journal of the house, and to read all bills and communications that may come before the house for its action. Having gone so far, notice is sent to the governor and to the senate that the house has organized, and is ready for business. On the same day, or soon, a chaplain is chosen, who opens the daily session with prayer.

The senate organizes in a similar way, the members being duly qualified as in the house. Its presiding officer is called the President. The two houses then choose a sergeant-at-arms, whose duties are, to execute all orders of either house; to preserve order, and prevent interruption of the business of the houses; to have general charge of the State House, superintending repairs, and seeing that all parts of it are in proper order for the use of the government; to appoint and oversee watchmen and firemen in the State House; and to appoint doorkeepers and messengers to each house of legislation.

Committees.

At the beginning of the annual session, the presiding officer of each body appoints certain standing committees, whose work it is to consider the matter presented to either house, and report what action is proper. Beside these, there is a large number of what are called joint standing committees, composed of members from both branches. There are committees upon banks, education, insurance, railways, towns, and many other subjects. Frequently a special committee is appointed to consider a matter of temporary interest.

We shall next notice how laws are made. The ConMode of Making stitution requires three things to be done to make a law. A measure must receive a majority vote in each branch of the legislature, and

Laws.

be approved by the governor. If he objects, he may return the bill with his objections to the house in which it originated. This house must enter his objections in full upon its records,

The Veto

Power.

and proceed to reconsider the bill. If two-thirds of this branch vote for the measure, it is sent to the other house; and, if this also assent by a two-thirds vote, the measure becomes a law without the approval of the governor. If he does not return the bill within five days, it becomes a law, unless the legislature prevent his returning it by adjourning. This power of the governor to withold his approval from any measure is termed the veto power. As he cannot really prevent a bill from becoming a law, the veto is said to be not absolute, but qualified. The sovereign of England has an absolute veto upon the acts of Parliament, though it has not been exercised for more than a century.

ways.

When the General Court begins its session, subjects for legislation are presented to it in three Introduction of The governor, in an address to the Business. two branches, describes the condition of public affairs, and points out in what directions legislative action is necessary or desirable. A second mode of introducing business is for an individual member to present a resolve or a bill, or an order, which he may do at any time with the consent of the house. A large part of the business comes before the legislature in the form of petitions from the people. Thus a number of persons ask permission to establish a savings bank, a town asks leave to change its name, a man wishes to use a certain water-privilege.

1 Veto, Latin, I forbid. This was the word by which the Roman tribunes refused their assent to a law which they disapproved. It was an absolute prohibition. 14

To save the time of the house, all these matters, in Mode of Pro- their crude form, are referred to the ceeding. appropriate committees, to be by them. considered and reported on, either favorably or otherwise, as they think best. Thus the representative from the town of Greenland presents a petition to the General Court, signed by a part of his townsmen, praying that the name of the town may be changed to Sahara. The petition is at once referred to the joint standing committee on towns. This body gives public notice, that, at a certain time and place, it will hear all parties interested in the matter. After listening to the petitioners, opportunity is given to any person to remonstrate; and then the committee decides whether the change is desirable. If a majority decide in the affirmative, a bill is prepared, which begins, "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same," and declares that the name of the town of Greenland shall, after a certain date, be changed to Sahara.

The rules of each house provide that every bill shall have three separate readings, no two of which shall be on the same day. The bill being reported by a committee, if no objection is made, it goes into the orders of the next day, unless some other time is specially assigned for its consideration. When it is reached in course, the title is read, each member being provided with a printed copy of the bill. This is its second reading; and the question for the house to decide is, whether it shall have a third reading. At this time, the discussion occurs on the merits of the bill; and amendments may be proposed, which may be acted on at once, or may be sent to the committee to be consid1 This rule is sometimes suspended so that a bill may pass through two or more stages on the same day.

ered by them. If a majority vote in favor of ordering a third reading, the bill goes to a committee on such bills, whose business is to see that the bills are correctly drawn. When the bill is reported back by this committee, the house is called to vote on ordering the bill to be engrossed. If this vote is in the affirmative, the bill is sent to the other house, where it goes through a similar process. If it is ordered to be engrossed by this house also, it is given to an engrossing clerk, who copies it in a fair, round hand, on parchment. After examination by a committee, if found to be correctly engrossed, it is enacted by the house of representatives, and then by the senate.

The details of the proceeding are regulated by the rules of each house, and by the general principles of parliamentary law. If the second house amend the bill, it goes back to the house in which it originated, where a vote is taken on concurring in the amendment. If the two houses cannot agree on amendments, a committee of conference may be appointed, which endeavors to make the measure satisfactory to both parties. After a bill has passed both houses, the clerk of the senate lays it before the governor for his approbation, which he expresses by his signature.

After each session of the General Court, the secretary of the Commonwealth causes all the acts and resolves 2 which have become

Publication of
Laws.

1 Parliamentary Law comprises those general rules which regulate the conduct of business in legislative assemblies, and in all meetings for deliberative action.

2 The Province Charter of 1691 required that all acts of the General Court should be sent to England for the approval of the king. To avoid this inconvenience, the legislature frequently passed measures in the form of resolves, which were not subject to the same requirement. The practice has been continued, though now resolves are subject to the same rules as other bills.

laws to be bound and preserved. He also causes to be printed copies of the general laws and resolves, and distributes through the towns a sufficient number to furnish one copy to each family or eight inhabitants. From time to time, the laws of the State are revised The by a board appointed for the purpose. whole body of laws, as they present it, is then enacted by the General Court like any bill, and published for distribution. In 1836 the laws were

Revision of
Statutes.

published in a single volume, under the title, "Revised Statutes of Massachusetts." In 1860 another revision took place; and the volume of General Statutes was issued. This volume, and the annual volumes that have been printed since, contain the general laws of the Commonwealth now in force. Such special acts as apply only to individuals or corporations are not included in the revision, but are published separately. Beside the ordinary legislation, the General Court Amending the has the initiative in changing the constituConstitution. tion of the Commonwealth. In order that any article may become valid as a part of the constitution, it must be proposed by the General Court, and agreed to by a majority of the senators, and twothirds of the representatives present and voting. It must then be entered on the journals of the two houses, with the yeas and nays, then referred to the next General Court, and published. The same proportion of the members of the next General Court must agree to it; and then it must be submitted to the people, and be approved by a majority of the legal voters at meetings called for the purpose in the various cities and towns. Twenty-eight articles of amendment have been ratified by the people.

1 Revised in 1882 under title Public Statutes.