St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-04-01
WHAT CONGRESS IS
0o Not a. Wen Underztood a
They Should Ba.


lOF the information OF people,
woo although fully informed upon
subject within the range of their
aness experiences, are not wholly
onversant with affairs At the national
Apitol To the majority Of general
eeoers the facts contained in this let
VIII not be new; yet, to tho younger
petrons Of the paper the facts presented
wiii prove beneficial, and probably in
tcrcsting.
During sessions Of congress It is not
IN unusual thing for habitues of the
eapstol to have experiences similar to
me following. An elderly gentleman
entering the main door of the house of
representatives to-day said: "What IL
this placer" Upon being informed
that 1t Is the house of representatives,
that all the little desks with revolving
enaaTs before them are occupied by the
representatives, and that upon the
platform opposite him is the chair and
dosk Of Speaker Crisp. he inquired:
"Where Is congress?" This inquiry
having been answered with the explain
stion that this is one part of the capi-
tol set apart for congress, and that the
other part is in the senate chamber, ut
the other end of the capitol, he said:
have been there. I have seen the
senate. and now see the house, but
wont you please tell me where con-
grcss is?"
This old gentleman was by no means
m ignorant man. lie looked like
well-to-do country merchant, and he is
but type of certain respectable class
who do not understand what congress
h. There are two houses of congress,
the house of representatives and the
senate. Representatives are elected
every two years. The members of the
present house Of representatives will
serve until noontime ON the 9Th dny Of
next March, when their terms of serv-
Ice will expire. They will no more be
representatives In the house after that
date than il they had never been sent
there. unless they were recently re
elected by direct vote of the people.
Under the constitution the senate and
house of representatives meet, In con-
gress assembled, ON the first Monday of
December. every year. From this fact
there has arisen a popular fallacy that
10bcyz Of congress commence their
tofms in December. Members Of con-
Xress commence their terms, both in the
senate and in the house. 1t noon the
eth day of March. The representa-
lives hold their positions for two years,
commencing and ending on March Z.
You will understand this better when
your attention IS called to the fact that
our presidents commence their terms in
March. For example. Grover Cleveland
will be inaugurated upon the 9Th of
March next At the same day and 1t tho
same hour with the beginning of new
executive administration = new con-
gress commences to exist The repre-
sentatives whose terms then begin are
elected to serve their people until March
q 1895. BY that time another election
viii have been held, and representatives
chosen TO succeed those who constitute
the house of Representatives for the
Eifty-third congress.
The senate. which Is . coordinate
branch of congress. docs not altogether
expire 1T any one time. The senators
are not elected by direct vote Of the
people. but by the legislatures of the
several states. and each senator il
elected for n term Of six years. You
will therefore understand that while the
representatives whose terms commence
on the 9Th of next March. will serve
only until March 4. 1895. the senators
whose terms commence at the same