and one on Payroll. The Senate Committees are smaller than the House Committees, though in each branch the committees on Bills in the Third Reading and on Engrossed Bills consist of only three members. In the House the chairmen of the committees on Bills in the Third Reading and on Engrossed Bills have seats of honor at a desk at the left of the Speaker, the clerk and his assistant being at the right. Certain members, too, like the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and the ranking member of the Rules Committee, have special seats assigned to them. So do the monitors. The senior member of the House and the oldest member who is not the senior member are allowed to select their seats. All the other members draw for seats,[1] the clerk calling the roll, and a committee of three made up from those who do not have to draw taking numbers out of a box as the names are called; the number drawn is the number of the member's seat unless an exchange is made and notice given to the sergeant-at-arms within five days from the day of the drawing. The drawing of seats takes place immediately after the appointment of committees and monitors.
Work of the Joint Committees
The greater number of committees, of course, are joint committees; that is, committees made up of members of the House and Senate who sit jointly. There are thirty of these committees in all and they start with a committee on Agriculture made up of four senators, the senator first named being the chairman of the whole committee, and eleven representatives. The chairman on the part of the House is the representative first named among the House members.
- ↑ In the Senate the President appoints a committee to assign seats.
