the relations of the United States with foreign nations, and which shall be referred to them by the House, and to report their opinion on the same.-March 13, 1822. 95. It shall be the duty of the Committee on the Territories to examine into the legislative, civil, and criminal proceedings of the Territories, and to devise and report to the House such means as, in their opinion, may be necessary to secure the rights and privileges of residents and non-residents. December 13, 1825. 96. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions to take into consideration all such matters respecting pensions for services in the revolutionary war, other than invalid pensions, as shall be referred to them by the House.-January 10, 1831. 97. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Invalid Pensions to take into consideration all such matters respecting invalid pensions as shall be referred to them by the House. -January 10, 1831. 98. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Roads and Canals to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things relating to roads and canals, and the improvement of the navigation of rivers, as shall be presented, or may come in question, and be referred to them by the House; and to report thereupon, together with such propositions relative thereto, as to them shall seem expedient. December 15, 1831. - 99. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Patents to consider all subjects relating to patents which may be referred to them; and report their opinion thereon, together with such propositions relative thereto as may seem to them expedient.-September 15, 1837. 100. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds to consider all subjects relating to the public edifices and grounds within the city of Washington which may be referred to them; and report their opinion thereon, together with such propositions relating thereto as may seem to them expedient.-September 15, 1837. 101. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Revisal and Unfinished Business to examine and report what laws have expired, or are near expiring, and require to be revived or further continued; also, to examine and report, from the Journal of last session, all such matters as were then depending and undetermined.- December 14, 1795. 102. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Accounts to superintend and control the expenditures of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives.-December 17, 1805; also, to audit and settle all accounts which may be charged thereon; and, also, to audit the accounts of the members for their travel to and from the seat of Government, and their attendance in the House.*-December 23, 1811. 103. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Mileage to ascertain and report the distance to the Sergeant-at-arms for which each member shall receive pay.t-Sept. 15, 1837. 104. There shall be appointed a standing committee of this House, to consist of three members, to be called the Committee on Engraving, to whom shall be referred by the Clerk, all drawings, maps, charts, or other papers, which may at any time come before the House for engraving, lithographing, or publishing in any way; which committee shall report to the House whether the same ought, in their opinion, to be published; and if the House order the publication of the same, that said committee shall direct the size and manner of execution of all such maps, charts, drawings, or other papers, and contract by agreement, in writing, for all such engraving, lithographing, printing, drawing, and coloring, as may be ordered by the House; which agreement, in writing, shall be furnished by said committee to the Committee on Accounts, to govern said committee in all allowances for such works; and it shall be in order for said committee to report at all times.-March 16, 1844. 105. Six additional standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of the first session in each Con *So much of this rule as directs the Committee of Accounts to audit and settle the mileage and daily pay of the members was adopted at the 1st session 12th Congress, (1811.) At the 1st session of the 25th Congress, (1837,) a Standing Committee on Mileage was created, for the especial purpose of ascertaining and reporting the mileage for which each member shall receive pay.— See rule 103. †See rule and note to rule 102. gress, whose duties shall continue until the first session of the ensuing Congress.-March 30, 1816. 1. A committee on so much of the public accounts and ex- 2. A committee on so much of the public accounts and ex- 4. A committee on so much of the public accounts and ex- 6. A committee on so much of the public accounts and ex penditures as relate to the Public Buildings; To consist of five mem bers each. 106. It shall be the duty of the said committees to examine into the state of the accounts and expenditures respectively submitted to them, and to inquire and report particularly Whether the expenditures of the respective departments are justified by law; Whether the claims from time to time satisfied and discharged by the respective departments are supported by sufficient vouchers, establishing their justness both as to their character and amount; Whether such claims have been discharged out of funds appropriated therefor, and whether all moneys have been disbursed in conformity with appropriation laws; and Whether any, and what, provisions are necessary to be adopted, to provide more perfectly for the proper application of the public moneys, and to secure the Government from demands unjust in their character or extravagant in their amount. And it shall be, moreover, the duty of the said committees to report, from time to time, whether any, and what, retrenchment can be made in the expenditures of the several departments, without detriment to the public service; whether any, and what, abuses at any time exist in the failure to enforce the payment of moneys which may be due to the United States from public defaulters or others and to report, from time to time, such provisions and arrangements as may be necessary to add to the econ omy of the several departments and the accountability of their officers.*-March 30, 1816. † It shall be the duty of the several Committees on Public Expenditures to inquire whether any offices belonging to the branches or departments, respectively, concerning whose expenditures it is their duty to inquire, have become useless or unnecessary; and to report, from time to time, on the expediency of modifying or abolishing the same: also, to examine into the pay and emoluments of all offices under the laws of the United States; and to report, from time to time, such a reduction or increase thereof as a just economy and the public service may require.— February 19, 1817. 107. The several standing committees of the House shall have leave to report by bill or otherwise.-March 13, 1822. 108. No committee shall sit during the sitting of the House, without special leave.-November 13, 1794. 109. It shall be the duty of the Clerk to make, and cause to be printed, and delivered to each member, at the commencement of every session of Congress, a list of the reports which it is the duty of any officer or department of the Government to make to Congress; referring to the act or resolution, and page of the volume of the laws or Journal in which it may be contained; and placing under the name of each officer the list of reports required of him to be made, and the time when the report may be expected.-March 13, 1822. 110. It shall be the duty of the Clerk of the House, at the end of each session, to send a printed copy of the Journals thereof to the Executive, and to each branch of the Legislature of every State.-November 13, 1794. 111. All questions of order shall be noted by the Clerk, with the decision, and put together at the end of the Journal of every session.-December 23, 1811. 112. Whenever confidential communications are received from the President of the United States, the House shall *See notes to rules 78 and 89. This part of the duties of those committees was, previous to 1841, overlooked, and omitted in the printed editions. be cleared of all persons, except the members, Clerk, Sergeant at arms, and Doorkeeper, and so continue during the reading of such communications, and (unless otherwise directed by the House) during all debates and proceedings to be had thereon. And when the Speaker, or any other member, shall inform the House that he has communications to make, which he conceives ought to be kept secret, the House shall, in like manner, be cleared, till the communication be made; the House shall then determine whether the matter communicated requires secrecy or not, and take order accordingly.—February 17, 1792, and December 30, 1793. 113. All questions relating to the priority of business to be acted on, shall be decided without debate.—February 21, 1803. Of Bills. 114. Every bill shall be introduced on the report of a committee, or by motion for leave. In the latter case, at least one day's notice shall be given of the motion;† and the motion shall be made, and the bill introduced, if leave is given, when resolutions are called for: such motion, or the bill when introduced, may be committed.—April 7, 1789, and September 15, 1837. 115. Every bill shall receive three several readings in *In the rule as originally established on the 17th February, 1792, it is provided that the House be cleared of all persons, except "the members and the Clerk." In the rules of the 13th November, 1794, the language used is "the members of the House and its officers." In the edition of 7th January, 1802, the terms "members and Clerk" are again used; and on the 23d December, 1811, it was changed to its present form, so as to include the Sergeant and Doorkeeper. In the early stages of the Government, before the institution of standing committees, it was the common practice to introduce bills, on motion for leave, by individual members; the bills were then referred to a select committee, to examine and report upon. The practice, however, of introducing bills by members, on leave, gradually grew into disuse as standing committees were created, and, for nearly thirty years, no case occurs on the Journals. A few cases have occurred within the last five or six years. It is an inconvenient practice, and does not facilitate business. Previous to the 13th March, 1822, so strict was the House upon the introduction of bills, that standing committees had to obtain leave, in every case, to report by bill. On that day the 107th rule was adopted. |