Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-01-23

to be congratulated, for best beyond
measure is ne or she who asks nothing
of Congress, for verify, it will DO granted
in great abundance. The pathway to
legislative favor, while not always
strewn with thorns, is seldom strewn
with roses. Success crowns effort only
after industry, energy, persistencv, and
perhaps intrigue. Vexatious delays
generally ripen into final defeat for the
great majority of private or business
claims against the Government, while
now and then one brings joy to the
claimant.
If measure can be speedily reached,
it stands some chance Of going through,
occasionally. if it is backed by favor
able report. But once let it be buried
in the avalanche of bills that fall dead
with the adjournment of Congress, its
chances of passage thereafter are greatly
lessened.
tits in order OF any time after the Or
ganization of Congress for members of
either branch to introduce bills. The
bulk of them are introduced on days,
usually Monday. set apart for that pur-
pose. The list of States is called in
the House in alphabetical order, aud
members send to the Speakers desk
such bills as they desire to introduce.
The Speaker decides what committee
they shall be referred to, unless some
one objects, and then the House decides
for itself. The bill is read by it's title
only the first time, and this constitutes
what is termed "the first reading of the
bill" A moment later, if no objection
is made, the bills title is read again,
and it is referred to the appropriate
committee. IT it is desired to delay
proceedings, the full reading NAV he
demanded. Nine-tenths of ali bills in
troduced, however, are read by title
only, the first and second times, by the
unwritten law of general consent.
When this has been done the journal
clerk at the desk puts upon the bill
certain marks and the name of the COM
mitteet to which it is referred. The next
step is to send the bill to the bill clerk,
who gives it a number, and copies its
tltlein large book, where it's future
status will be recorded from time to
time. It is next "journalized" in
another big book kept by the journal
clerk. This is merely record of the
number, title, and reference Of the bill,
and the name of the member who intro
duced it. A duplicate is printed in the
Congressional Record of the following
morning. The DILL is then taken by the
distributing clerk, why takes it to the
committee who is to to have charge of
it, and gets a receipt from the clerk of
the committee that it has been duly
placed in his care.
The committee room is where its fate
is determined. Here is where it is
picked to pieces" hearings given to in
terested parties, arguments made pro
and con, counsel allowed to advocate or
condemn, reports written, and recon-
mendations made. If it meets the ap
probation of a majority of the members
OF the committee, favorable report is
made, and its passage recommended. It
is then placed upon the calendar" of
the House, which is simply q list of bills
reported from the several committees
These bills are numbered on the calen.
dsr and taken therefrom by the House
Is they are reported in numerical order.
hence there is always struggle to be |
first, or as near to No. / as possible. |
The House can take up any bill it pleases
tor consideration. but it requires q two