fication of a treaty; for in this case the Constitution requires a vote of two-thirds of all present. A two-thirds vote is also necessary to give a judgment in case of the impeachment of any officer of the government who may be arraigned before them for trial.

The Vice President is the President of the Senate; but in case of a vacancy in this office, it then chooses a President from its own members, as it does its Secretary and other subordinate officers. We next come to the

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

7. This is often styled "the lower House." It has equal power with the Senate in the enactment of all laws; for no bill can become a law unless it receives a majority of the votes of both Houses, and in one particular it has a power which the Senate does not possess: it has the sole power of impeachment. We have stated that the Senate has the power to try impeachments, but this it never does. until the House has first impeached some officer of the government for an alleged crime, after which the Senate resolving itself into a court, tries the accused party, and determines his guilt or innocence. The part which the House takes in cases of impeachment is very analagous to the action of a grand jury, which does not try the accused party, but only says after examining the charges, upon what evidence it has, that he or she ought to be tried in a court of law-so with the House. It declares that the accused party should have a trial before the Senate. This decision of the House is denominated an impeachment.

8. The members of the Senate, as before stated, are elected by the Legislatures of the respective States which they represent; but the members of the House are elected by the people, by popular vote as it is commonly said

for any body in any State may vote for a member of the House of Representatives who has the right to vote at all. In the two chapters on Congressmen and Congressional Districts, more may be seen on the subject of electing members to the lower House. After a bill has passed one House it must be sent to the other, where it is referred to a committee, reported, debated, and finally voted upon exactly as in the other House.

9. But bills for the purpose of raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives, never in the Senate, although these bills, like all others go to the Senate for its concurrence, where they may be amended by adding to, or striking out such parts as are not approved. No money can be drawn out of the Treasury of the United States for any purpose whatever, unless authorized and appropriated by an act of Congress.

10. This is the order, and these the forms through which every bill must pass before it becomes a law, and they show the care taken to prevent bad laws from being enacted, and the wisdom of the framers of the Constitution, in dividing the legislative power of the government into two branches, to check any hasty and inconsiderate legislation which might be pushed through one branch, by the cooler and more deliberate action of the other.

11. The House of Representatives has no President like the Senate. Its presiding officer is called "The Speaker." He is chosen by the votes of the members, at the beginning of each Congress, which lasts two years; consequently he holds his office two years. The Clerk of the House is also elected by its members, as are all its minor officers.

12. Correctly speaking, both the members of the Senate and of the House, are members of Congress, but by custom, Representatives only are called members of Con

gress [abbreviated into M. C.] and the members of the Senate, Senators,

As there are 37 States now, the Senate has 74 members, and by a law of 1863, the number of Representatives was fixed at 241; but if a new State comes into the Union, after an apportionment, her member or members may be added to the 241 and so continue until the next apportion

ment.

COMPENSATION.

13. Senators and members of the House of Representatives receive the same compensation, the amount of which has been increased three times. It had always been Eight Dollars per day, down to 1856, when it was increased to Three Thousand Dollars per session. Then in 1866 it was again raised to Five Thousand Dollars per session, and as there are always two sessions to every Congress, each member receives Ten Thousand Dollars during his full

term.

14. Mileage is an additional compensation. This has always remained the same, and is forty cents per mile reckoned from the residence of the member to Washington by the usual roads or routes between the two places. "The laborer is worthy of his hire," is a maxim from the highest authority, and is so manifestly just that nobody questions its truth. But giving members of Congress forty cents per mile for travelling expenses when it does not cost them four, [in these days] is as manifestly unjust as the maxim is true. It is robbery by law; and how the majority of Thirty-nine Congresses have consented to let this swindle go on, and still continue, is a matter of astonishment to every one who believes that "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

The monstrous inequality this law makes in the compensation of members adds to the wonder that it has existed

so long. Those who live near Washington do not receive a hundred dollars for mileage, while those living at the greatest distance pocket Twelve Thousand Dollars of the people's money for what costs them Five Hundred.

15. During the revolutionary war, and up to the time that the Constitution went into operation, (April 30, 1789) the thirteen Colonies sent delegates who met whenever the exigencies of the times required their action, and whenever their safety and convenience dictated. These delegates without much power or authority, did such things as seemed necessary to be done to carry on the war and to keep things in order. Their acts generally met with the approval of the people; for in times of such common danger, they were little inclined to question the authority of those who they believed were acting for the general good; and as to their constitutional powers to do any thing, we have only to say, there was no Constitution then but the wishes of the people.

This body of men denominated the "CONTINENTAL CONGRESS," ceased to exist after the adoption of our present Constitution, which made provisions for a constitutional Congress, whose election, power, authority and duties are all clearly defined in the instrument itself.

16. The first Congress after the adoption of the Constitution met in New York, where two sessions were held. It then removed to Philadelphia, where it remained till 1800, when in conformity with an act of Congress, it removed to Washington, where it has remained to this day.

As a Congress continues two years, if at any time we wish to know how many Congresses there have been, or will be up to the time required, reckon the number of years from 1789--the beginning of the first-to the year in question; then divide the sum of the years by two, and the quotient will give the exact number.