Common wealth, abr. ed., 156-159. Bryce, Am. ated by statute, and may have their organization or powers changed at the wish of the lawmaking body. Their chief dependence upon Congress in practice arises from the power of Congress to give or withhold the money necessary to do their work. Even the President may be coerced into doing the will of Congress in some disputed point, by the failure of Congress to vote "supplies."1 Power over judiciary. Ashley, Am. Fed. State, §§ 404-405. The Constitution does not provide for the organization of the judicial department, except to state that there shall be a Supreme Court and such inferior courts as Congress shall establish. The structure of the national judiciary is therefore arranged by congressional statutes. The number of the Supreme Court justices may be increased at any time, and the jurisdiction of most of the courts changed by act of Congress. It is well known that Congress does not interfere with the independence of the judiciary. General References Ashley, American Federal State, pp. 231-267, 327-343. McConachie, Congressional Committees. Follett, The Speaker of the House of Representatives. Topics 1. THE IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON: Sherman, Recollections of Forty Years, I, pp. 413-432; Blaine, Twenty Years of Congress, II, pp. 341-384; Cox, Three Decades of Federal Legislation, pp. 578-594; Ross, E. G., in Scribner's Magazine, 11 (1892), 519–524; 1 This power may, however, be easily overrated. Professor Dewey, in his Financial History of the United States, § 105, says," It is estimated that one half of the current expenses of the government, exclusive of pensions and salaries, is beyond the reach of any particular Congress, except by positive legislative action of a repealing character, requiring the consent of the President, unless overruled by a two-thirds vote of Congress." Burgess, Reconstruction and the Constitution, pp. 172-192; Dunning, Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 253–303; Chadsey, Struggle between President Johnson and Congress, Chapter VI. 2. POPULAR ELECTION OF SENATORS: Garrison, W. F., in Atlantic Monthly, 68 (1891), 227–232; Edmunds, G. F., in Forum, 18 (1894), 270-278; Mitchell, J. H., in Forum, 21 (1896), 385397; Haynes, J., in Johns Hopkins University Studies, 11, 547560; Haynes, in Election of Senators, pp. 100–270. 3. REAL POWER OF THE SENATE: West, H. L., in Forum, 31 (1901), 423–431; Low, A. M., in North American Review, 174 (1902), 231-244; Moody, W. H., in North American Review, 174 (1902), 386-394; Nelson, H. L., in Century Magazine, 65 (1903), 499–515. 4. THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Nelson, H. L., in Atlantic Monthly, 64 (1889), 64-73; Cockrell, E., in Arena, 22 (1899), 653-666; Reinsch, American Legislatures, pp. 41-71; Hart, Essays on · American Government, I; Follett, Speaker of the House, especially Chapters III and XI. Studies 1. The Senate - its working and influence. Bryce, The American Commonwealth, abridged ed., 83–93. 2. Arguments for popular election of senators. Haynes, Election of Senators, pp. 180-239. 3. Treaty-making powers of the Senate. Lodge, H. C., in Scribner's Magazine, 31 (1902), 33-43. 4. Impeachment-historical and descriptive. Harrison, This Country of Ours, pp. 148-158. 5. Financial methods of the houses of Congress. Wilson, Congressional Government, pp. 136–192. 6. Criticisms of the Committee system. Bryce, American Commonwealth, abridged ed., pp. 119–129; Wilson, Congressional Government, pp. 70-72, 79-85, 91 et seq. Questions 1. How many senators were there, April 30, 1789 ? (Give the number of States in the Union on that date.) What is the number now? Are there any vacancies now? To what are they due ? How are the political parties represented in the present Senate? (Congressional Directory.) 2. Give the names of our senators. When do their terms close? How long have they been in the Senate ? What official positions had each held before his election to the Senate? To what party does each belong? Does either come from this part of the State? (Congres sional Directory.) 3. What is the number of standing committees in the Senate now? Are there many special or joint committees ? Name the chairman of the most important committees. Of what committees are our senators chairmen ? (Congressional Directory.) 4. What officials are appointed by the President in this county ? What treaties were ratified by the Senate during the last Congress ? Have any treaties been rejected by the Senate recently? 5. What is the smallest number of senators who at the present time can pass an ordinary bill? ratify a treaty ? elect a Vice President ? 6. How can the Constitution be amended without consulting the Senate? (Constitution, Art. V.) What officials can be removed from office only through impeachment? (Art. II, § 4.) How can a congressman be removed? (Art. I, § 5.) 7. How many congressional districts are there in this State? In which one do we live? Which counties (if more than one) are comprised in it? How does it compare in area and population with others of the State? (Newspaper Almanacs.) 8. Who is our representative at present? How many terms has he been in Congress? On what committees does he serve? How many members has each political party in the present house? (Congressional Directory.) 9. Name in order the six committees you consider most important, and give the chairman of each. Who is the Speaker of the House? CHAPTER XXV THE PRESIDENT for his prominence 315. The President's Position. The most conspicuous Reasons personage connected with our system of governments is unquestionably the President of the United States. This is due not only to the method of election, which serves to center popular interest in the presidency every four years, but to the prominence of the duties assigned to our chief executive, and the great concentration of power in his hands. In the control of military affairs and in affairs of peace, as well as in international relations, his is the central figure, representing most nearly the dignity and sovereignty of the Nation. tional powers. ization. The great power of the President comes from two sources. ConstituFirst, the Constitution assigns to the President duties of magnitude in authorizing him to execute the laws, in addition to directly conferring powers connected with legislation, military affairs, and foreign relations that would of necessity make him a powerful official. Second, all officials belonging to the executive branch of the national government are Administradirectly or indirectly responsible to the President. They tive centralare appointed by him or by some of his immediate subordinates, and may be removed if they fail to carry out his policy. The importance and the value of this concentration Goodnow, of executive and administrative authority in the hands of the ComparaPresident, can be appreciated better if we compare him with the state governor. The latter, as we saw (§ 92), has many powers granted him by the constitution of his State, but, because of his inability to control more than a small tive Admin istrative Law, I, 62-70. Three steps in election. Delegates. in Scrib ner's, 27 (1900), 643-646. proportion of the officials who carry out state laws, has never been able to make the state executive department coordinate with the legislature. THE SELECTION OF A PRESIDENT 316. The Selection of Delegates to a National Convention.— The election of a President involves three steps: the nomination, the choice of presidential electors, which occurs in November of the years divisible by four, and the meeting of the electors to vote for President and Vice President the following winter. Nominations are always made by conventions composed of party delegates from the different States or congressional Low, A. M., districts (§ 24). The time and place for holding a convention are decided by the national committee of each party, which instructs the different congressional districts to elect two delegates and two alternates who shall represent the districts in the convention. The States are at the same time requested to appoint four delegates at large, as representatives of the State, so that usually there are twice as many delegates as there are members of Congress. Instruction Dallinger, Nomination for Elective An effort is made, ordinarily, by the men who wish to be of delegates. nominated for the presidency, to secure the election of delegates favorable to themselves, and to have the delegates instructed to vote for them in the national convention. For this reason, it may be known before the convention meets Office, 75-78. who will be the presidential nominee of the party. Often there are numerous and interesting contests between two delegations from different districts or States. Until the national convention secures the evidence regarding the facts in dispute and the convention decides which delegation shall be seated, there is much doubt. Committee reports. 317. A National Convention at Work-Upon the day appointed by the national committee, the convention is called to order by the chairman of that committee. A tem |