Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-28
THE RECORDS OF CONGRESS-By Frederic j. Haskin

! although they cannot be accepted in this
class.
The first records of the proceedings of our
own Congress were Semi-off1cial, beginning
in 184S. An organ called the Congressional
Globe was published with accounts of the
proceedings of the House and Senate as near
ly exactly recorded as was possible then. The
relay system first introduced in England was
employed in reporting the debates of Con-
gress. ,@ r.
Records of Congressional talk and action
before this date were compiled from news
papers and other unofficial sources by JOS
eph Gales. His son succeeded him in this
work, forming a partnership with one Will
liam Seaton. They published paper called
the "Intelligencer." This publication carried
accounts of some speeches and debates and
compilations of earlier records until the es-
Enlistment Of the Congressional Globe" in
1848. The younger Gales reported the two
principal speeches made by Daniel Webster.
Young Gales and his partner covered the
proceedings of both the Senate and House.
In 1878 Congress formally took over the
job of reporting it's own proceedings. Then
it was that the Congressional Record was es-
tabllshed, which appears now every morning
during sessions of Congress, With the prior
days legislative history in it. The whole
stenographic reporting staff of the semi-off-
cial "Globe," was taken over when the Rec
ord was inaugurated.
Today in both the Senate House six
official reporters are responsible for getting
into the Record everything that occurs The
relay system, developed to a high point of
efficiency, is employed. No definite period for
taking notes on the floor is assigned to the
men, but each man signals for relief after
he has taken notes which in his judgment
will, when printed, amount to column and
half in the Congressional Record.
High Speed in Transcription
AS soon as he is relieved, the official re-
porter goes to his office and makes wax talk
ing machine records of what he has in his
notes. These are put on racks, and tran
scr1bed by expert typists at top speed. These
sheets go to the Government Printing Office,
and the Record is printed from them. The
ward. This gives Congressman and Senators
an opportunity to revise and extend their
remarks.
"The system is so perfected in the House
of Representatives" Mr.. Gray said, THAT
even after the stormiest legislative days
there is no delay in getting the typewriter
copy to the Government Printing Office Be-
cause OF the relay system and the point of
perfection it has reached in Congress- when
the session ends after hours and hours of
continuous debate, the work of recording
what was said is done half an hour after
the adjournment of the House"
House official reporters have much
harder time than their colleagues in the
Senate. The Senate chamber is much small
er, there are but SO Senators whose faces
and voices the official stenographers must
know, and Senators as rule remain at their
desks when they talk. In the House it is not
uncommon to see an official reporter chasing
all over the noisy chamber during a give
and take talk in which scores of memhers
are participating