1. PRESIDING OFFICER RETAINS CHAIR WHEN SENATE IS IN In the earlier Congresses it was quite customary for the presiding call some member to the chair to preside during the sitting as in Com the Whole, but in more recent years it is the exception when such action 2. PROCEEDINGS IN, IN SENATE ARE UNIQUE. The proceedings in the Senate as in Committee of the Whole ar different from those in the British Parliament, the House of Represe and, in fact, from those of any other parliamentary body. The Sen governing is as follows: "RULE XV. All bills and joint resolutions which shall have recei readings shall first be considered by the Senate as in Committee of the after which they shall be reported to the Senate; and any amendments Committee of the Whole shall again be considered by the Senate, afte further amendments may be proposed. "When a bill or resolution shall have been ordered to be read a thi it shall not be in order to propose amendments, unless by unanimous but it shall be in order at any time before the passage of any bill or re to move its commitment; and when the bill or resolution shall again be r from the committee it shall be placed on the Calendar, and when again ered by the Senate it shall be as in Committee of the Whole.” Manual, Secs. XXVI, XXX.) (Jef 3. STANDING RULES GENERALLY APPLY IN. In practice the Senate as in Committee of the Whole considers the I matter, and upon the conclusion of their consideration the Presiding announces to the Senate that the Senate, as in Committee of the Who considered, etc., when the functions of the Committee of the Whole cease bill is then before the Senate, as it would have been if reported from a st or select committee. During the consideration of a measure as in Committee of the Who yeas and nays may be demanded and entered on the Journal; a mo adjourn, or take a recess, or postpone, or to commit, may be made as Senate. In fact, the parliamentary practice in the Senate gives evidenc when it is acting as a committee it is competent to do any act the Senate m Amendments proposed during such sitting are not noted upon the J unless the yeas and nays are taken thereon. If several amendments have been made as in Committee of the Whole customary for the presiding officer, when the measure is reported to th ate, to ask if any Senator desires separate action upon any amendme amendments. If not, the vote upon the amendments is taken togethe there are reservations, the vote is first taken upon all others agreed to Committee of the Whole, and then separate votes are taken upon the a ments reserved. This being done, the Presiding Officer pauses to give tin other amendments to the text of the measures and, when through, put question whether it shall be read a third time. ON MOTION MADE IN, TO REFER TO A SPECIAL COMMITTEE. fter progress in amending a measure in quasi committee a motion may be le to refer it to a special committee, and, if such motion prevails, it is ivalent in effect to a motion that the committee rise, that the Senate resume If, discharge the Committee of the Whole, and refer the bill to a special mittee. In that case the amendments already made fall. But if the motion s the quasi committee stands in statu quo, MENDMENT MADE IN, NOT SUSCEPTIBLE OF DIVISION IN THE SENATE. MAY 27, 1870. 1st Cong., 2d sess.; J., pp. 716, 717.] he Senate resumed the consideration of the bill (H. R. 974) making approtions for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses, etc., and the quesbeing on concurring in an amendment made in Committee of the Whole ative to the compensation and classification of female clerks, copyists, and ters, etc., and authorizing the heads of the several departments to appoint ], he amendment having been amended on the motion of Mr. Trumbull, a the question to concur in the amendment as amended, Mr. Hamlin called a division, so that it be first put on that portion of the amendment regulatthe compensation and classification of female clerks. he Vice-President (Mr. Colfax) stated that in the opinion of the Chair the ndment having been agreed to in Committee of the Whole, it was not susible of division, but that he would submit the question to the Senate. nd the question being put by the Chair," Is the amendment susceptible of sion?" it was determined in the negative. (See Cong. Globe, pp. 3890, -) MENDMENT MADE IN, MAY BE LAID ON TABLE IN THE SENATE. 3th Cong., 3d sess.; J., p. 231.] FEBRUARY 9, 1881. he Senate resumed the consideration of the bill (H. R. 6532) making approtions for the payment of invalid and other pensions, etc. e question being on the amendment proposed by Mr. Hoar to an amendt made in Committee of the Whole. ter debate, on motion made by Mr. Booth to lay the amendment made in mittee of the Whole on the table, Mr. Edmunds raised a question of order, that an amendment made in Committee of the Whole could not in the te be laid on the table. e Presiding Officer (Mr. Harris in the chair) overruled the question of r, and decided that the motion was in order. r. Edmunds appealed and the Chair was sustained. e question recurring upon the motion of Mr. Booth to lay the amendment he table, it was determined in the affirmative; yeas 27, nays 18. (See . Record, p. 1376.) COMMITTEES. 1. Order in which reports of, are called for. 2. Appointment and enumeration of. 3. Provisions in the rules regarding. 4. Resolutions for joint, need not be signed by President. 5. Can not submit two propositions for disposition in one report. 