Digest and Manual of the Rules and Practice of the House of Representatives ...

PREFACE.

The compiler deems it proper to again call attention to the fact that the general plan observed in the last (twelfth) edition of the Digest has been followed in this volume for the reason therein stated,i. e., that uniformity of arrangement of matter in a work of this character is of the first importance, and, ex-cept for manifest reasons, should not be changed.

The Constitation of,the United States, with the very copious foot and marginal notes referring to decisions of the Supreme Court as published in the second edition of the Revised Statutes-prepared by Mr. Boutwell-and also such as have been rendered since his compilation down to and including thosereported in the 111th United States Supreme Court Reports, together with a very full analytical index, is republished.

Jefferson's Manual, together with considerable new matter by way of addenda, giving in brackets or foot notes the present rules and general practice of the Senate (pp. 101 to 192); a table showing the commencement and termination of each session of Congress, together with the names of each Speaker and Clerk (pp. 193 to 196); a table showing the population of the United States as determined by the Eleventh Census, compared with the population as shown by the Ninth and Tenth Censuses (pp. 197 to 199); together with a supplemental table (p. 285) showing the apportionment and ratio under each census, with references to the statutes, with extracts therefrom; a table showing the apportionment of Representatives in Con-gress from 1787, including the apportionment under each census and the formation of States and Territories (pp. 198, 199); a diagram of the Hall of the House, showing the seats of memberss 11046

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(pp. 202, 203); a list of the Representatives and Delegates of the House (pp. 204 to 214); a list of the standing and select committees for the present session (pp. 215 to 232); tables showing the contents of the volumes comprising the Annals of Congress (p. 282), Congressional Debates (pp. 360, 361), Congressional Globe (pp. 361, 365), Congressional Record (pp. 365 to 368), arranged by years and Congresses; à list of impeachment trials in Congress and the British Parliament (p. 426 to 430); a table showing the sessions of Congress convened as times other than the date fixed by the Constitution (p. 560);.atable giving a list of the "extra sessions" of Congress convened by the President (p. 561); a list of the special sessions of the Senate of the United States from 1789 to 1889 (p. 561); the "Bowman?, and "Tucker” acts relating to claims efore Congress (pp. 314 to 320); an important decision by Judge Dyer relating to the privileges of members under section article 1, of the Constitution (pp. 460 to 464); a table showing the patents of the twenty-five volumes of the Statutes at Large (p); statement showing the qualifi cations of voters in the several States (p. 592), a list of the contested-election cases in the present House and the action taken thereon up to the date of publication (p. 604), and a table showing the political division of parties in the House of Representatives in the Fifty-first and Fifty-second Congresses, the lastnamed Congress being unofficial (p. 606), are also published as matters of general interest and convenient reference.

In view of the greatly increased interest in recent years in respect to parliamentary law and practice, due mainly to the steady increase of representation in Congress, especially in the House of Representatives, together with the vast increase of business-the result of the rapid growth and development of the country-the compiler has, at the request of numerous members of the House, prepared (p. 402) a sketch or summary of the constitutions of, and practice in, the principal foreign legislatures or parliaments, excepting that of Great Britain, the manuscript of which was unfortunately mislaid or lost at a time when it was impossible to replace it without unduly delay ing the publication of this volume. It will appear in the next edition, with a more carefully prepared summary of the most

important features of the constitutions of and procedure in the parliaments above named.

A summary of the several State constitutions and governments is also given (p. 572), together with a table (p. 579) showing the numbers, term of office, salaries, and time of meeting of the several State and Territorial legislatures.

In view of the fact that no joint rules have been adopted since the Forty-third Congress-thus leaving unregulated the manner of transacting business with the Senate, including the appointment and proceedings of conference committees, the enrollment of bills and their presentation to the President, etc. -the compiler has included in this edition numerous additional decisions and much additional matter in relation to confer ence committees and methods of procedure between the two houses, together with many late decisions touching general appropriation bills and practice in Committees of the Whole.

Special attention is again called to the plan of the index to the Rules and Digest, which has thus far received universal commendation. In the earlier additions the index did not separate or distinguish between a rule or ruling thereon, so that until the page was found and the subject examined it was impossible to determine its exact character. In this, as in recent editions, the rule and rulings are carefully separated, and a glance suffices to show just where to look for the subject or matter sought. To those familiar with legislative proceedings and parliamentary discussions the merit of this plan will readily appear.

Under each sub-head is given first the reference to a particu lar rule or rules, by clauses, followed by a reference to the Digest proper, which may either be an extract or citation from the Constitution, Revised Statutes, a House Journal, Jefferson's or Cushing's Manual, or a statement of the compiler as to the parliamentary practice in respect to any particular subject or matter which is not specifically provided for by rule.

The compiler has sought in every possible way to enhance the value of this publication by adding to the parliamentary matter heretofore published, such statistical data as would render it especially valuable to members of the House of Rep

resentatives, as well as others in public life. Great care has been taken in the collection, arrangement, and publication of this statistical matter, and it is confidently believed that it will be found accurate as well as valuable addenda to the Digest and Manual.

HENRY H. SMITH.

WASHINGTON, D. C., December 24, 1890.