Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-12-29

W &|E& was AA0AC ARC a
palm leaf fan, he
having felt its ear; and the third said
it did not resemble either but was a
big hat object something like a stone
wall covered with a leathery skin
with some hair on it. Each was speak
ing from his own point of view ana
telling only of what he had senior
rather felt.
1t is that way with many things In
life. We see only a very small part,
yet having seen that, we think that we
are competent to judge, describe ana
criticise.
An hour or two In the gallery
would certainly give one a very lop-
sided view of congress. Yet many
come, look on for a few moments and
go away TO tell of congress as they
have seen it, a good deal as the blind
men told of the elephant and with
fully as much accuracy.
If you were a casual caller in the
gallery you might find the house full
of members, or only half full, or even
with only a few dozen present. You
might find It doing routine business
and as quiet and placid as q summer
calm; or excited to fever heat by a
partisan discussion between party
leaders, or in a storm Of agitation over
a question of personal privilege or the
exercise Of personal rights. The house
has its varying moods, as human be-
ings have. Sometimes II works along
doing business rapidly and as smooth
ly as clock work. And sometimes
everything seems 10 be on edge and
everybody on his nerves, when one
could hardly get an amendment
through To dot an So or cross Il ~
without a fight and a roll call.
Cannot Always Be on the Floor.
Members need not sit on the floor
all the time. They have much to do
besides. Much of the business of con-
greSs is transacted in the committees
The major committees are composed
of from 81 10 80 members each. Some
of the committee meetings are as inn
pOrtant and formal as the meeting of a
state senate and with about equal
membership. Committees are fire.
quently meeting while the house is in
session. There is also much Office
work TO be done and members take adj
vantage of every lull in proceedings
to catch up with their Office work.
There is always departmental work
to be taken care of, but members as
a rule do not go down town in the
afternoon when the house is in SEES
sion. Most members stay within reach
of the roll call signals.
Whether your member is on the
floor or not, you may depend upon it
that he knows pretty well what is GO
ing on and can easily be reached
when mis- presence is required.
The greatest safeguard is thrown
about legislation to keep anyone from
putting something over. Much is done
by unanimous consent when a single
member can object and stop or stay
proceedings. A member may at any
time question the presence of a quo
rum and if the speaker does not find q
quorum present by actual count the
roll is called. Signal bells ring in the
corridors, restaurant and house Office
building so that members may appear
and answer to their When
ever a member is fearful that some
thing will be lone which he doeSn't
want lone except by consideration o.
the whole house, he can raise the ques
ton of a quorum and a quorum mus
be secured before business is furthel
considered.
A quorum in the house consists o.
a majority of its membership. There
are 435 members when all are aliv'
and there are no manifestations
there are often two or three vacancie
on account of death or resignation. s.
it usually requires pit or 21S member
TO make a quorum. When the hous'
is doing business as the committee 0
the whole 100 members make a quo
rum.
Reasons for Demanding a Quorum.
The pOint of no quorum is raises
often because a member wants a full
attendance when the question befor
the house is considered. 1t is raise
sometimes because some one presen
wants a good audience for an import
speech. 1t is raised OCCASIONAL
merely in order TO delay the game an
is resorted to by the minority TO Us
up the time and postpone or defea
legislation that canno be defeated b
a majority vote. 1t is frequently use
when a flibuster is in progress an
sometimes the roll is called six G
eight times a day. AS ii requires )
or 40 minutes to call the roll it ca
be seen how a few roll calls will bloc
the business of the day.
Occasionally the point of no quorul
will be raised out of spite. A memb'
-. l.-s-n ~np1a t1O1a 70 Snp1E Al