Landmark Documents on the U.S. Congress

by Smock, Raymond W.

• ISBN13: 9781568023991
• ISBN10: 1568023995
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-12-01
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

Here is a rich storehouse of information on more than two centuries of events that have shaped the institution of Congress and the political life and history of the United States. Through documents that explore all major aspects and activities of Congress, this valuable new research tool offers rare insights and fascinating behind-the-scenes views of the Congress and our nation throughout its history. Landmark Documents on the U.S. Congress is a collection of primary source documents that reveal important aspects of the institution of Congress and the conduct of members, including its origins and development, procedures and reform efforts. Among the topics covered are: the development of Congress and present-day operations, including major changes in parliamentary rules; congressional investigations; excerpts from great speeches delivered in the House and Senate at dramatic moments in American history; major scandals that have rocked the Congress; descriptions of the House and Senate from contemporary members; and major Supreme Court decisions that have defined the powers of Congress. Many historical documents provide background on topics currently in the news, including campaign finance reforms, the role of the Speaker, and debates over congressional salaries, member behavior, and "home rule" in the capital.

Author Biography

Raymond W. Smock was the historian of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995. He is an award-winning documentary editor and has written and edited several books and publications on Congress and American history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. x
Introduction	p. xi
James Madison's Notes of Debate in the Federal Convention of 1787 (May-September 1787)	p. 1
The Preamble and Article I of the Constitution of the United States (September 17, 1787)	p. 25
The Federalist (1787-1788)	p. 28
An Ordinance Calling for the First Federal Elections (September 13, 1788)	p. 45
James Madison Describes Factions in the House of Representatives (March 1, 1789)	p. 46
The First Quorums of the House and Senate (April 1 and 6, 1789)	p. 47
Fisher Ames Describes the First Congress (April 4, 1789)	p. 49
The First Rules of the House of Representatives (April 7, 13, and 14, 1789)	p. 49
The First Rules of the United States Senate (April 16, 1789)	p. 53
Vice President John Adams Addresses the Senate (April 21, 1789)	p. 54
Senator William Maclay's Account of the Duties of the Vice President (April 25, 1789)	p. 55
Senator William Maclay's Description of the Inauguration of George Washington (April 30, 1789)	p. 56
The House and Senate Agree on the Proper Title for the President of the United States (May 14, 1789)	p. 57
The First Law to Pass Congress: The Oath of Office Act (June 1, 1789)	p. 58
The House Debates James Madison's Resolution on the Bill of Rights (June 8, 1789)	p. 59
First Tariff Bill (July 4, 1789)	p. 67
Senator William Maclay's Description of the President's First Encounter with the Senate's Power of Advice and Consent (August 22 and 24, 1789)	p. 69
An Act Providing for Compensation of Members of the House and Senate (September 22, 1789)	p. 71
The Judiciary Act of 1789 (September 24, 1789)	p. 73
An Act Establishing the Census (March 1, 1790)	p. 74
Establishing a Permanent Seat of Government (July 16, 1790)	p. 76
An Early Congressional Newsletter (January 10, 1791)	p. 77
The First Domestic Revenue Act (March 3, 1791)	p. 78
The First Congressional Investigation: The Defeat of the Army Under General St. Clair (March 27, 1792)	p. 79
An Act Establishing a Mint (April 2, 1792)	p. 81
The First Presidential Veto (April 5, 1792)	p. 83
An Account of the Laying of the Cornerstone of the Capitol (September 18, 1793)	p. 84
The Establishment of the United States Navy (March 27, 1794)	p. 86
The Jay Treaty (November 19, 1794)	p. 88
A Report of the Lyon-Griswold Dispute (February 2, 1798)	p. 91
A Petition of Absalom Jones and Others (December 30, 1799)	p. 92
The House of Representatives Elects the President of the United States (February 11-17, 1801)	p. 94
