Page images
PDF
EPUB

the proper authorities for trial, without further order of Congress.-Sess. Laws, 1, 40, pp. 270, 271.

individuals, to be

By the act of July 20, 1868, it is provided that no No. statuary, paintings, &c., bestatuary, paintings or other articles, the property of longing to private private individuals, shall thereafter be allowed to be exhibited in. exhibited in the rotunda or any other portion of the Capitol building.-Sess. Laws, 2, 40th Congress, p. 82.

repairs, &c., of,

by direction of

By the act of July 20, 1868, it is provided that no Improvements, improvements, alterations, or repairs of the Capitol can only be made building shall be made except by direction and under architect. the supervision of the architect of the Capitol extension. -Sess. Laws, 2, 40th Congress, p. 88.

CHAIR.

name person to

"The Speaker shall have a right to name any member Speaker may to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution fill, for the day. shall not extend beyond an adjournment."-Rule 5. (See SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE.)

CHAIRMAN OF A STANDING COMMITTEE.

(See COMMITTEES.)

CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

A chairman to preside in Committee of the Whole Appointed by shall be appointed by the Speaker.-Rule 105.

the Speaker.

ries to be cleared.

The chairman of the Committee of the Whole shall May cause gallehave power to order the galleries or lobby to be cleared in case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct therein. -Rule 9.

He is also authorized to administer oaths or affirma- May administer tions to witnesses.-Stat. at Large, Vol. I, p. 554.

(See also COMMITTEES OF THE WHOLE.)

CHARGE UPON THE PEOPLE.

oaths.

for, to be discussed on the day made, and must be com

"No motion or proposition for a tax or charge upon No proposition the people shall be discussed the day on which it is made or offered; and every such proposition shall receive its mitted. first discussion in a Committee of the Whole.-Rule 110.

CHAPLAINS.

lains dispensed

The practice, which had prevailed for several years, Election of chap. of the election by each house of a chaplain, who should with.

open their daily sessions with prayer, alternating weekly between the House and Senate, was suspended during the 35th Congress. At the first session of that Congress a resolution was adopted by the House which directed "that the daily sessions of that body be opened with prayer, and requesting the ministers of the gospel in this city to attend and alternately perform this solemn duty." -Journal, 1, 35, p. 58. The clergymen of Washington generally responded to this request, and for the remainder of the Congress performed the duty of chaplains. Election of, re- At the first session of the 36th Congress, the old practice

Clergymen generally invited

act.

vived.

to

House employés shall not be.

Stenographers and reporters also

of the election of a chaplain by each house was revived, and it was at that time decided that a proposition to proceed to such election presented a question of privilege. Journal, 1, 36, pp. 442, 443.

CLAIM AGENTS.

"No person shall be an officer of the House, or continue in its employment, who shall be an agent for the prosecution of any claim against the government, or be interested in such claim otherwise than as an original claimant."-Rule 140.

"No stenographer or reporter shall be admitted to the prohibited from reporters' gallery, or, if admitted, be suffered to retain his seat, if he shall be or become an agent to prosecute any claim pending before Congress."-Rule 135.

being.

Members and Members of Congress are prohibited from acting as ited by law from claim agents for compensation paid or to be paid; and

employés prohib

acting as.

When to be ap. pointed, and of what number.

Duties of.

officers and employés of the House are prohibited from acting as claim agents, either with or without compensation, under the penalty, in either case, of a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.-Stat. at Large, Vol. X, p. 170.

CLAIMS, COMMITTEE OF.

A Committee of Claims, to consist of nine members, shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress.-Rule 74.

"It shall be the duty of the Committee of Claims to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching claims and demands on the United States

as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the House, and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient.-Rule 78.

The Committee of Claims is authorized by resolution of February 18, 1843, to employ a clerk.-Journal, 3, 27, p. 399.

CLAIMS, COURT OF.

