Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-07
Some Things You Want to Know
The American COngress-Prooedur in the Senate.

The senate is a continuing body. It
never goes out Of existence. There are
always more thar a majority sworn in and
ready to do business. Only a third OF the
members retire at a time. The house must
adopt its rules at the beginning Of every
congress; those Of the senate continue dur
ing the pleasure OF that body. The house
must originate all revenue measures,
though the senate may amend any revenue
measure to the extent Of striking out every
word after be it enacted. etc. and sub
stituting its own bill. This is a privilege
which the house has often denied. but the
senate has insisted upon it with complete
success.
It is frequently said that the house mas
the right Of originating all appropriation
bills, and that the senate may only amend
them as it does the revenue bills. This
superstition is encouraged by the procedure
that has come into use through custom
and not through law. For years it has
been the custom for the big supply bills,
making the appropriations for the main
tenance Of the government. to be origin
atsd in the house. through the committee
on appropriations. but the constitution
gives the two branches equal jurisdiction
over appropriations.
The senate is a great stickler for tradi-
tons. as is shown by its maintenance Of
snuff boxes to be used. if at all. only by
the ghosts OF another century, but it has
progressed much in the way Of rules and
in the estimation Of the country. The house
was regarded as the body OF more dignity
in the early days OF the republic. IN 1871
Henry Clay refused to be a candidate for
reelection to the senate. preferring to 20
to the house. Otis resigned a seat In the
senate to become mayor OF Boston, and
De Witt Clinton gave up his senatorial
career in order to serve as mayor OF New
York City.
At first the senate legislated behind
closed doors. Washington, in a letter to
David Stuart said he thought this course
was pursued in order to avoid speaking to
the galleries. a practice which he OBJ
served was much too common in the house.
At the second session Of the First con-
gress there were only two votes cast in
favor of opening the doors OF the senate
when in legislative session The doors
were not opened to the public until the
second session Of the Third congress. The
senate was very strict about the attend
ance of members while it was sitting. and
IL A senator was absent without excuse
for more than fifteen minutes, his name
was posted up on a slip Of paper and left
there until he chose to explain his absence
and to ask the senate to take it down.
The procedure Of the senate in legislative
matters is much more liberal to the
minority that that OF the house. While
divers ways and means are contrived by
a resourceful leader like Senator Aldrich
to keep his hand on the throttle and his
eye upon the rail, while the minority is
rendered innocuous in opposition; the right
to amend is never cut off. and the minority
is given the power to manufacture all the
political capital it's ability and acumen
will permit. That is why the great political
issues of the recent past have been made
up in the senate. There the majority can
not escape going on record-on any PROPOSE
ton upon which the minority is determined
that It shall be recorded.
1t is provided by the senate rules that a
senator may be required to vote on a
pending measure and several times ir
the history Of that body motions have beer
made to compe- senators to cast theiI
votes. But in every instance such an ef.
fort has failed, it being held that the
senate has no power to compel a senator
to vote il he wills not to do so. The
house cannot compel u member present tc
vote either, but by forcing him to hell
constitute a quorum although he abstain,
from voting, it has largely escaped the
predlcament in which the senate has some,
times found itself.
Most writer's who have studied the sub.
ject or the relative influence and import.
ance Of the senate and the house in tn,
affairs Of the government agree that tn,
secret of the ascendancy Of the senate oveI
the house is due more to the uberaIitv o
the rules under which it operates than t,
advantages conferred upon it by the con
stitution. Senatorial courtesy is re
sponsible for many evils, no doubt. but i
is a practice founded upon the spirit O
fair play which is a cardinal principle o
Anglo-Saxon peoples.
BY FREDERIC ].
Tomorrow AMERICAN CON
GREsS-Procedurs in the House.