179. What provision is made for this?

Members of Congress shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States.

180. What objection has been made to giving a compensation to Members of Congress?

Some have feared it might lead unworthy persons to seek the office for mercenary motives.

181. What reason has been assigned for giving a compensation? The expenses of the office might deter men of talent and worth from seeking it, and so give an undue advantage to men of wealth.

182. To what does the next part of this clause relate? Freedom from arrest.

183. How far do Members of Congress enjoy the privilege of freedom from arrest?

During their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same.

184. What exception is made to this privilege?

Members are not privileged in cases of treason, felony, and breach of the peace.

185. What is the object of exempting a Member of Congress from arrest ?

To prevent his constituents from being deprived of their right of Representation.

186. To what does the latter part of this clause refer?

To the freedom of debate.

187. What privilege do Members of Congress enjoy in this respect?

For any speech or debate in either House, they

To secure the utmost freedom in discussing the public interests.

189. What means are there of preventing members from abusing the privilege of freedom in debate?

For any abuse of this privilege, the members are accountable to the House to which they belong.

190. Repeat Clause I.

CLAUSE II. "No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased, during such time; and no person, holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office."

191. To what does this clause relate?

To the disabilities of Members of Congress.

192. To what offices are the Senators and Representatives ineligible, during the time for which they were elected to Congress?

They are ineligible to any civil office, under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time.

193. May Members of Congress be appointed to offices already existing?

They may, provided the emoluments of the same are not increased during the time for which said members were elected.

194. What is the object in excluding Members of Congress from being appointed to new offices, or to those whose emoluments are increased during their term of membership?

That they may not be induced to vote for such offices, or such increase of the emoluments of the same, for the sake of being appointed to them.

195. To what other disability are Members liable?`

They cannot at the same time be Members of Congress, and hold office under the United States.

196. If a Member of Congress be appointed to any office under the United States, what must he do before he can accept it?

He must first resign his seat in Congress.

197. If any person holding office under the United States, wishes to become a Member of Congress, what must he do?

He must first resign his office.

198. Repeat Clause II.

SECTION VII. Mode of Passing Laws.

CLAUSE I. "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as on other bills."

199. To what does this clause relate?

To Revenue Bills.

200. Where must all Bills for raising a revenue originate?

In the House of Representatives.

201. Why is the power of originating Bills for revenue confined to the House of Representatives?

Because they are the more immediate Representatives of the people.

202. Has the Senate no power over a revenue bill?

They may propose amendments to it, as to other bills.

203. Repeat Clause I.

CLAUSE II." Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve, he shall sign it, but if not, he

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CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and, if approved by two-thirds of that House, it shall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each House, respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law."

204. To what does this clause refer ?

To the power of the President over the passage of

a bill.

205. After a bill has passed both Houses of Congress, what must be done with it?

It must be presented to the President.

206. What is still necessary before it can become a law? The President must approve and sign it.

207. What must the President do if he does not approve it?

He must return it, with his objections.

208. To which House must it be returned?

To the House in which it originated.

209. What is this power of the President, of objecting to the pas sage of a Bill, called?

The Veto power.

211. From whom are both the word and the custom derived?

From the Romans, where the Tribunes of the People had the power of forbidding the passage of any law.

212. What is the object of vesting this power in the hands of the President?

It is intended to act as a check upon improper legislation.

213. Why would the President be likely to view a Bill differently from Congress?

Because of the difference in the nature of his office, and in the mode of his appointment.

214. In what important particulars may the Veto power be useful? In resisting encroachments of the Legislature upon the other departments of Government, and in preventing immature and hasty legislation.

215. When the President has returned a Bill, with his objections to the House in which it originated, what must they do?

They shall enter the objections of the President at large on their journals, and proceed to reconsider it.

216. If, on reconsideration by the House in which it originated, the Bill receives a vote of less than two-thirds, what becomes of it? It is lost.

217. If it is repassed by a vote of two-thirds of that House, what is next to be done?

They shall send it, together with the President's objections, to the other House.

218. What shall the other House do?

They shall likewise proceed to reconsider it.

219. If they fail to pass it by a vote of two-thirds, what becomes of it?

It is lost.

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