in 1901, committees were often not announced for a week or ten days, but it soon became customary to announce committees the first day.
Each branch has besides a presiding officer and clerk, a chaplain. He like the others is nominated in party caucus and elected by the members. As a rule the nominees of the Republican caucus are elected, Republicans being in the majority. The sergeant-at-arms is elected by concurrent vote, he being an officer of both branches. The clerk of each branch appoints his assistants and so does the sergeant-at-arms. In the roster of assistants to the sergeant-at-arms are included watchmen, elevator men, pages, door-keepers, and soon. Hence he has a great deal of patronage and as the civil service rules do not apply to these appointments the sergeant-at-arms is a powerful man.
The Speaker of the House appoints also eight monitors, two for each of the four divisions of the House, one Democrat and one Republican in each division. These men, when a standing vote is taken, count the members that rise in favor and those that rise against the proposition, and announce the result, which is tabulated by the clerk and handed to the Speaker. In the Senate no monitors are appointed, because the membership is so small it is quite possible for the clerk to make the count.
Standing and Joint Standing Committees
There are standing committees of the Senate and standing committees of the House as well as joint standing committees of the two bodies. The standing committees of the Senate are those on Judiciary, on Ways and Means, on Bills in the Third Reading, on Engrossed Bills, and on Rules. The standing committees of the House include committees covering these subjects and also a committee on Elections
