HISTORY No.10. American Senate Chamber.

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I was curious if the American Politicians had any old snuff customs in their Political Institutions. 

 The free snuff box for Members of Parliament in England has been mentioned a few times here.

I found quite a few references on Snuffhouse to      The Senate Chamber Snuff Boxes.    Just put      Senate Chamber   into the search.

 Some very interesting articles from our members are to be found.

I would just like to add my bit.

Taken from an English newspaper    December  1913.

        THE DISAPPEARING SNUFF.

The American Senate Chamber preserves

the tradition of the old snuff-taking days by

two snuff-boxes at the doors of the Senate

which are always there for the use of the

senators.  Although nobody appears to be

using the snuff, it is nevertheless used by

 somebody. It is the duty of two specified

pages to keep the boxes filled, and it has

been found that they have to be refilled at

least once in two weeks. No one has ever

been seen to take the snuff, although close

watch has been kept, but nonetheless  the

snuff disappears.

…

ArtChoo s comment…

I wonder if American Politicians are as hypocritical as ours are,  having access to free snuff themselves, but putting obstacles in the way of growers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and ultimately us the consumers.

Scope for some American input on the subject.  Your chance to speak up folks.

…

Also from another paper expressing Charles Dickens repugnance at the state of the Senate floor from chewing tobacco and snuff dipping in the 1840s.

“Though I were to drop my purse on the floor of The United States Senate, I would not attempt to retrieve it without a gloved hand.”

 

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I think it’s almost universal regardless of your country - - our politicians are just as corrupt as yours. There are various degrees of course, and this can be colored by your own personal biases. There are very few men of honor and integrity serving in Congress anymore. I can’t explain why they come in with average wealth, stay in congress for decades, and leave as millionaires- - the job doesn’t pay THAT well. I would attribute your second post to the Englishman’s abhorrence for dipping. I highly doubt senators were hoarking loogies all over the place.

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The chewing tobacco spit on the carpets was a real problem in early America. I may write to my Senator (Burr) and ask about the snuff boxes and what brand of snuff they use.

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WickedPissah 

I Think the problem was from chewing tobacco and not snuff taking.

  It is still within living memory that some British public houses had sawdust on the floors in the bar, some butchers shops had sawdust down twenty years ago but that was for blood.   I think our busses still have signs inside  saying   SPITTING PROHIBITED   if not now, they did about fifteen years ago when I last used one.  In transport museums busses and railway carriages have the signs.

Spitting in America must have made an impression on Dickens, as spitting is mentioned in his book    Martin Chuzzlewit.    This was written a year or two after he returned from America, so it would be fresh in his mind.

It happens that I am halfway through reading it at the moment and I will quote part of a paragraph from it, when Martin is in New York.

Martin Chuzzlewit.  Chapter 16

In the further region of this banqueting hall was a stove, garnished on either side with a great brass spittoon,and shaped in itself like three little iron barrels set up on end in a fender, and joined together on the principle of Siamese Twins.   Before it, swinging himself in a rocking-chair, lounged a large gentleman with his hat on, who amused himself by spitting alternately into the spittoon on the right hand side of the stove, and the spittoon on left, and then working his way back again in the same order.

This is not the only book of his to mention spitting but it is a scene that he could easily have witnessed and remembered.

As for the senate, I doubt that there would have been a spittoon strategically placed for each seat. Hence the unsavoriness of the place.

In Britain up until the 1960s almost everyone had an open coal fireplace, and this was happily used for spitting in by the menfolk, but not in company or when visiting.

:-"

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JosephJames you must have posted that whilst I was typing up my long winded reply to WickedPissah

I think we are on the same lines,  Cheers.

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@ArtChoo I recall in a history class during my boyhood, the teacher told us the reason so few people were present at events like Constitution ratification, etc was because the carpets were soaked with tobacco spit and mildew. Things were more rough in those days. In my own state, eye goughing was a sport in the 1700s.

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American politicians are just as hypocritical as any other stripe of the same animal. But these days, it seems like there are lots of billionaires within the Presidential Cabinet, unless of course, it’s all untrue. In my mind, when I watch politicos, most of them seem to be rather dishonest. I’m sad to have to say that, but, that’s how it seems to me. Great bit of historical trivia! Sorry to rant off topic.

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@ArtChoo Has anybody figured out which snuff they use in the boxes at the house of lords? and what their snuff box looks like? I remember searching for this information awhile back and came up short.

Also a snuff box at the door wouldnt be too great for me, i’d be constantly going in and out every 10 minutes or taking a hand full and filling up my own private box, maybe this is where all the snuff goes.

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Aamon     I vaguely recall it was  Gawith Hoggarth  Rose.

but try this link

 www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/:          Type          snuff         into the search box.

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Test.