Congress hall; . e House, both of themfrom New England, Matthew Lyon, of Vermont, and RogerGriswold, of Connecticut, had a series of rencontres, whichcaused much commotion and comment, and became the subjectof squibs and caricatures, and of at least two satires in verse,The Legislative Pugilists and The House of Wisdom in aBustle. On the 22d of January, while the House was votingfor members upon the committee to prosecute the impeachmentof Senator Blount, some allusion was made by Griswold to astory that Lyon, during the Revolutionary War, had been com-pelled to wear a wooden sword because of cowardice in thefield. Lyon made answer by spitting in his face. A motionwas made to expel Griswold, a committee was appointed toinvestigate, the committee reported a resolution in favor of theexpulsion of Lyon, and the House negatived the the 15th of February, while Lyon was writing at his desk,Griswold came up and hit him over the head and shoulders with 16 3 o CD o mz?j m 05 I r> Dmr T)I>. a club. Lyon managed to get hold of the tongs in use aboutthe stove, and, defending himself, they beat each other untilseparated. Some time afterward they met in an ante-room,and Lyon struck Griswold with a stick. Sitgreaves ran, andhaving found a hickory club, gave it to Griswold, but they wereagain separated. While the matter led to much discussion, nodefinite action was taken by the House. Perhaps the most interesting event in the history of thebuildingf was the inauguration of Washington as President ofthe United States on the 4th of March, 1793. The oath ofoffice was administered to him by Judge Cushing in the roomin which we are now sitting. Stansbury, in his Recollectionsand Anecdotes of the Presidents of the United States, hasgiven this description of the scene : I was but a school boy atthe time, and had followed one of the many groups of peoplewho, from all quarters, were making their way to the hall inChestnut Street at the corner of Sixth, where the two Hous
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidcongresshall, bookyear1895
