St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-05-04
HOW CONGRESS PASSES BILL.

The Tedious Process OF Putting . Meas
urc Through the House.
We have been requested to describe
the process by which congress changes
. ''bill," that is a measure in the form
of an act, into an ''act," or q law. Be-
fore we do so it will be well to remark
that all bills do not so 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 whiei in
creases or diminishes the revenue, may
In order to exhibit the process in PULL.
we will follow the imaginary for
tunes of a tariff bill, which can Jfigi-
nate in the house of representatives
only.
We will suppose that some member
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 1899
was less than scventy-five Thousand
dollars.
The bill is referred, as q mater of
course, to the committee on wayS and
means, and it will never be heard from
again unless that committee reports it
back. A motion is sometimes made to
discharge a committee from the consid-
GRAFTON of n certain subject, and to
house. But such motion is rarely or
never carried.
1t has been decided that the reference
of any part of the tariff to COMMITTEES
involves the reference of the whole
subject. Accordingly the ways and
means committee may report full
tariff bill us a substitute for the bill to
make steel pens free of duty.
When the committee reports the bill
it is ''rcad twice"-that is, the title OF
the bill is read-referred to the com
mittce of the whole, and ordered to be
printed. All revenue and appropri-
alton bills go to the committee of the
whole, under the rules of the house.
In day set for the consideration Of
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.
cral debate has closed, and any mem
ber may offer amendments. All voting
in committee is by rising; the yeas and
nays are not taken.
When the bill has gone through and
all amendments have been voted upon.
the committee rises and the chairman
Ixsl 10 he ,,
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 en-
crossed, that is, written out in a fair
hand just as it is after being amended.
and to be read y third time. AS it is
usually already engrossed it is at once
read the third time-by title. as before
and passed.
The clerk takes the bill to the senate
by which body it is referred to the
finance committee. In due time the
committee, if it sees fit, and not other
wise, reports the bill back to the sem
ate, 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 ac-
cepted or rejected; they are again voted
upon when the bill is reported to tho
senate from the committee of the
whole, and the bill is passed.
AS the two houses are not agreed up
on the bill, committee of conference,
usually consisting of three members of
each branch of congress, is appointed.
The committee, when it 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" that
is, it is printed in large, open type up
on parchment, and is taken first to the
house where it is signed by the speak
er; then to the senate, where the vice
president signs it; and finally to tho
president, whose approval completes
the process. and makes the bill 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.-Youth's Com
panion.