A House Report Regarding the Establishment of the Library of Congress (December 21, 1801)	p. 96
Excerpts from Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice (1801)	p. 98
Memorial of Sundry Citizens in the City of Washington in the District of Columbia (January 26, 1803)	p. 99
Senate Debate on the Louisiana Purchase (November 2-3, 1803)	p. 100
The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, December 9, 1803; Ratified, September 25, 1804)	p. 102
Ann Alricks Petitions Congress for a Divorce (ca. January 24, 1804)	p. 102
Creation of the House Committee on Public Lands (December 17, 1805)	p. 103
The Cumberland Road Act (March 29, 1806)	p. 104
Petition of the Warriors of the Upper and Lower Sanduskies (October 4, 1806)	p. 105
Creation of the House District of Columbia Committee (January 21 and 27, 1808)	p. 106
The Origins of the Gerrymander (March 26, 1812)	p. 107
Declaration of War with Great Britain and Ireland (June 18, 1812)	p. 108
A Letter Explaining the Destruction of House Records During the Burning of the Capitol (September 15, 1814)	p. 109
A Resolution to Purchase the Library of Thomas Jefferson (October 7, 1814)	p. 110
The Treaty of Ghent (December 24, 1814)	p. 111
An Establishment of Standing Committees in the Senate (December 5, 1816)	p. 113
Compensation of Members of Congress (December 18, 1816)	p. 114
A Report on the Publication of a History of Congress (March 30, 1818)	p. 116
An Act to Establish the Design of the Flag of the United States (April 4, 1818)	p. 117
McCullough v. Maryland (1819)	p. 118
The Missouri Compromise (1819-1821)	p. 125
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)	p. 127
Robert Hayne's Reply to Daniel Webster (January 21 and 25, 1830)	p. 132
Daniel Webster's Second Reply to Robert Hayne (January 26 and 27, 1830)	p. 138
Alexis de Tocqueville's Description of the House and Senate (January 1832)	p. 149
Senator Henry Clay Defends the American System (February 2, 3, and 6, 1832)	p. 150
The Adoption of the Gag Rule Regarding Petitions and Memorials on Slavery (May 26, 1836)	p. 158
The Senate Debates the Establishment of a Gallery for Reporters (July 3, 1841)	p. 159
Charles Dickens's Description of Congress (1841)	p. 160
Senator Henry Clay's Valedictory to the Senate (March 31, 1842)	p. 163
Senate and House Debate on the Declaration of War with Mexico (May 11, 1846)	p. 166
Representative David Wilmot Defends His Proviso (February 8, 1847)	p. 169
Daniel Webster on the Constitution and the Union (March 7, 1850)	p. 171
Senator Henry Clay on the Death of John C. Calhoun (April 1, 1850)	p. 175
Senator Thomas Hart Benton Opposes the Compromise of 1850 (June 10, 1850)	p. 177
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (May 30, 1854)	p. 181
House Select Committee Report on the Beating of Senator Charles Sumner (June 2, 1856)	p. 183
Scott v. Sanford (The Dred Scott Decision) (1857)	p. 185
An Account of a Brawl on the Floor of the House of Representatives (February 6, 1858)	p. 193
The House of Representatives Launches an Investigation of President James Buchanan (March 5, 1860)	p. 195
Senator Jefferson Davis's Farewell Address to the Senate (January 21, 1861)	p. 197
James G. Blaine's Description of Congress at the Beginning of the Civil War (March 1861)	p. 199
The First Federal Income Tax (August 5, 1861)	p. 202
The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, January 31, 1865; Ratified, December 6, 1865)	p. 204
Representative Thaddeus Stevens on Reconstruction (December 18, 1865)	p. 205
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (April 9, 1866)	p. 209
The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, June 13, 1866; Ratified, July 9, 1868)	p. 211
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 (March 2, 1867)	p. 212
Representative Thaddeus Stevens on the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (March 2, 1868)	p. 213
The Articles of Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (March 4, 1868)	p. 216
The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, February 26, 1869; Ratified, February 17, 1870)	p. 221
Haver v. Yaker (1869)	p. 222
The House Debates Investigation of the Credit Mobilier Scandal (December 2, 1872)	p. 223
The "Salary Grab" Act of 1873 (March 3, 1873)	p. 225
