people may know what the laws are by which they are to be governed.

3. Every law passed by Congress is preceded by these words: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled." This is called the enacting clause.

A resolution, when passed by Congress, although in some instances of the same force as law, is an act of Congress of a very different character from those acts by which laws are enacted, for these must all be done according to established parliamentary usages and forms, such as laying it (the proposed law) before Congress in the form of a bill, printing it, referring it to an appropriate committee, to be afterwards reported by that committee, the placing it in its order upon the records of the House, and the calling it up in its regular order, to be debated and voted upon.

4. But resolutions are offered in writing, and often passed on the spot, though they are sometimes laid over and referred to a committee, then called up at the proper time, and debated, passed or rejected.

Some of the most important work of Congress is done, however, by means of resolutions; for instance, its proceeding relative to an amendment of the Constitution is done by the passage of a resolution through both Houses. Many other matters upon which Congress acts, are disposed of in the same way. Its requirements of the President, the heads of Departments, and other officers of the government, are made by resolutions, and have the binding force of law; for

a disregard of these requirements or instructions, when made or given to any of these officers, would be considered the same as a violation of law, and would render the official liable to censure, or perhaps to impeachment, or removal from office.

5. Other resolutions are merely expressive of the sentiments or opinionsof Congress, such as the thanks it frequently votes to officers of the army and navy for brave and gallant conduct in the discharge of their duty in perilous situations. Such a recognition of the merits and good conduct of any man in the public service, is considered highly honorable to him who receives it.

Some resolutions are concurrent-that is, both Houses of Congress must concur in or pass the same before they have any power or validity. The Constitution prohibits either House of Congress from adjourning for more than three days without the concurrence of the other House. A final adjournment, or any other, for more than three days, would require the passage of a concurrent resolution.

6. Other resolutions may pass in only one House, but are equally binding upon the members and officers of that House which passes them; but they do not bind the officers of the other House: such, for example, as relate to adjournments for not more than three days; to the order of business in that House; directions to the officers and employes of that body, &c., &c.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Ratio of Representation.

1. THE ratio of representation simply means the ratio between the whole population of the United States, and the whole number of their Representatives in Congress; and this of course includes the ratio between the people of any individual State, and the Representatives it is entitled to; both being estimated upon the same basis, and determined by the same rule.

2. The distinctive characteristic of our government is, that it is a popular government. Its power is vested in the people. They elect their rulers, who are the servants of the people, and these rulers are expected to carry out the people's wishes. Upon such a system, it is a matter of the first importance, to distribute this power equally among all the people, and after having fixed upon the ratio between the whole population and the whole number of Representatives; or, in other words, after having determined how many members shall compose the lower House of Congress, the next step is to apportion these members among all the States in the ratio of their population. If one State has twice the number of inhabitants that another has, it will be entitled to twice the number of Representatives in Congress. If one has ten times the inhabitants that another has, it will be entitled to ten times the number of Representatives, and so on; with this one exception, which is, that by a provision in the Consti

tution, every State, without regard to its population, is entitled to one Representative in the lower House.

3. The adjustment of this matter is all provided for in the Constitution, that is, in its general features; but it devolves upon Congress in every tenth year to re-adjust and re-apportion the Representatives among the several States, according to the population of each State as shown by the last census, which is taken every tenth year; and when the apportionment is once made, it remains the same for the next ten years, when the census is taken again, and a new apportionment is made.

4. Up to the present time (1869,) this has been done nine times. It was done the first time by the convention which formed the Constitution. That apportionment is found in the Constitution, and is as follows:

By this it will be seen that the first Congress consisted of but 65 members.

The Constitution also provided that the Representatives should not exceed one to every 30,000 people. The next year after the government went into operation, (1790), the first census was taken, and as soon as the result was known, a new apportionment was made. This was done in 1792, and was made upon the ratio

of one Representative to every 33,000 of representative* population.

5. In 1800, the second census was taken; and when Congress made the apportionment, which was done in 1803, it did not change the ratio, but left it at one Representative to every 33,000 of the representative population.

In 1810, the third census was taken, and in 1811 the ratio was fixed at one Representative for every 35,000 of the population.

In 1820, the fourth census was taken, and in 1822 Congress fixed the ratio at one Representative for every 40,000 of the population.

In 1830, the fifth census was taken, and in 1832 the ratio was fixed at one Representative to every 47,000 of the population.

In 1840, the sixth census was taken, and in 1842 Congress again declared that the ratio should be one Representative to every 70,000 of the population.

6. In 1850, the seventh census was taken, and in conformity with the law passed this year, the number of members was for the first time limited; the limit being 233; and the Secretary of the Interior was ordered to take the census returns, and divide the whole representative population by the number 233, and to make the quotient the ratio between the Representatives and the people.

7. We have never seen the result of the Secretary's estimate, but, taking the population of 1850 and di

* The Representative population includes all free persons, white or black; to which (according to the provisions of the Constitution), three-fifths of all the slaves were to be added. But this proviso, now that slavery is abolished, has become a nullity.