CHAPTER L. PRESIDING OFFICERS OF CONGRESS.

 1. These are the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The latter is chosen by ballot¹ of the Members of the House. As this position gives him considerable influence over the course of legislation the party having a majority in the House are careful to select one on whose sympathy with their views and aims they can rely. When there is nearly or quite a balance of parties, it becomes an important and difficult matter to adjust; and has, in some instances, required a long struggle to elect the Speaker. The result, in such a case, usually determines which shall control the general legislation of that Congress.

2. The President of the Senate, under ordinary circumstances, is determined² by the Constitution, that instrument devolving the office on the Vice-President. It is the only active duty assigned him while the President is in condition to perform the duties belonging to that office. It seems to befit his relations, being the highest honorary place in the government below that of President, subjects him to no superior, and, from the part the Senate takes in the responsibilities of the President, makes him acquainted with the general conduct of affairs; which may be an important advantage to him should he be called to act as President. In the latter case, and in case of the decease, resignation, or disability of the Vice-President,[412] the Senate proceeds to elect its President in the same way as in the House of Representatives, i. e.: by ballot, for a candidate among its own members.

3. Their duties are to open every sitting of their respective Houses by calling the members to order at the appointed time, on the appearance of a quorum³ to cause the journal of the preceding day to be read, to preserve order and decorum during the deliberations, to decide questions of order that may arise, (from which an appeal may be taken to the House, at the instance of any two members,) to formally state, and call for the votes on, a question to be decided⁴, and to declare the result of the same after the vote has been taken.

This is the regular routine duty of a presiding officer. They, as the recognized Heads of their respective Houses, have the general oversight⁵ of its interests, and a general control of the conduct of its business. They examine the Journal to see that it is correct, may order the galleries and lobby to be cleared in case of any disturbance⁶ by spectators, and have general control over the unoccupied rooms in the capitol belonging to their respective Houses. They are required to sign all acts, addresses, and joint⁷ resolutions, and appoint the members of all committees whose appointment is not specially⁸ directed by the House to be otherwise made. In all cases of ballot the Speaker of the House must vote; but he is not required to vote in other cases unless there is a tie, (an equal number for and against,) when he must give the casting vote. The President of the Senate may vote only in case of a tie.

When the House of Representatives goes into Committee of the Whole, the Speaker leaves the chair, but appoints a chairman to preside for the time being; and when the President of the United States is impeached⁹ before the Senate the Chief Justice of the Supreme¹⁰ Court presides.

4. Their duties are very distinctly defined in the rules adopted by each House for their guidance, but many opportunities for exerting great influence often arise, and many cases requiring great tact¹¹ and judgment¹² and an intimate knowledge[413] of Parliamentary Law. They receive a much larger salary than ordinary Members of Congress.

The following are the names of all the Speakers of the House of Representatives. A list of Vice-Presidents is given in the chapter devoted¹³ to that officer.

Frederick A. Muhlenburgh, Penn., 1789 to 1791

Jonathan Trumbull, Conn., 1791 ” 1793

Frederick A. Muhlenburgh, Penn., 1793 ” 1797

Jonathan Dayton, N. J., 1797 ” 1798

Theodore Sedgwick, Mass., 1798 ” 1801

Nathaniel Macon, N. C., 1801 ” 1807

Joseph B. Varnum, Mass. 1807 ” 1811

Henry Clay, Ky., 1811 ” 1814

Langdon Cheeves, S. C., 1814 ” 1815

Henry Clay, Ky., 1815 ” 1820

John W. Taylor, N. Y., 1820 ” 1821

Philip P. Barbour, Va., 1821 ” 1823

Henry Clay, Ky., 1823 ” 1825

John W. Taylor, N. Y., 1825 ” 1827

Andrew Stevenson, Va., 1827 ” 1835

John Bell, Tenn., 1835 ” 1837

James K. Polk, Tenn., 1837 ” 1839

Robert M. T. Hunter, Va., 1839 ” 1841

John White, Ky., 1841 ” 1843

John W. Jones, Va., 1843 ” 1845

John W. Davis, Ind., 1845 ” 1847

Robert C. Winthrop, Mass., 1847 ” 1849

Howell Cobb, Ga., 1849 ” 1851

Lynn Boyd, Ky., 1851 ” 1856

Nathaniel P. Banks, Mass., 1856 ” 1858

James L. Orr, S. C., 1858 ” 1859

William Pennington, N. J., 1860 ” 1861

Galusha A. Grow, Penn., 1861 ” 1863

Schuyler Colfax, Ind., 1864 ” 1869

James G. Blaine, Me., 1869 ” 1873

” 1873 ” 1875

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 impeached   

v.控告（某人）犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 )；弹劾；对（某事物）怀疑；提出异议

参考例句：

• Elected officials can be impeached. 经过选举产生的官员可以被弹劾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The judge was impeached for taking a bribe. 这个法官被检举接受贿赂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

11 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

12 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

13 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。