Susan B. Anthony Petitions Congress Regarding Her Fine for Illegal Voting (January 22, 1874)	p. 228
Reorganization of the Government of the District of Columbia (June 20, 1874)	p. 230
Representative James G. Blaine Defends Himself Against Charges of Corruption: The Mulligan Letters (June 5, 1875)	p. 232
Establishing the Electoral Commission of 1877 (January 29, 1877)	p. 238
James A. Garfield Describes Congress (July 1877)	p. 241
Reform of the Rules of the House (January 6, 1880)	p. 243
Kilbourn v. Thompson (1880)	p. 244
An Argument Against Reducing Congressional Salaries (February 16, 1882)	p. 247
House Report on the Reform of the Civil Service (December 12, 1882)	p. 249
The Civil Service Reform Act (January 16, 1883)	p. 251
Woodrow Wilson on the U.S. Senate (1885)	p. 254
Woodrow Wilson Describes the Role of the Speaker of the House (1885)	p. 256
James Bryce on the U.S. House of Representatives (1888)	p. 257
James Bryce on the U.S. Senate (1888)	p. 262
Speaker Thomas B. Reed Changes the Rules of the House (January 29, 1890)	p. 266
A Newspaper Account of a Shooting at the Capitol (March 1, 1890)	p. 270
Declaration of War with Spain (April 25, 1898)	p. 273
Senator Albert J. Beveridge on U.S. Policy Regarding the Philippines (January 9, 1900)	p. 274
Senator George Frisbie Hoar on Self-Government for the Philippines (April 17, 1900)	p. 282
The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, July 12, 1909; Ratified, February 25, 1913)	p. 284
The Revolt Against Speaker Joseph Cannon (March 19, 1910)	p. 284
Limiting the Size of the House of Representatives (August 8, 1911)	p. 299
The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, May 13, 1912; Ratified, May 31, 1913)	p. 300
Senator Boies Penrose on a Senate Investigation into Campaign Financing (The Clapp Committee) (August 21, 1912)	p. 301
A Newspaper Account of a Bombing at the Capitol (July 3, 1915)	p. 304
The Declaration of War Against Germany (April 4, 1917)	p. 307
The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, December 18, 1917; Ratified, January 29, 1919)	p. 309
The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, June 4, 1919; Ratified, August 26, 1920)	p. 310
The National Prohibition Act (The Volstead Act) (October 28, 1919)	p. 310
Senator William E. Borah Opposes the League of Nations (November 19, 1919)	p. 315
The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (June 10, 1921)	p. 320
Senator William E. Borah Opposes the Versailles Treaty (September 26, 1921)	p. 323
Speaker Nicholas Longworth on Congress (January 2, 1926)	p. 325
McGrain v. Daugherty (January 17, 1927)	p. 328
An Act Designating the National Anthem (March 3, 1931)	p. 330
The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, March 2, 1932; Ratified, February 6, 1933)	p. 331
The Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, February 20, 1933; Ratified, December 5, 1933)	p. 332
Senator Huey Long's "Every Man a King" Speech (February 23, 1934)	p. 333
Will Rogers on Congress (May 12, 1935)	p. 336
National Labor Relations Board v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation (April 12, 1937)	p. 337
Senator Burton K. Wheeler Opposes President Roosevelt's Court-Packing Scheme (July 9, 1937)	p. 341
A Report on Un-American Activities (The Dies Committee) (1939)	p. 352
Senator Harry S. Truman Calls for Investigation of the National Defense Program (February 10, 1941)	p. 355
The Lend-Lease Act (March 11, 1941)	p. 359
President Franklin D. Roosevelt Asks Congress to Declare War on Japan (December 8, 1941)	p. 361
Congress Declares War on Japan (December 8, 1941)	p. 362
Congress Declares War on Germany and Italy (December 11, 1941)	p. 365
Debate Regarding the Establishment of the House Un-American Activities Committee (January 3, 1945)	p. 367
Senator Arthur Vandenberg on United States Foreign Policy (January 10, 1945)	p. 374
The Atomic Energy Act (August 1, 1946)	p. 379
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (August 2, 1946)	p. 384
The Presidential Succession Act (July 18, 1947)	p. 400
Senator Joseph R. McCarthy on Communists in Government Service (February, 9, 1950)	p. 401
Senator Margaret Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience (June 1, 1950)	p. 404
General Douglas MacArthur Speaks Before a Joint Meeting of Congress (April 19, 1951)	p. 407