Authorized to employ a clerk.

be made.

ions.

to

pare their bills.

pre

By the act of 24th February, 1855, it was provided that When report to "the Court of Claims shall keep a record of their proceedings, and shall, at the commencement of each session` of Congress, and at the commencement of each month during the session of Congress, report to Congress the cases upon which they shall have finally acted, stating in each the material facts which they find established by the evidence, with their opinion in the case, and the reasons upon which such opinion is founded. Any judge. Dissenting opinwho may dissent from the opinion of the majority shall append his reasons for such dissent to the report; and such report, together with the briefs of the solicitor and of the claimant, which shall accompany the report, upon being made to either house of Congress, shall be printed in the same manner as other public documents. And Court said court shall prepare a bill or bills in those cases which have received the favorable decision thereof, in such form as, if enacted, will carry the same into effect. And two or more cases may be embraced in the same bill, where the separate amount proposed to be allowed. in each case shall be less than one thousand dollars. And the said court shall transmit with the said reports Testimony to be the testimony in each case, whether the same shall' receive the favorable or adverse action of said court. "The said reports, and the bills reported as aforesaid, shall, if not finally acted upon during the session of Congress to which the said reports are made, be continued to Congress. from session to session, and from Congress to Congress, until they shall be finally acted upon; and the consideration of said reports and bills shall, at the subsequent session of Congress, be resumed and the said reports and

reported.

Reports and bills

to be continued

from session to ses

sion and Congress

Adverse reports,

of

Removal clerks to be reported.

Judgments of,

final, subject to

Court.

bills be proceeded with in the same manner as though finally acted upon at the session when presented.

"The claims reported upon adversely shall be placed upon the calendar when reported, and if the decision of said court shall be confirmed by Congress, said decision shall be conclusive, and the said court shall not at any subsequent period consider said claims, unless such reasons shall be presented to said court as, by the rules of common law or chancery in suits between individuals, would furnish sufficient ground for granting a new trial." -Stat. at Large, Vol. X, pp. 613, 614.

The said court is required to make report in case of the removal of its clerks, with the cause of such removal, to Congress, if in session, or at the next session of Congress. -Ibid., p. 614.

By the act of March 3, 1863, it is provided that the appeal to Supreme judgment of said court shall be final, with the right of appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, and that in all cases of final judgments by said court, or on appeal by the Supreme Court where the same shall be affirmed in favor of the claimant, the sum due thereby shall be paid out of any general appropriation made by law for the payment and satisfaction of private claims -Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 766. [Since the passage of this act the monthly reports of cases, required by the act of February 24, 1855, have not been made to Congress.] By the same act it is provided "that all petitions and bills praying or providing for the satisfaction of private claims against the government, founded upon any law of Congress, or upon any regulation of an executive department, or upon any contract, express or implied, with the government of the United States, shall, unless otherwise ordered by resolution of the house in which the same are presented or introduced, be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate, or the Clerk of the House of Representatives, with all the accompanying documents, to the Court of Claims."-Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 765.

Petitions

and bills to be transmitted to.

[Where it is proposed to refer a case, of which the court has no jurisdiction under existing laws, the usual mode is by joint resolution.]

By the same act members of Congress are prohibited Members of Confrom practicing in said court.-Ibid., p. 766.

gress not to practice before.

papers to.

The Clerk of the House is directed "to transmit to Transmission of said court, on the application of the clerk of said court, the papers in his office in any case that is now or may be hereafter pending in said court, taking a receipt therefor." -Journal, 1, 34, p. 583.

papers from.

"The papers in all cases heretofore referred by this Withdrawal of house to the Court of Claims, arising under contract or departmental decision, may be withdrawn from said court upon the order of the Clerk of the House, to be given. upon the application therefor of any member to him, with the assent of the claimant; and when said papers are received by the Clerk, they shall be held by the Clerk the same as if never referred.”—Journal, 1, 34, p. 614. "All petitions for pensions, heretofore referred to the Pension papers Court of Claims, may be withdrawn and referred to their drawn. appropriate committees in the House."-Journal, 1, 34, p. 631.

[Ordinarily, except in the foregoing cases, papers are referred to or withdrawn from the Court of Claims on motion in the House; and, except in the case of the reference of a matter then before the House, the motion can only be made by unanimous consent, or at such time as resolutions are in order under the rules.]

may be with

How papers are

ordinarily withdrawn from and

referred to.

placed on private

ports printed.

"The bills from the Court of Claims shall, on being Bills from, to be laid before the House, be read a first and second time, calendar and recommitted to a Committee of the Whole House, and, together with the accompanying reports, printed."-Rule 122.

Bills and reports

undisposed of at

gress.

When bills and reports from said court, reported to the House, are left undisposed of at the end of a Con- the end of a Congress, at the beginning of the next Congress the bills shall be again read twice and referred, and the adverse reports restored to the private calendar.-Journals, 1, 35, pp. 134, 135; 1, 36, p. 247. [And when bills from said court shall have passed the Senate and remain undisposed of in the House at the end of a Congress, they shall be returned to the Senate.]

Judges of the Court of Claims are admitted within the Judges of, adhall of the House.-Rule 134.

mitted within the hall.

« PreviousContinue »