a report assigning certain rooms to the Senate, the House, and the Supreme Court, respectively. Thereupon the following was agreed to by the House: "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled, That the distribution of the rooms in the center building of the Capitol be made agreeably to the above report." It was then resolved by the House: "That a committee be appointed to make distribution of the rooms in the Capitol appropriated to the use of the House of Representatives." May 26, 1824 (1, 18, page 593-594): The above mentioned committee made a report assigning rooms to the several committees and officers of the House, and providing that, "The unappropriated rooms shall be subject to the order and disposal of the Speaker until the further order of the House." It was thereupon resolved that the above report be agreed to. CASTING VOTE. (See TIE VOTE.) CENSUS. (See APPORTIONMENT.) CEREMONIES. A list of the occasions when ceremonies (other than funeral) have been held in the hall of the House will be published in the next edition. CHAIR. (See RULE I, clause 7.) CHAIRMAN OF A COMMITTEE. (See also COMMITTEES.) The first named member of each committee shall be the chairman; and in his absence, or being excused by the House, the next-named member, and so on, as often as the case shall happen, unless the committee by a majority of its number elect a chairman; and in case of the death of a chairman, it shall be the duty of the Speaker to appoint another.-RULE X, clause 3. This rule (except the last paragraph adopted February 14, 1890) was adopted December 28, 1805, and the occasion for its adoption was this: Mr. John Cotton Smith, of Connecticut, had been chairman of the Committee of Claims for several years, and on the 5th No vember, 1804, was reappointed. On the succeeding day he was excused from service on the committee, and his colleague, Samuel W. Dana, was appointed "in his stead." The committee considered Mr. Dana its chairman; he declined to act, contending that he was the tail. Being unable to agree, the committee laid the case before the House on the 20th November. Up to this time there was no rule or regulation as to the head of a committee. The usage has been that the first-named member acted; but it was usage only. The subject was referred to a committee. On the 22d November, 1804, the committee reported, and recommended that the first named member be the chairman; and in case of his absence, or of his being excused by the House, the committee should appoint a chairman by a majority of its votes. The House rejected this proposition. The Committee of Claims the next day notified the House that unless some order was taken in the premises, no business could be done by the committee during the session; and thereupon, on the 20th December, 1805, the House adopted the above rule. In this case the Committee of Claims availed itself of the priv ilege contained in the last clause of the rule, and elected Mr. Dana chairman, much against his wishes. The chairman shall appoint the clerk or clerks of his committee, subject to its approval, who shall be paid at the public expense, the House having first provided therefor.-RULE X, clause 4. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. (See QUESTIONS OF ORDER.) In all cases forming a Committee of the Whole House, the Speaker shall leave his chair after appointing a Chairman to preside, who shall, in case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the galleries or lobby, have power to cause the same to be cleared.-RULE XXIII, clause 1. See also clause 1, Rule IV. Whenever a Committee of the Whole House finds itself without a quorum the Chairman shall cause the roll to be called, and thereupon the Committee shall rise and report the absentees to the House.-RULE XXIII, clause 2. He is also authorized to administer oaths to witnesses.—R. S., sec. 101. (See also COMMITTEES OF THE WHOLE.) The duties of the Chairman of a Committee of the Whole are analogous to those of the Speaker, and so far as relates to debate, questions of order, preservation of order and the like, he has all the authority of the Speaker. It is his duty to take notice of any standing or special order of the House, as well as rule, as, for instance, when the hour or time arrives when the House is to take a recess or proceed to the consideration of another question or proposition, he must vacate the chair and report the action of the Committee to the House. CHAPLAIN. (See RULES II and VII.) The practice which had prevailed for several years, of the election by each house of a chaplain, who should 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. At the first session of the 36th Congress the old practice 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. Until the revision of the rules in the 2d session of the 46th Congress there was no rule in this regard. CHARTS OF COAST SURVEY. Each Member and Delegate entitled to ten charts of coast survey for each regular session of Congress.--See Statutes at Large, vol. 20, p. 382. CLAIM AGENTS. House employés shall not be.--RULE XLIII. Members, officers, and employés not to act as.