The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-14
WANT To CHANGE
DATE OF CONGRESS
Bill Calling a New Congress
Into Session March 5 to
BE introduced
STRONG SENTIMENT : 8
IN FAVOR OF CHANGE

not Meet for Over Year After It's
Election Unless Called In Special
Session by the President.
i WASHINGTON, May IA move
mont to change the meeting date of
each newly eleeted congress will be
launched when the Seth congress meets
in extra session on Max 10. Represent
alive Clifton Nesmith Macarthur, a Re
publican from the Portland, Oregon,
district, now about to begin his third
term in congress, will, next Monday
introduce a bill to change the date.
The bill, which has been brought to
the attention of number of members
of congress who have pledged them
selves to support the innovation, will
provide that each elected congress shall
held it's first session on March ) imme-
diately following its election. At pres
ent congress elected in November does
not meet until December Of the follow
ing year, unless called into session soon
er by the President.
Mr.. Macarthur holds that the country
has grown to such an extent that two
sessions TO a congress, one short and
the other long, are not sufficient to
properly handle the nation s business
| The recent refusal of the President to
| call the congress into extra session
after the fourth of March, following
! the failure of important appropriation
and legislative measures, left congress
helpless as TO the matter of its own
meeting Mr. Macarthur feels that leg
islation should be enacted 10 obviate
! the recurrence Of such a condition.
! When Mr. Macarthur preached his
plan to some members they seemed to
think a constitutional amendment was
necessary. But he assured them the
change could be made by statute. The
constitution provides:
s'Article |, Section ", Paragapl
| D.; The congress shall assemble al
least once in every year, and such meet
4 ing shall be on the first Monday in De
eember, unless they shall, by law ap
) point n different day.
i Mr. Macarthur holds that this para
! graph expressly eonfers on congress TN,
power to enact legislation fixing III,
; day for the meeting of congress, TIL
: precedents were consulted, and it wa
; found that the first congress by law
: appointed for its second meeting ia,
; later than the day fixed by The consti
tuition.
The first congress met on March 4
! 1889, in. accordahce with a resolution 0
he Continental congress. This session
{, continued until Sept %, 1889. Befor
I adjourning, the following law was en-
t acted, being approved Sept. %. 1889
: "That after the adjournment of tn
: present session. the next meeting o
| congress shall be on the first Monda
in January next.
Thus the law fixed the date later tina
I the first Monday in December, specific
/ by the constitution The third sessio
:, began on the constitutional day, til
: first Monday in December, 1920 Al
d parently some doubt had existed as t
II whether the constitution would requir
e a meeting on that day, for on Aug. Il
$ near the close. of the second session
s the house journal recorded resolutio
II from tile senate asking concurrence {
e the house IN senate resolution pre-
n viding that congress meet on the frs
L Monday of The following Decembel
n The house agreed to the senate resoll
e ton
t The precedents also show that earl
= congresses, having by law met on a da
o earlier than the constitutional dav. r
II manned in session to a time beyond II
e gress assembled on the day constitl
1ol Ia
Is had already held a session that yea
and that the early laws fixing the tin
n for the meeting of congress specific
II the day, but not the hour At the fir
ot session of the first congress a law W;
&C enacted providing "that after the ;
h of March. next, the first annual nee
= ing of congress shall be on the four
81 Monday of October next.
AZ Accordingly the first session of Il
DC second congress met Oct. "a, 1871, al
5. continued in session until May s, 179
"a No attention was paid to Monday, De
lie 5, 1871, the day appointed for the a
sembling, of congress ordinarily.
al this first session of the second congre
re law was enacted. approved, May
~ 1892, providing ct that after the a
v journment of the present session t
~ next annual meeting. of congress sh;
n be the first Monday in Novemb
ag next. ,, s H.
'l- Many other precedents may be cit
u There is. even a precedent. where ID
Is congress having by law provided til
e for the meeting of the next cengre:
that congress. nevertheless met at
earlier day ON call of the President