THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
On Monday, December 6th, the first regular session of the Fifty-fifth Congress began.
At twelve o'clock precisely the Senate and the House of Representatives were called to order by their respective presiding officers.
The usual form of business was then gone through.
After a prayer by the chaplain, both bodies appointed two members to inform the President that Congress was in session, and ready to receive any communication from him.
At half-past one the President's secretary presented the Message to the Senate, and a few minutes later handed another in to the House of Representatives.
The Message, which is President McKinley's first annual message, was listened to with the closest attention.
After a greeting to Congress, and congratulations on the good work done in the extra session last summer, the President took up the
Currency Question.—You will remember that he was very anxious to make some changes in our money system, which he did not consider satisfactory. He asked Congress to appoint a committee to examine into the subject, but Congress referred the matter to the Committee on Finance, and no special committee was appointed.