-R. S., sec. CLAIMS, ADJUDICATED AND ALLOWED. The Secretary of the Treasury shall, at the commencement of each session of Congress, report the amount due each claimant whose claim has been allowed in whole or in part to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the presiding officer of the Senate, who shall lay the same before their respective houses for consideration.-Sess. Laws, 1, 48, p. 254, act of July 7, 1881. CLAIMS, COMMITTEE ON When to be appointed, and of what number.—RULE X. This committee was created November 13, 1794 (2d session 3d Congress). For history of, see PENSIONS, COMMITTEE ON Until the creation of the Committee on War Claims, December 2, 18.3 (1st session 43d Congress), this committee had jurisdiction of all private claims against the Government. CLAIMS, COURT OF The Court of Claims was established by act of February 24th, 1855. Stat. at Large, vol. 10, p. The act of July 4th, 1864, Stat., vol. 13, p. 331, restricted the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims in respect to war claims and provided that claims for quartermasters' stores, etc., should be submitted to the Quartermaster-General. Rooms for.-R. S., sec. 1051. Reports of, to be made to Congress.-R. S., sec. 1057. Private claims, when transmitted to.-R. S., sec. 1060. Power o', to call for reports of committees.-R. S., sec. 1076. Members of either house of Congress shall not practice in the Court of Claims.-R. S., sec. 1058. The act of Congress (commonly known as the "Bowman Act"), approved March 3, 1883, Statutes, vol. 22, p. 485, entitled "An act to afford assistance and relief to Congress and the Executive Departments in the investigations of claims and demands against the Government," enacts— That whenever a claim or matter is pending before any committee of the Senate or House of Representatives, or before either house of Congress, which involves the investigation and determination of facts, the commit tee or house may cause the same, with the vouchers, papers, proofs, and documents pertaining thereto, to be transmitted to the Court of Claims of the United States, and the same shall there be proceeded in under such rules as the court may adopt. When the facts shall have been found the court shall not enter judgment thereon, but shall report the same to the committee or to the house by which the case was transmitted for its consideration. SEC. 2. That when a claim or matter is pending in any of the Executive Departments which may involve controverted questions of fact or law, the head of such Department may transmit the same, with the vouchers, papers, proofs, and documents pertaining thereto, to said court, and the same shall be there proceeded in under such rules as the court may adopt. When the facts and conclusions of law shall have been found, the court shall not enter judgment thereon, but shall report its findings and opinions to the Department by which it was transmitted for its guidance and action. SEC. 3. The jurisdiction of said court shall not extend to or include any claim against the United States growing out of the destruction or damage to property by the Army or Navy during the war for the suppression of the rebellion, or for the use and occupation of real estate by any part of the military or naval forces of the United States in the operations of said forces during the said war at the seat of war; nor shall the said court have jurisdiction of any claim against the United States which is now barred by virtue of the provisions of any law of the United States. SEC. 4. In any case of a claim for supplies or stores taken by or furnished' to any part of the military or naval forces of the United States for their use during the late war for the suppression of the rebellion, the petition shall aver that the person who furnished such supplies or stores, or from whom such supplies or stores were taken, did not give any aid or comfort to said rebellion, but was throughout that war loyal to the Government of the United States, and the fact of such loyalty shall be a jurisdictional fact; and unless the said court shall, on a preliminary inquiry, find that the person who furnished such supplies or stores, or from whom the same were taken as aforesaid, was loyal to the Government of the United States throughout said war, the court shall not have jurisdiction of such cause, and the same shall, without further proceedings, be dismissed. SEC. 5. That the Attorney-General, or his assistants, under his direction, shall appear for the defense and protection of the interests of the United States in all cases which may be transmitted to the Court of Claims under this act, with the same power to interpose counter-claims, offsets, defenses for fraud practiced or attempted to be practiced by claimants, and other defenses, in like manner as he is now required to defend the United States in said court. SEC. 6. That in the trial of such cases no person shall be excluded as a witness because he or she is a party to or interested in the same. SEC. 7. That reports of the Court of Claims to Congress under this act, if not finally acted upon during the session at which they are reported, shall be continued from session to session and from Congress to Congress until the same shall be finally acted upon. |