has the franking privilege, the same pay and mileage, but is not allowed to vote. He may, however, address the house at pleasure. It is not now the custom to put a delegate on committees, but it was formerly, and I think a good one, particularly when so large a share of the business is approved or reported against by committees.

On the second day of the session, the joint committees appointed to wait on the president of the United States, report to their respective houses, through their chairman, "That they informed the president that the two houses of congress had assembled, and were ready to receive any communications he might be pleased to make, and that the president informed them that he would make a communication in writing to each house, to-day, at 12 o'clock, meridian."

General Washington and Mr. Adams used to communicate with congress in person at the opening of the session, which by the way I think was a good practice, as it tended to keep up a friendly personal intercourse between the President and Congress. Mr. Jefferson sent the first annual message to congress, with an accompanying letter, which is here presented.*

Jan. 8. 1801. The following letter and message were received from the president of the United States, by Mr. Lewis, his secretary.

SIR,

December 8th, 1800.

The circumstances under which we find ourselves at this place, rendering inconvenient the mode heretofore practised of making, by personal address, the first communication between the legislative and executive branches of government, I have adopted that by message; as used on all subsequent

The new members being sworn, and the com, mittee that waited on the president having reported, the private secretary of the president enters the house, and bearing a copy of the message to be delivered, and notifying the serjeant-at-arms or door-keeper, that he has a communication with him. The officer standing at the bar of the house, announces, "A message from the president of the United States;" which being done, the private secretary says: " Mr. Speaker, I am charged with a message in writing from the President of the United States to the house of representatives." He then proceeds to the chair and hands it to the speaker-when he rises and says: " I present to the house a message in writing from the President of the United States," and asks if it is the pleasure of the house that it should be read; which being agreed to, the clerk reads it to the house. He usually reads a printed copy, as the message is printed confidentially before it is transmitted to either house, so that it may be sent by express over the country with the greatest dispatch. Members, one day before its delivery to

occasions through the session. In doing this, I have had particular regard to the convenience of the legislature, to the economy of their time, to their relief from the embarrassment of immediate answers on subjects not yet fully before them, and to the benefits resulting to the public affairs. Trusting that a procedure founded on these motives will meet their approbation, I beg leave, through you, Sir, to communicate the enclosed message, with the documents accompanying it to the honourable the senate, and pray you to accept for you and them, the homage of my high respect and consideration. TH. JEFFERSON.

The hon. the President of the Senate.

the house, engage a large number for distribution, which are all folded and ready for franking in the folding room, when the reading of the message has been finished by the clerk in the house. The members are not permitted to see the message till it is read in the houses of congress. The anxiety about the message throughout the country is very great. Friends and opponents both wish to see it, and therefore when read, some one of the members moves that thousand copies of the message, with the accompanying documents, be printed for the use of the members. Usually ten thousand are printed. They are scattered into every corner of the United States by the members, which, by the way, is well calculated to give the people of the nation a pretty fair account of the views of the ruling party.

ry

The speaker, after the reading of the message, presents the report of the secretary of the treasu66 on the state of the treasury,' "which is ordered to be printed, say ten thousand copies: it goes out with the president's message. Being a great newspaper-reading people, a resolution is adopted by every congress, directing the clerk to furnish the members of the house, during the scssion, with such newspapers as they may direct; the expense not to exceed three daily newspapers. This enables a member to subscribe for all the papers that he may desire during the session. Many gentlemen prudently send them to their constituents, after they have read them, and thus perform the double service of enlightening themselves and their constituents.

The first week is generally consumed in preli

minary business. The states and territories are not called over, therefore, for petitions till the second Monday in the session. During the first three or four days the following resolution is offered and adopted by the house. "Resolved, That the several standing committees be appointed according to the standing rules and orders of the house. There are are 33 standing committees recognized under the rules of the house. The speaker, therefore, usually takes from Friday or Saturday of the first week till the Monday of the second week, to make out his committees at his chambers. The committees appear on the journals as the proceedings of the last day on which the house convened.

The speaker, during the few days antecedent to the appointment of his committees, and after the adoption of the resolution for their appointment, is busily engaged in inquiring of the old members returned with new ones, upon what committee he had best place their respective friends. In this way he makes himself tolerably familiar with the qualifications of gentlemen, and although he may make some mistakes, he in general obtains a pretty just knowledge of the young members. With the light he can collect in this way, he makes out his committees. The first named is considered chairman; the committee can, however, elect some other member of the committee, but this power is seldom, if ever,exercised.

It can readily be seen, that the speaker holds a powerful sway, so far as personal respect is concerned, over the house. And although the committees when once out of his hands, are beyond

his reach for the session, if not the congress, still there is a kind feeling of regard for the presiding officer who puts a gentleman at the head of a committee or as an associate of members on a distinguished committee of the house. In addition to the standing committees, he has daily some oppor. tunity of appointing on select committees, or calling to the chair, besides a host of other civilities within the range of his influence, that never fails to put a member in a respectable light before his constituents-if not the nation.

By the constitution and rules of the house, the speaker presides over the deliberations of the chamber of representatives. His office is, therefore, one of high responsibility, embracing every thing connected with the dignity and despatch of the legislation of the country. To be an efficient officer, his voice should be clear and impressive; his eye excellent; his memory well stored with parliamentary and congressional authorities, and a ready tact in applying them to the questions that are incessantly starting up, in high political or geographical disputes.

The speaker's chair, in a house of 242 members, has been well said to be no "bed of down." It is lined with ten thousand thorns, and he who expects to execute its duties to the satisfaction of all parties, must be more than human. In this age, a copy by the way of nearly all that have preceded it, in human frailties, no man can reach, or expect to hold, the chair, unconnected with some of the party difficulties of the times, and the duties of the chair will more or less savour of those feel