James Parton, The life of Horace Greeley

The House met after recess at six--the seats soon filled, the lobbies and galleries densely crowded.

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(Members struggled in wild tumult for the floor.

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A vehement yell of “Mr. Speaker!” rose from the scores who jumped on the instant for the floor.

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Here the effect of the Previous Question was exhausted, and the wild rush of half the House for the floor — the universal yell of “ Mr. Speaker!” was renewed.

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The House, still intensely excited, proceeded very irregularly to other business-mainly because they must await the Senate's action on the Thomson substitute.

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At length—after weary watching till five o'clock in the morning, when even garrulity had exhausted itself with talking on all manner of frivolous pretexts, and relapsed into grateful silence—when profligacy had been satiated with rascally votes of the public money in gratuities to almost everybody connected with Congress, &c., &c.,—word came that the Senate had receded altogether from its Walker amendment and everything of the sort, agreeing to the bill as an Appropriation Bill simply, and killing the House amendment by surrendering its own. Close on its heels came the Senate's concurrence in the House bill extending the Revenue Laws to California; and a message was sent with both bills to rouse Mr. Polk (still President by sufferance) from his first slumbers at the Irving House (whither he had retired from the Capitol some hours before), and procure his signature to the two bills. In due time—though it seemed very long now that it was broad daylight and the excitement was subsiding—word was returned that the President had signed the bills and had nothing further to offer, a message having been sent to the Senate, and the House was ready to adjourn; Mr. Winthrop made an eloquent and affecting address on relinquishing the Chair; and the House, a little before seven o'clock in the bright sunshine of this blessed Sunday morning—twice blessed after a cloudy week of fog and mist, snow and rain without, and of fierce contention and angry discord within the Capitol-adjourned sine die.

The Senate, I understand, has not yet adjourned, but the latter end of it had gathered in a bundle about the Vice-President's chair, and was still passing extra gratuities to everybody—and if the bottom is not out of the Treasury, may be doing so yet for aught I know. Having seen enough of this, I did not go over to their chamber, but came wearily away.

March 5th. One more glimpse ought to be given at the House