Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-01-26
HOW CONGRESS PASSES A BILL.
Its Journey from Inception To Tn,
Hand of the President.

It's Journey from Inception 10 the
Hand of the President.
We have been requested, says tho
Youths Companion, to describe the
process by which Congress changes a
bill" that Is, u measure in the form of
an act, into an "act," or u law. Before
we do 80 II will be well to remark that
all bills do not go through every step of
the process. There are short cuts. by
which the enactment of bills to which
there Is no objection can be facilitated.
a bill. unless 1t Is one which in.
creases or diminishcs the revenue. may
originate In either House of Congress.
In order to exhibit the process In full,
we will follow the imaginary fortunes
of q tariff bill. which can originate In
the House of Representatives only.
We Will suppose that some member
Introduces n bill to put steel pens on
the free list The import duty IL now
eight cents per gross, or one.sixtccntl,
of II cent each; and the revenue In 1909
was less than $4,000.
The bill Is referred, as a matter Of
course. to the Committee on Ways and
Means. and II will never be heard from
again unless that committee reports II
back. A motion Is sometimes made Il
discharge n committee from the con.
sidcration of n certain subject. and TO
bring the matter directly before the
House. But such u motion Is rarely or
never carried.
1t has been decided that the refer.
cncc of any part of the tariff to n com.
mittce involves the reference of the
whole subject. Accordingly the Ways
and Means Committee may report Il
full tariff bill as a substitute for the
bill to make steel pens free Of duty.
When the committee reports the bill
1t IL read twicc"--that IL, the title of
the bill Is rcad--rcferrcd to the commit.
tee of the whole. and ordered to be
printed. All revenue and appropria.
ton bills go to the committee of the
whole, under the rules Of the House.
In a day set for the consideration of
the bill. the House goes into committee
OF the whole. A chairman. appointed
by the Speaker, presidcs. The bin IL
read by sections and clauses. after gen
ernl debate has closed. ana any men,
Der may offer amendments. All voting
In committee Is by rising; the yeas and
nays are not taken.
When the bill has been gone through
and all amendments have been voted
upon. the committee rises and the
Chairman reports the hill back to the
House with the amendments. The
House then votes upon them. either
slngly " In gross, and by yeas and nays
II they are ordered to bc taken.
The bill Is then ordered to he cngross.
cd. that Is, written out In q fair hand
just rs 1t Is after being amended. and
to be read n third time. As It IL usu.
ally already engrossed It IL mt once read
the third time-by title, rs beforehand
passed.
The Clerk takes the bill to the Senate.
by which body It IL referred to the III.
nance Committee. In due time the com.
mittce, if II sees fit, ana not otherwise.
reports the bill back to the Senate,
with propositions to amend. In the
Senate the bill IL considered las IN
of the wliolc:" the amend.
nents of the Finance Committee and
other volunteer amendments are nc.
ccptcd or rejected; they are again
voted upon when the bill II reported
10 the senate from the committee of the
whole. and the bill II passed.
AS the two houses are not agreed upon
he bill, n committee of conference,
Usually consisting of three members
II each branch of Congress, IL appoint.
ri. Tho committee. when II has come
o an agreement, reports to each House;
mi tho acceptance of the report IL the
inal stage of the bin IN Its passage.
Tho measure IL now enrolled" that
$. 1t Is printed IN large, open type upon
ana Is taken first to the
House. where 1t IL signed by tho
speaker; then to the Senate. where he
iicc President signs It; and finally to
he President, whose approval COM
,lctes the process, and makes the bill
! law.
Congress IL notified that the bill has
Deen approved, and the original copy
Il the net IL deposited In the office of
he Secretary of State.