Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-06-03
HOW A LAW IS MADE
Mr.. STILLMAN COMPLETES INTERESTING
DESCRIPTION OF MAKING Law.
Different Stages Through which . Bill
Passes After Being Intredsced In the
House Of Representatives.

House Of Representatives
Washington. D. O., May 30.-Spe-
cial Correspondence Continuing the
narrative of "How Law is Made
the first section Of which appeared
| last week.
Representative never address each
fother by name in che House. but al
ways say: "The gentleman from
Massachusetts, or Iowa or Ohio. 20.
cordinR 70 the state he may be from.
II . reprssentative should become
angry or excited and say: "Mr. So
and.so." using ths mans surname.
the Speaker would whack his desk
with the gavel, and call the represent
ative to order.
At the end Of the general discussion
tho bill must be read BY sections. .
paragraph at time. for changes. il
amendments are desired. As each
paragraph is read by the clerk. any
member may offer an amendment.
TO do this the representative writes
on sheet OF paper what he thinks
the paragraph ought to be. and sends
it to the clerk who reads it so every
body can hear it. The representative
Offering the amendment may then talk
Ave minutes, and some member who
is opposed to the change may talk five
minutes. Then that amendment must
be voted upon at once. II the amend
ment is beaten. the paragraph in the
bill remains as it was at first, but il q
majority vote in favor Of the amend
ment then it takes the place Of the
original paragraph in the bill.
When all the paragraphs have been
read ana accepted or amended, the re-
preventative IN charge Of the bill
makes motion that the Committee
Of the Whole change to the House Of
Representative Then the speaker
takes his place again and the repre-
sentative who was chairman stands
|upen tha floor and says: "The Com
mittee Of the Whole has had under
|consideration House bill No. =. and
reports Il back with sandry amend
ments recommending that the bill
~ amended do pass. -
The speaker then says: 1.-THE ques-
tion 10 ON the adoption Of the amend
ments.' II the House votes in favor
Of adopting the amendments, the
speaker says: 1.-THE third reading of
the BILL Then instead Of reading
the entire bill. the name. only. is
read. which completes. according to
the rules, the ''third reading"
although in fact. ~ the reader will
have noticed. the bill has been read
in full but once.
Then the speaker says: "Shal the
bill pass; those in favor cay aye"
and everybody who 10 in favor Of the
bill cries AYE; "those opposed, say
mo- !" and everybody against the bill
cries "no.'' II tho bill 10 important
or the speaker cannot tell whether
there were moro "ayes' or more
''nos~ some representative asks that
the "yeas" and "nays'' be called.
Then the reading clerk calls the name
Of every member who votes yea" or
''nay'' and the tally clerk keeps
count. When all members have voted.
the yeas and nays arc added separately
and the speaker announces the fate of
the bill.
just before the final vote is taken
those opposing the bill may make
motion TO have 1t sent back TO the
hrst committee to be changed. but
this move does not usually amount to
anything and 10 voted down. This
motion 10 not often made. but when
resorted to 10 generally because the
minority wants to delay Or "filibust-
err ~ 10 is called.
The bill has now passed the House.
It 10 tEen printed, with ell the
changes that have been made in the
Committee Of the Whole.
The Chief CLERK Of the House then
takes the bill and goes to the Sena'e
chamber and announces in q loud
voice that the House has passed bill
No. -. and asks the Senate to agree
to the bill.
The House bill is then referred by
the President OF the Senate. who is
the Woe President OF the United
States. to Senate committee just as
1t was In the House at the beginning.
and from that time on the career OF
the bill in the Senate is almost the
same as 1t was In the House. In the
Senate committee the House bill is
taken mp and discussed. Those for or
opposed to the bill. whether members
OF she committee or not, may argue
for or against 1t. Thus 1t will be
seen that It 10 quite possible for bill
to worry its way through the rapids
and roNia in the H0us0 Onlv To be