Questions & Answers
- #LEG61 Who chooses the members of the Senate of the United States? The members of the Senate are chosen by the people, just as are chosen the members of the House of Representatives.
- #LEG62 Were members of the Senate always chosen this way? No. Members of the Senate were originally chosen by the Legislature of each state.
- #LEG63 Was making the members of the Senate chosen by the people wise? No. Members of the Senate, known as Senators, were to represent the needs of the state as a whole, not of individuals directly. Making Senators elected in the same manner as Representatives defeated t...
- #LEG64 How many Senators may there be? Two from each state.
- #LEG65 When a citizen is chosen to be a Senator, how long is his term of duty? He shall serve for six years. If he dies before he finishes his duty or resigns his office, another shall be elected in his place.
- #LEG66 Are all the Senators chosen at the same time, as are members of the House of Representatives? No. Only one third are chosen at a time in two year intervals, so that every two years one third of the number of the Senators see the expiration of their terms; but the same persons may again be chos...
- #LEG67 How old must a person be before he can be nominated for a seat in the United States Senate? Thirty years old.
- #LEG68 Can he be chosen if he has not been born in the United States? Yes, if he has been a naturalized citizen for at least nine years.
- #LEG69 Can a Senator for one State be chosen by the people of another State? No. The people must choose a citizen of their State.
- #LEG70 Does the Senate choose a Speaker, as the House of Representatives does? No. The person who is chosen by the people to be Vice President of the United States is made by the Constitution, President of the Senate; his duties are like those of the Speaker of the House of Repr...
- #LEG71 Do the Senators ever sit as Judges? Yes. When any civil officer of the United States (that is, not an officer of the Army) is accused of a violation of his public duty and charged by the House of Representatives, and tried by the Senate...
- #LEG72 What do you mean by his being tried by the Senate? The Senators take a solemn oath that they will carefully attend to the evidence that shall be brought before them, and according to that evidence adjudge the accused person innocent or guilty, as the...
- #LEG73 Cannot the Senate, in like manner, impeach, that is, solemnly charge an officer before the House of Representatives? No. None can bring an impeachment but the House of Representatives, and none can try an impeachment but the Senate.
- #LEG74 May ever the President of the United states be thus impeached and punished? Yes. No man is above the law.
- #LEG75 How often does the Congress meet? It must meet at least once in every year; but may meet more often if necessary.
- #LEG76 Is any day fixed for its meeting? Yes; the first Monday in December; but it has power to fix an alternate day. When a session of Congress ceases to meet, it is said to adjourn.
- #LEG77 Why was this date in December originally chosen? The founders did not design or expect Congress to meet for great lengths of time. Because the founders knew that the best government governs the least, they expected Congress to get done with it's bus...
- #LEG78 Suppose all members of the Senate, or all members of the House of Representatives do not attend a meeting, can those who do not attend make laws without them? If more than one half are present, they have in most cases power to do whatever the whole number could have done. More than one half are called a majority, less than one half are called a minority. As...
- #LEG79 Supposing less than one half should attend, can they do nothing? Yes, they have power to send for the others and compel them to attend.
- #LEG80 Who settles what these aforementioned rules shall be? The rules for the Senate are made by the Senate; the rules for the House of Representatives are made by the House of Representatives. Each house has power to alter its own rules of order, or to suspen...
- #LEG81 Suppose a member refuses to attend or behaves in a disorderly manner. What may happen to him? He may be punished in any way the other members think proper.
- #LEG82 May he even be expelled from the House? Yes, but only by a two thirds vote of all the members.
- #LEG83 May Congress sit in secret? Yes. Whenever they are engaged in business which would be better done in private, they close their doors.
- #LEG84 After Congress has met, may either house adjourn for more than three days at a time, without the consent of the other house? No.
- #LEG85 Do the two houses, that is the Senate and the House of Representatives, meet in the same building? Yes.
- #LEG86 May either house remove to any other place? No, not unless the other house moves also.
- #LEG87 Do members of congress receive anything for doing the business of the public? Their best reward is the honor of serving their country; but as many of them cannot afford to leave their own business so often without having the loss in some measure compensated, the Constitution sa...
- #LEG88 Who fixes the rate of compensation, that is, how much the members shall be paid? It is fixed by Congress.
- #POW89 Ought they be allowed to fix their own wages? It cannot be avoided, for there is none other power to make laws but Congress.
- #POW90 May members of Congress be arrested while they are attending their public duty? Their duties are of such value to us that the Constitution does not allow them to be arrested while going to or returning from their home to the Capitol where Congress meets, except in the cases of tr...
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