Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-02-16
HOW CONGRESS PASSES A BILL.
Its Journey from Inception to the
Hand of the President.


Its Journey from Inception to the
Hand of the President.
We have been requested, says the
Youths Companion, to describe the
process by which Congress changes a
bill, that is, measure in the form of
an act, into an TACT" or a law. Before
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 10 objection can be facilitated.
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 a tariff bill, which can originate in
the House of Representatives only.
We will suppose that some member
introduces a 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 a matter of
course. to the Committee on Ways and
Means, and it will never be heard from
again unless that comr'ittee reports it
back. A motion is sometimes made te
discharge a committee from the. con-
sideratiOn of a certain subject, and to
bring the matter directly before the
House. But such a motion is rarely or
never carried.
1t has been decided that the refer
ence of any part of the tariff to com
mittee involves the reference of the
whole subject Accordingly the Ways
and Means Committee may report
full tariff bill as a substitute for the
bill to make steel pens free of duty.
When the committee reports the bill
it 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 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
eral debate has closed and any mem
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 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 it 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 before and
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
mittee, 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 ac-
cepted or rejected; they are again
voted upon when the bill is reported
to the Senate from the committee of the
whole, and the bill is passed.
AS the two houses are not agreed upon
the bill, a committee of conference,
usually consisting of three members
of each branch of Congress, is appoint
ed 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 it's passage.
The measure is now enrolled" that
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
pIetes the process, and makes the bill
a 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.