The Detroit times., 1910-12-06

measure II Is only 100 easy W MIC
place one. Congress tries al All
times to forefend itself against error
When bill is introduced in the
senate, the senator introducing IL
rises, addresses the chair. anu an
nounces that he offers the bill. y
page then carries IL to the desk OF
the principal legislative clerk. Inc
president OF the senate announces
the bill and says, without objection
il will be referred TO such and such
committee. After the Legislative
clerk has recorded the bill in the
senate journal. IL Is sent 10 the Dill
clerk. who permits the offcial re
porters OF the senate TO copy IL TOT
the Record. The bill clerk next en-.
ters II In his record by number ana
title. after which il is carried to the
government printing office. In the
house the procedure is much tho
same. except that all bills arc lald
in a basket called the hopper, by
the members Offering them. The
clerks take them from the hopper
and make the usual records.
The government printing office re-
ceives the bill AS prepared by tho
senator or member introducing II. a
senate bill. II 1t is or general inter.
est. is called a public bill and GO
copies are printed. III II Is merely
10 give someone a pension or to al
low some aggrieyed person damages
or other relief, II Is called private
bill and only. 300 copies are printed
These copies are distributed TO the
document rooms and other places
where tiles OF bills introduced are
kept. TWO copies OF each bill are de
livered TO the bill clerks OF the TWO
houses and two copies to the dis
tributing clerks-one for Ming, and
the other for delivery 10 the com
nittee to which the bill has been
referred.
When the committee receives a
bill it's clerk notifies the members
OF that committee that meeting
will be held on date set by the
chairman. IL the committee thinks
the bill unworthy OF the attention oil
the senate II Is "pigeonholed' and
usually that is It's deathknell. II the
committee thinks the bill deserves
such fate. ii votes TO report the
bill adversely. and II il meets with
favor IT is reported as II stands or
with amendments Sometimes a
committee attempts 10 pigeonhole a
bin when a member OF the senate
thinks 1t should not be. He Is priv
ileged TO move the discharge OF the
committee III committee Is dis
charged the senate may settle the
matter At other times, commit
tee may make report which does
not suit the senate and the senate
may decide TO recommit TO the com
mittee. with instructions 10 bring II
out in a certain shape. When the
bill is favorably reported IL goes
through the same routine as when
II was introduced A report accom-
panies the bill and IT may be a re
port OF one page or OF several hun
dred pages. just as d bill may vary
I'm length. Eleven hundred copies OF
the reports of committees are print
ed.
When q bill has been reported by
a committee il goes TO the single cal
endar of the senate, there TO take It's
turn or to be brought out OF It's reSu
lar order by unanimous consent. The
house has three calendars-the
House, the Union, and the Unanl
nous Consent Calendar, which rem
der the legislative program OF the
two bodies different at this point
When the senate passes a bill 1t Is
printed on heavy blue paper. one
cory being retained in the senate and
the other copy in the house. The
act of passing II is recorded, after
which IL Is sent TO the enrolling
clerk. where II Is enrolled and nVe
blue paper prints ordered. One copy
Is signed by the secretary OF the
senate, and one OF the senate Officers
carries II 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
cally the same machinery il passed
through In the senate. II the house
agrees with the senate In toto. the
enacted measure is sent to the ell
| rolling 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 whor
the enrolling clerk has finished com
pairing it with previous drafts IL goes
IN the government printing Office
When Il comes back II Is again reac
and compared, and is then sent tt
the committee on enrolled DIS
where il is examined once more ant
the q. X. OF that committee placed
upon II through a report entered II
the journal. -,
Then the vice-president and the
sneaker OF the house sign the bill and
~ is carried TO the white house ioi
the approval or disapproval OF tn,
nresident. But II the senate and
house are not able TO agree on the
measure. there comes struggle th''
,s sometimes fierce and long drawn
ont 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. In
point of service. These six men fight
IL out Sometimes they fight for
L