The Senate has sole power to try impeachments, and when sitting for that purpose, is under oath, like courts and juries. No conviction can be had without the concurrence of two thirds of the senators present. When the President is tried, the Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court presides. The proceedings are judicial, and not legislative or political.

It requires the concurrence of two thirds of the senators present to authorize the President to make a treaty.

The advice and consent of the Senate is necessary for the appointment of ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, surveyors, naval officers and collectors of the customs, marshals, district-attorneys, Indian agents, receivers and registers of land-offices, surveyors generals, postmasters whose income is over a thousand dollars, the heads of departments and bureaus, and officers of the army and navy, and many others. Temporary appointments made during the recess of the Senate may continue until the end of their next session without such advice and consent.

The Senate may propose amendments in a bill for raising revenue, or concur in them; but it can not originate any such bill.

3. Sealed lists of the votes for President and VicePresident are transmitted by each State to the president of the Senate, which he opens in the presence

of the Senate and House of Representatives, and counts the votes, without the advice or control of either house. The person having the largest number, if a majority, he declares elected. If no one has such majority, he so declares to the House of Representatives. If no one has a majority of votes for vice-president, he communicates that fact to the Senate.

In ordinary legislative matters, except as above mentioned, the powers and duties of the Senate are the same as those of the House. They are legislative and advisory, and not executive or judicial.

.

The Senate elects a secretary to record its proceedings, a sergeant-at-arms to attend there and arrest offenders, and a door-keeper to guard the entrance to the Senate chamber.

When the President returns a bill without approval to the house in which it originated, accompanied with his objections, called a veto, they are to be entered at large upon the journal. If, on reconsideration, two thirds of each house, voting by yeas and nays, agree to pass the same, it becomes a law, notwithstanding such veto; otherwise, not.

Every order, resolution, or vote, which requires the action of both houses, (except the question of adjournment,) must be presented to and receive the approval of the President, or be passed over his veto, before it can take effect, the same as in case of a bill. It has been held by Congress that this does

not extend to resolutions concerning the araendment of the federal constitution, which are to be submitted to and acted upon by the legislatures of the respective States; but upon what ground such an important exception can be made does not appear in the language of the constitution.

CHAPTER VIII

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE House of Representatives is composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several States, by the votes of those competent to elect members to the most numerous branch of the legislature.

No person can serve as such who is not a citizen and an inhabitant of the State in which he is chosen, and have attained the age of twenty-five years.

When vacancies occur in the representation from a State, the executive authority thereof is authorized to issue writs of election to fill them.

The House chooses its own speaker, clerk, sergeant-at-arms, door-keeper, and other officers; and has the sole power of impeachment.

It has the exclusive power of originating bills for raising revenue.

CHAPTER IX.

1. EXPRESS LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF CONGRESS.

THEY are, To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money and regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures ;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States ; To establish post-offices and post-roads ;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times, to authors and