The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-21
HOW CONGRESS PASSES A BILL
It's Journey from Inception to thu
Hand Of the President.

It's Journey from Inception to thu
| Hand Of the President.
We have been requested, ssys tn.
Youths Companion, to describe the
process by which Congress changes q
"biI," that Is, a measure In the form Of
an act into an "act," or law. Before
we do so 1t 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 it is one which In
creases or diminishes the revenue, may
originate IN either House Of Congress.
In order to exhibit the process IN full,
We will follow the imaginary fortunes
| Of tariff bill, which can originate IN
the House Of Representatives only.
We will suppose that some membe
introduces bill to put steel pens on
the free list. The import duty Is now
| eight cents per gross, or one-sixteenth
Of cent each; and the revenue in 1893
| was less than $4,000.
The bill Is referred, as q matter O.
| course. to the Committee on Ways and
| Means, and 1t will never be heard from
| again unless that committee reports 1t
back. A motion is sometimes made tt
discharge committee from the con.
sideration Of certain subject and to
bring the matter directly before the
House. But such q motion Is rarely OF
never carried.
1t has been decided that the refer
ence Of any part Of the tariff to a COM
mittee involves the reference Of the
whole subject. Accordingly the Ways
and Means Committee may report a
full tariff bill as a substitute for the
bill to make steel pens free Of duty.
When the committee reports the bill
1t is "read twice"-that is, the title Of
the bill Is read-referred 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 day set for the consideration o.
the bill, the House goes into committee
Of the whole. A chairman, appointed
by the Speaker, presides. The bill is
read by sections and clauses, after gen
eral debate has closed, and any men,
ber may offer amendments. All voting
in committee is by rising; the yeas ane
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 bill back to the
House with the amendments. The
House then votes upon them, either
singly or In gross, and by yeas and nays
If they are ordered to be taken.
The bill is then ordered to be engross-
ed, that Is, written out in a fair hand
Just as 1t is after being amended, and
to be read a third time. AS it Is usu-
ally already engrossed it IS at once read
the third time-by title, as beforehand
passed.
The Clerk takes the bill to the Senate.
by which body it Is referred to the Fl.
nance Committee. In due time the COM
mfttee, If it sees fit, and not otherwise,
reports the bill back to the Senate,
with propositions to amend. In the
Senate the bill Is considered "as In
committee Of the whole" the amend
ments Of the Finance Committee and
other volunteer amendments are &C
cepted or rejected; they are again
voted upon when the bill Is reported
to the Senate from the committee Of thu
whole, and the bill is passed.
AS the two houses are not agreed upoh
the bill, committee Of conference,
usually consisting Of three members
of each branch Of Congress, is appoint
ed. The committee, when 1t has come
to an agreement, reports to each House;
and the acceptance Of the report Is the
final stage Of the bill in Its passage.
The measure is now enrolled" thal
is, it is printed IN large, open type upon
parchment, and Is taken first to the
House, where it Is signed by the
Speaker; then to the Senate, where the
Vice President signs it; and finally to
the President whose approval COM
pletes the process, and makes the bill
6 law.
Congress is notified that the bill has
been approved, and the original copy
of the act is deposited in the Office Of
the Secretary Of State.