Conclusions of the Kefauver Committee on Organized Crime (May 1, 1951)	p. 410
Speaker Joseph Martin's Account of a Shooting on the Floor of the House (March 1, 1954)	p. 413
An Excerpt from the Army-McCarthy Hearings (June 9, 1954)	p. 415
The Creation of the Interstate Highway System (The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956) (June 26, 1956)	p. 419
Watkins v. United States (June 17, 1957)	p. 421
Senator Strom Thurmond's Record-Setting Filibuster (August 28-29, 1957)	p. 426
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 (September 9, 1957)	p. 430
Creation of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics and the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences (July 21 and 24, 1958)	p. 432
The Twenty-Third Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, June 17, 1960; Ratified, April 3, 1961)	p. 433
A Joint Meeting of Congress to Honor Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. (February 26, 1962)	p. 434
Senator Everett Dirksen on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (June 10, 1964)	p. 437
Senator Wayne Morse Opposes the Tonkin Gulf Resolution (August 5, 1964)	p. 440
Powell v. McCormack (June 16, 1969)	p. 446
A Joint Meeting of Congress to Honor the Apollo 11 Astronauts (September 16, 1969)	p. 448
Senator Frank Church on the War in Vietnam and Cambodia (May 1, 1970)	p. 451
Senate Debate on the McGovern-Hatfield Amendment (September 1, 1970)	p. 457
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (October 26, 1970)	p. 463
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, March 23, 1971; Ratified, July 5, 1971)	p. 468
Gravel v. United States (June 29, 1972)	p. 469
A Resolution to Establish the Senate Watergate Committee (February 7, 1973)	p. 472
The War Powers Resolution (November 7, 1973)	p. 475
The Reorganization of the District of Columbia Government (December 24, 1973)	p. 478
The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (July 12, 1974)	p. 482
The House Judiciary Committee Debates the Impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon (July 24, 1974)	p. 487
The Articles of Impeachment Against President Richard M. Nixon (August 4, 1974)	p. 495
The Bolling-Martin Report on Reform of House Committees (October 8, 1974)	p. 497
Buckley v. Valeo (January 30, 1976)	p. 506
The House Investigation of Korean-American Relations (Koreagate) (October 31, 1978)	p. 532
Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha (June 23, 1983)	p. 539
Speaker Tip O'Neill's Words are Taken Down During Debate with Representative Newt Gingrich (May 15, 1984)	p. 542
Senate Hearings on the Supreme Court Nomination of Robert H. Bork (September 15 and 18, 1987)	p. 548
A Poem to the Congress of the United States (March 2, 1989)	p. 563
The Resignation Speech of Speaker Jim Wright (May 31, 1989)	p. 564
Senator Robert Byrd on the War in the Persian Gulf (January 12, 1991)	p. 572
Congress Authorizes Use of Military Force Against Iraq (January 14, 1991)	p. 577
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics Reports on the Investigation of the Keating 5 (November 20, 1991)	p. 578
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution (Submitted, September 25, 1789; Ratified, May 18, 1992)	p. 583
Nixon v. United States (January 13, 1993)	p. 584
Conclusions of the Special Prosecutor Regarding the Iran-Contra Investigation (August 4, 1993)	p. 587
Statements of Presidents Bush and Reagan Regarding Their Role in Iran-Contra (December 3, 1993)	p. 597
Senator Robert C. Bryd Opposes the Line-Item Veto (October 18, 1993)	p. 603
The House Republicans' Contract with America (September 27, 1994)	p. 608
Newt Gingrich Addresses the House Upon His Election as Speaker (January 4, 1995)	p. 610
Final Report of the Senate Whitewater Investigation (Majority Views) (June 17, 1996)	p. 614
Final Report of the Senate Whitewater Investigation (Minority Views) (June 17, 1996)	p. 619
A Ruling on the Election of Speaker Newt Gingrich (January 7, 1997)	p. 622
Clinton v. City of New York (June 25, 1988)	p. 624
A Resolution Authorizing an Impeachment Investigation of President William Jefferson Clinton (October 8, 1998)	p. 627
The Resignation of Speaker Newt Gingrich (November 6, 1998)	p. 628
Bibliography	p. 631
Index	p. 635
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