The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-06

III the multltuue kJSxg%9
OF amendments sssE
written into big
measure II Is only too easy 10 mis-.
place one. Congress tries al all
times TO forefend itself against error
When a bill Is introduced In the
senate, the senator introducing IL
rises. addresses the chair, and an
nounces that he offers the bill.
page then carries II TO the desk OF
the principal legislative clerk. Inc
president of the senate announces
the bill and says, without oblecuoh
Il Will be referred to such and such
committee. After the legislative
clerk has recorded the bill in the
senate journal, II 10 sent TO the Dill
clerk. who permits the official re-
porters OF the senate TO copy II TOT
the Record. The bill clerk next en-
tiers II In his record by number ana
title. after which II Is carried TO the
government printing office. In the
! house the procedure Is much the
same. except that all bills are laid
in a basket called the hopper, oy
the members Offering them. Inc
clerks take them from the hopper
and make the usual records.
The government printing once re-
ceives the bill as prepared by the
senator or member introducing IL. A
senate bill. II IL is OF general inter
est. is called q public bill and $40
COPIES are printed. II II Is merely
TO give someone a pension or to al
low some aggrieved person damages
| or other relief. IL is called private
bill and only 300 copies are printed
These copies are distributed to the
document rooms and other places
where files OF bills introduced are
kent Two COPIES OF each bill are de-
livered 10 the bill clerks or the TWO
houses and two copies to the dis,
tributing clerks--one for filing, and
the other for delivery 10 the COM
nittee 10 which the bill has been
| referred.
When the committee receives a
! bill its clerk notifies the members
of that committee that a meeting
will be held on a date set by the
chairman II the committee THINKS
the bill unworthy OF the attention OF
the senate II 10 "pigeonholed and
usually that is it's deathknell. III the
committee thinks the bill deserves
such a fate. IL votes to report the
bill adversely, and II 1t meets with
favor 1t is reported as II stands or
with amendments. sometimes
committee attempts TO pigeonhole
bill when a member OF the senate
thinks il should not be. He is priv
ileged TO move the discharge OF the
committee. II committee Is as
charged the senate may settle the
matter. AT other times, commit
tee may make report winch does
not suit the senate, and the senate
NAV decide TO recommit TO the com
mjttee. with instructions TO bring IL
out I'm a certain shape. When the
bill Is favorably reported II goes
through the same routine as when
II was introduced. A report accom-
NAMES the bill and II may be a re-
port OF one page or OF several nun
dred pages. just as bill may vary
in length. Eleven hundred copies OF
the reports OF committees are print
ed
When a bill has been reported by
n committee IL goes TO the single cal
endar OF the senate. there TO take lts
turn or TO be brought out OF its regu-
lar order by unanimous consent. Inc
house has three calendars-the
House. the Union. and the IMAM
nous Consent Calendar. which rem
der the legislative program OF the
two bodies different at this point.
! When the senate passes a Dill IL Is
nrinted on heavy blue paper, one
COPY being retained in the senate and
the other copy in the house. Inc
act of passing It Is recorded, after
which IL Is sent to the enrolling
clark where IL is enrolled and 1--WE
blue-paper prints ordered one copy
"a signed by the secretary OF the
.anate and one of the senate officers
carries Il over TO the house. Every
thing stops while he makes a pro
found bow and announces the con
tents of his message from the sen
ate" The speaker lays the embryo
act before the house, referring the
measure to the appropriate commit
tee.
Then Il goes through almost identi,
callv the same machinery 1t passed
through in the senate. IL the house
agrees with the senate in toto, the
enacted measure is sent to the en-
rolIing clerk after the house has re
turned the call of the senate with
the announcement to the latter body
that Il has passed sundry bills" The
house returns the measure and when
the enrolling clerk has finished com
naring IL with previous drafts 1t goes
70 the government printing office
! when Il comes back II Is again read
and compared. and Is then sent 10
i tho committee on enrolled bills
yhara Il il examined once more and
Tho a X. OF that committee placed
upon Il through a report entered 1T
the Journal.
Then the vice-president and the
.naaker OF the house sign the bill and
81 O. carried to the white house for
tho approval OF disapproyal OF the
nreaident But II the senate and
bouse are not able to agree on the
measure. there comes struggle thar
Ga sometimes fierce and long drawn
on, The side that last acts on the
measure requests a conference on the
disagreeing votes OF the two houses,
and three men are appointed by each
house. One OF these Is the chairman
of the committee that had charge of
the bill. The other two are the old
est Republican and the oldest Demo
cratic member OF the committee, i'm
point OF service These six men fight
II out. Sometimes they fight for
hourn. sometimes for DAYS and oc.