1. congress is required by the constitution to assemble on the first monday in december of each year. it may, by a law duly made to that effect, change that time, but no permanent change has ever been made. as soon after that time as a quorum of its members, which the constitution declares shall be a majority of each house, has assembled each house proceeds to the election of officers (which, however, is done only every other year,) and the arrangement of its committees, and it is ready for work.
2. as soon as the organization is ascertained to be complete the other house of congress and the president are informed of the fact, after which propositions, or bills as they are called, of new laws, or repeals or revisals of old ones are entertained. of these there is never any lack. they are taken up in regular order, referred to an appropriate committee for examination, a report is in due time made by the committee, discussed at such length as the members see cause for, in a regular manner,[416] and finally are voted on. sometimes, if the members are not satisfied with the information presented on some point or points, they return them to the committee with instructions to investigate further, and make another report; sometimes they “lay them on the table,” that is, put them aside for future action; or they accept, amend, or change them to meet their views, and then accept or reject them altogether.
3. when a bill has reached a vote and been accepted by the house in which it originated, it is sent to the other house, by which it is taken up, referred to a committee, usually passing through substantially the same course and form of consideration as in the first case, laid aside, amended, accepted or rejected according to circumstances, and returned to the former house. if it is accepted by both they then send it to the president, who carefully considers it. if it meets his approbation, he signs and returns it to congress, and it becomes the law of the land, and all to whom it refers are bound to obey it, it being the duty of the president to see that it is enforced. it is called an “act of congress,” because it is the proper exercise of its law making authority, and because all such laws are preceded by the clause, “be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america, in congress assembled.”
4. if the president does not think it a suitable law, and is unwilling to assume the responsibility of signing it, he returns it to congress, with his reasons for not doing so. if congress is not satisfied with these reasons it may take another vote on it, and if the members in its favor amount to two-thirds of each house, it becomes a law without the signature of the president. this power of the president to decline to sign a law of congress is called his “veto.” sometimes it is carried over the veto, and sometimes it fails for lack of the requisite number in its favor.
5. the larger part of congressional laws are passed in this way, which is the regular parliamentary form; but sometimes its authority is expressed by a resolution instead of a bill.[417] this is a kind of informal way of passing a law, though it usually takes that form because of the peculiar character of the subject of the resolution; as an amendment to the constitution would be commenced by a resolution passed by both houses; but, as congress has not the sole power over that question, it requiring the concurrence of three fourths of the states, it is put in that form. when some demand is to be made by congress on the president, or on various officers of the government, and in a variety of other cases, a resolution has the force of law, disobedience to which would involve a penalty. many resolutions merely express the views of congress, and are of force and value only on account of the respectability and dignity of the body expressing them. some resolutions require to be passed in both houses to acquire legal force, and are then called concurrent resolutions.
a bill must pass through the regular forms of printing, reference to a committee, report, placing in order on the records, and calling up at a proper time for consideration and decision. this is very proper to avoid hasty action before all the bearings of the case have been examined; but would consume too much time if required in every case. a resolution may be debated and decided at once, and it facilitates the progress of business, in the class of cases to which it is applicable.
6. the amount of business to be done by congress is immense. each branch of the executive department makes a yearly report to it, which must be considered and suitable laws passed; many hundreds of laws are commonly asked to be passed, repealed, or revised, by the president or the people; and all the interests of a great and growing country looked after. those who are at a distance cannot always judge accurately of the difficulties it meets with in endeavoring to give satisfaction to all, nor of the different appearance which questions may present when closely examined and looked at on all sides, and congress has a great deal of short-sighted criticism to bear.
congressmen cannot always tell what is best more than other[418] people, nor always find themselves able to do what they prefer, or judge to be best, and the account to which they are held is sometimes unjust; yet, on the whole they have always respected, and sought to serve, the views and interests of the people as a whole, and deserve much praise. the country has become prosperous and free under their legislation, and what the majority of the people clearly call for is always done for them.
7. the more carefully the people whom they represent watch them at work, and study the subjects they are required to legislate on, the less reason will they find for denunciation of them, and the more intelligently will they be able to lay out their work for them. they are the servants of the people, notwithstanding they seem to command and order, and are liable to be dismissed and turned out of place if they do not give satisfaction. they are men like ourselves, with interests, temptations, and weaknesses. we should aid them in their work, and assist them to walk uprightly by our intelligence and careful regard for reason and right. our representatives will always, in character and conduct, present a fair statement of what we are ourselves. if we are just, honest, and high-minded they will not dare to be otherwise than faithful and true, and if we are intelligent we shall never put ignorant and vile men in office. so the congress of the united states of america will always be a truly representative body.
