May 23, 1919 (2)

l\.Ir. JONES of Washington. · :Mr. President, in reference to the joint resolution which came from the House, I wish to call the attention of the Chair to a further provision in Rule XIV. Paragraph 4 of that rule reads as follows:

Every bill and joint resolution introduced on leave and every bill and joint resolution of the House of Representatives which shall have received a first and second reading without being referred to a committee--

This joint resolution has received its first and second. readingsshall, if objection be made to further proceeding thereon, be placed on the calendar.

· The matter of reference is a further proceeding on a bill or joint resolution. Objection is made to the reference, and under the rule, it seems to me, it should go to the calendar.

The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair can not change the ruling that . has · been made at this time. It has to go to the committee. ·

Mr .. JONES of Washington. I shall not appeal from the decision of the Chair, but I nm of a contrary opinion.

Mr. JONES of .rTew Mexico. Mr. President, in view of the request made by the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. LoDGE], I think it advisable to make an inquiry of the Chair. The Senator from Massachusetts just stated that there is no Committee on .Appropriations to which the bill recently passed by the House could be referred. I take it the Senator meant by that to announce the position that all the committees heretofore existing have ceased to exist. I should like to ask the Chair whether the committees which existed during the last session of Congress would be recognized for the transaction of business?

I desire to state as the reason for the inquiry that the joint resolution which has just come from the House is one which we are all anxious to see passed, and which I am satisfied will be passed as soon as a vote can be had upon it. I .have hesitated thus far in proceeding as a member of the Committee on Woman Suffrage and as its chairman at its last session of Congress in taking any action on the joint resolutions which have been heretofore introduced in the Senate upon that subject, and out of deference to my successor, whoever he may be, I should not be disposed to take action at this time were it not for the fact that there seems to be some apprehension that quite a time will elapse before any committees are organized. This joint resolution, it seems to me, should be acted. upon without any g1·eat delay, and if the old committees are still in existence, and the members feel justified in acting, as far as I am concerned, I do not want to delay action on the joint resolution. However, I am willing as n matter of courtesy to defer action if that is thought best by the members on the other side of the Chamber.

The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair has some very definite views on this question. Anticipating some controversy about it some sessions ago; the Chair made an examination. The Chair is satisfied that ~he Senate of the United States is a continuing body, and the Chair is satisfied that the old committees are in full force and effect and have power to proceed with the consideration of business, if they choose, until the new committees are organized by the Senate.

In addition to that, the Chair has a recollection, which he hopes to verify in a moment, that the Senator from Virginia gration. [l\Ir. 1\iARTIN] presented and there WaS adopted either On the last day or the day preceding the close of the last session of the former Congress . a resolution that all the committees of the Senate should remain in full force and have power to act until the new committees were appointed. The Chair will verify that as soon as he can get the record. I do not think the Senator from Massachusetts said there was no Committee on Appropriations. He said there was not one which could act just now.

Mr. MARTIN. Mr. President, I simply desire to say that the Chair is correct. I offered the resolution and was present and saw it adopted. 1 have a copy of it in my committee room. It was adopted unanimously.

Mr. LODGE. Mr. President, the committees, of course, expire with the Congress ·which created. them, but it I:rns been the custom in the Senate for many years to continue them by special resolution. I want to see the exact wording of the resolution, which, it seems to me, it is difficult to find.

The VICE PRESIDENT. This is the resolution:

Resolved, That the standing committees of the Senate as constituted at the end of this session be, and they are hereby, continued until th:! next session of Congress or until their successors are duly elect<><l.

lUr. LODGE. Ah, that is just as I thought--" until the next session of Congress or until their successors are duly elected." Their successors have not been duly elected.

The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair is going to say that this is either a continuing body or it is not. If it is a continuing body, it is a continuing body in all its functions.

1\lr. LODGE. I dislike to differ with the Chair, but it does not seem to me to follow that with the Senate u continuing body, the committees, the temporary character of which is recog- nized every two years by resolution, are also continuous.

The VICE PRESIDENT. We will get rid of it in very short order, and I do not think we will have any trouble about it.

Mr. LODGE. I do not know whether there is a quorum ol' that committee. I do not know whether there are any vacancies to fill. Certainly the Committee on Appropriations is not "\et organized. ·

Mr. 'V ~SH of Montana. :A. further parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President . . I am a member of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, or at least I was so during the last Cono- rcss . I desire to inquire whether that committee now has the power to inquire into the Ford-Newberry contest, which was referred to · it a few days ago?

The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair can only express one opmwn; and that is that the committees are in force and have power until they are changed.

Mr. LODGE sub equently said : In connection with the matter of the standing committees of the Senate, I should like to call attention to what was said at the time the subject was under consideration on February 25, 1919 :

The Secretary read the resolution (S. Res. 466), as follows: :

"Resolved, That the standing committees of the Senate as constituted at the. end of this session be, and they are hereby, continu e d until tile next session of Congress or .until their successors are duly elected:'

Mr. · LoncE. I am entirely 1n favor of that resolution. We have always passed a similar resolution. I only wanted to speak to the S e nator from Virginia as to his understanding being the same as mine that none of these committees, with the exception of the Committee on Contingent Expenses, exiSts by statute, and none of them, of course would tran s act any business whatever between the expiration of this c'ongress and the assembling of the new Congress. The Sen a tor from Virginia agr e es with me entirely about that.

.1\Ir. 1\l..utTI~ of Virginia. I do. When this Congress expires all these committees expire, except the vitality given by this resolution. I ask that the resolution may have present consideration.

lli. LODGE. I will just ask the question. Of course, if there is a special session of the Senate, the committees are reorganized. ses~~·n ~T~~sgfuJ~~gi~~s. Whenever there is a special or a regular l\.Ir. JONES of Washington. 1\fr. President I desire to enter a motion to discharge the Committee on Woman Suffrage from the consideration of the House joint resolution No. 1 that was referred to that committee to-day, and I ask that the motion He over for one day under the rules.

Tl1e PRESIDING OFFICER (:Mr. WALSH of Massachusetts in the chair). That action will be taken.