10. Subjects returned to, having them in charge at preceding special session. II. Motion to discharge, not in order in morning hour. Prior to December, 1816, all bills and joint resolutions, and other matters requiring such consideration, were referred to and reported upon by special committees appointed for the purpose. The different subjects treated of in the messages of the Presidents and the general appropriation bills were included in the measures thus referred. But three committees came into existence in the Senate prior to 1816: The Committee on Enrolled Bills, a joint committee composed of two members of the House of Representatives and one member of the Senate, the first Senate member being Mr. Wingate, appointed July 31, 1789; the Committee on Engrossed Bills, March 26, 1806, composed of three members, as now; and the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses, created November 4, 1807. On December 10, 1816, a resolution was agreed to making it a rule of the Senate that the following standing committees be appointed at each session: On Foreign Relations, Finance, Commerce and Manufactures, Military Affairs, the Militia, Naval Affairs, Public Lands, Claims, the Judiciary, the Post-Office and Post-Roads, and on Pensions. This list has been added to from time to time, as the necessities have seemed to require, until the present time, when there are seventytwo standing committees. The number of members of these committees, with few exceptions, has also been increased from time to time until many of the more important have as high as 13 members and at least one, the Committee on Commerce, has 17 members. These committees were originally elected by the Senate. In 1823, however, an effort was made to change the rule to provide for their appointment by the presiding officer, and in 1826 this was rescinded, in December of that year it was provided that the Senate elect chairmen, and then by one ballot choose the remaining members ne committees. ecember 24, 1828, the rule was again changed to provide for the pintment of the committees by the President pro tempore. In ral instances in the absence of the Vice-President the rule was ended and the President pro tempore elected to a chairmanship. rest of the committees were then appointed by the Chair. he practice then grew up of suspending the rule by unanimous ent and leaving the appointment of the committees to the Presiof the Senate, but at the first session of the Twenty-ninth Cons the Senate, after debate, refused to follow the custom and the nittees were elected. In 1838 and 1839 the committees were apted by unanimous consent. December 13, 1847, the rule was susled and a resolution was adopted assigning the members to nittees. In the Thirty-fourth Congress, 1855, a part of the comees were chosen by ballot and the rest by resolution. The pracof suspending the rule requiring the choice of the committees made by ballot, and determining the arrangement of committees solution, is now generally followed. here are certain committees, not classed as standing or special, se duties are perfunctory or for a limited period, that are apted at the beginning and end of a session of Congress. Of such the joint committees to wait upon the President of the United es, to inform him that a quorum of the two Houses is assembled ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make, at Congress is about to adjourn, etc., etc. onference committees are treated of under the heading of "CONNCE REPORTS" in this work. RDER IN WHICH REPORTS OF, ARE CALLED FOR. e order in which the Chair shall call for the reports of committees is 1 in Clause 1 of Rule VII, as follows: fter the Journal is read, the Presiding Officer shall lay before the Senate ges from the President, reports and communications from the heads of rtments, and other communications addressed to the Senate, and such bills, resolutions, and other messages from the House of Representatives as may in upon his table from any previous day's session undisposed of. The ding Officer shall then call for, in the following order: he presentation of petitions and memorials. eports of standing and select committees. The introduction of bills and joint resolutions. oncurrent and other resolutions. ll of which shall be received and disposed of in such order, unless unans consent shall be otherwise given." (Jefferson's Manual, Sec. XIV.) 2. APPOINTMENT AND ENUMERATION OF. Rule XXIV provides that the standing committees, unless otherwise shall be appointed by ballot, and also provides the method of filling v As stated in the introduction above, this method is no longer follow instead, the rule is suspended and the number of the committees, their ment, membership, etc., is determined by resolution. The enumeration of the standing committees to be named at the b of each Congress is contained in Clause 1 of Rule XXV. The second the same rule provides that "the Committees to Audit and Control tingent Expenses of the Senate, on Printing, and on the Library shall and have power to act until their successors are appointed." Manual, Sec. XI.) 3. PROVISIONS IN THE RULES REGARDING. (Je The following standing rules pertain to the parliamentary practice re committees: RULE XXVI. 1. When motions are made for reference of a subj select committee, or to a standing committee, the question of referen standing committee shall be put first; and a motion simply to refer shal open to amendment, except to add instructions. (Jefferson's Manua XXVI, XXXIII.) "2. All reports of committees and motions to discharge a committee f consideration of the subject, and all subjects from which a committee discharged, shall lie over one day for consideration, unless by unanimo sent the Senate shall otherwise direct." (Jefferson's Manual, Secs. XLIII.) "RULE XXVII. The presentation of reports of committees of conferen always be in order, except when the Journal is being read or a ques order or a motion to adjourn is pending, or while the Senate is dividin when received the question of proceeding to the consideration of the re raised, shall be immediately put, and shall be determined without d (Jefferson's Manual, Sec. XLVI.) 4. RESOLUTIONS FOR JOINT COMMITTEE NEED NOT BE SIGNI PRESIDENT. 19th Cong., 2d sess.; J., p. 28.] DECEMBER 8, 11 The House notified the Senate that it had passed a resolution for the a ment of a Joint Library Committee, and had appointed the members on it The Vice-President stated to the Senate that he entertained doubts w the last clause of the seventh section of the first article of the Constitu the United States and the twenty-fifth rule for the conducting of business Senate do not require that this resolution shall be treated, in all respect subject to be laid before the President of the United States for his ap He asked the sense of the Senate and the Senate decided it was not a resc of that character. It then concurred in the House resolution and nared mittee on its part. 5. CAN NOT SUBMIT TWO PROPOSITIONS UPON THE SAME QUES 21st Cong., 1st sess.; J., p. 150.] FEBRUARY 23, 18 \.. TV - - Jun. fuam tha Joint Committee on the I ibreur of Congrogg |