The following list of sessions of Congress, convened at times other than the date fixed by the Constitution, together with a list of the "extra sessions" of Congress, and of special sessions of the Senate, is given as a matter of convenience for refer ence, as well as general interest: *The first session of the First Congress was convened in accordance with the following resolution of the Continental Congress, adopted September 13th, 1788, viz: Resolved, etc., That the first Wednesday in January next be the day for appointing elec tors in the several States which before the said day shall have ratified the said Constitu tion; that the first Wednesday in February next be the day for the electors to assemble in their several States and vote for a President; and that the first Wednesday in March next be the time and the present seat of Congress the place for commencing proceedings under the said Constitution. Repealed the act of March 3rd, 1797. The act of January 22, 1867, provided that in addition to the regular times of meeting of Congress, there should be a meeting of the Fortieth ongress of the United States, and of each succeeding Congress thereafter, at 12 o'clock meridian, on the fourth day of March, the day on which the term begins for which the Congress is elected. That act was repealed by the act of April 20, 1871. (17 Statutes, 12.) The President may, on extraordinary occasions, con vene both Houses, or either of them.-Const. 2, 3, 17. List of extra sessions of Congress convened by the President. Session. Congress. Session. When con- Date of proc Cause. May 15, 1797 Mar. 25, 1797 Suspension of diplomatic relations with France. Oct. 17, 1803 July 16, 1803 Cession of Louisiana by Spain to France. First ...Oct. 26, 1807 Thirty-fourth... Second.. Aug. 21, 1856 Aug. 18, 1856 Failure of previous session to make appropriations for Army. Thirty-seventh .. First ... July 4, 1861 Apr. 17, 1861 Insurrection in certain Southern States. Forty-fifth....... First ... Oct. 15, 1877 May 5, 1877 Failure of previous session to make appropriations for Army. Forty-sixth First... Mar. 18, 1879 Mar. 4, 1879 Failure of previous session to make appropriation for legis. lative, executive, and judicial and Army expenses. List of special sessions of the U. S. Senate from 1789 to 1889, called by the President. List of special sessions of the U. S. Senate, etc.-Continued. Three of the Regents of said Institution shall be members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker. The members of the House so appointed shall serve for the term of two years; and on every alternate fourth Wednesday of December a like number shall be appointed in the same manner to serve until the fourth Wednesday in December in the second year succeeding their appointment. Vacancies occasioned by death, resignation, or otherwise shall be filled as vacancies in committees are filled.-R. S., secs. 5580 and 5581. The Board of Regents shall submit to Congress, at each session thereof, a report of the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Institution.-R. S., sec. 5593. The privilege of using and drawing books in the Congressional Library is extended to the Smithsonian Institution through its Secretary (R. S., sec. 94), and to the Regents of the same resi dent in Washington.-Laws, 2, 43, p. 512. SMOKING. Smoking is prohibited upon the floor of the House.-RULE XIV, clause 7. And the Sergeant-at-Arms and Doorkeeper are charged with the strict enforcement of this clause.—Ibid. SPEAKER. The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other officers.-Const., 1, 2, 6. Upon the ascertainment of the fact that a quorum of members-elect is present, and its announcement by the Clerk of the last House, it is usual for the House, on motion of some member, immediately to "proceed, vira voce, to the election of a Speaker for the Congress."--Journal, 1, 35, p. 8. (See MEETING OF CONGRESS.) It has been uniformly held since the act of March 8, 1863 (R. S., sec. 31), that the election of a Speaker presented a question of higher privilege than the right of a member to his seat. (See proceedings 1st sessions 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st, 42d, and 43d Congresses, in Congressional Globe and Record, of first day's sessions respectively.) At the commencement of the second session Forty-fourth Congress the Clerk decided that a resolution to proceed to an election of Speaker presented a question of privilege, and that pending the decision of such a question another question of privilege could not be submitted. An appeal taken from this decision was laid on the table-yeas 165, nays 84.-Journal, 2, 44, p. 8. At the first session of Congress after every general election of Representatives, the oath of office shall be administered by any member of the House of Representatives to the Speaker; and by the Speaker to all the Members and Delegates present, and to the Clerk, previous to entering on any other business; and to the Members and Delegates who afterwards appear, pre vious to their taking their seats.-R. S., sec, 30. According to the usage, the member selected to administer the oath to the Speaker is that one who has been longest a member of the House.-Journal, 1, 26, p. 79. The later practice is for the member who has been longest in continuous service to administer the oath. By the same act he is required to administer the foregoing oath or affirmation" to all the members present, and to the Clerk, previous to entering on any other business, and to the members who shall afterwards appear, previous to taking their seats."-Ibid. By R. S., sec. 1756, he is required to take an additional oath. (See OATH.) In case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice-President of the United States, the President of the Senate, and in case there shall be no President of the Senate, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the time being, shall act as President of the United States until the disability be removed or a President shall be elected.R. S., sec. 146. By the act of July 28, 1866, it is provided that the pay of the Speaker shall be eight thousand dollars per annum.-Stat. at Large, vol. 17, p. 486. (See COMPENSATION.) SPEAKER, HIS DUTIES, ETC. (See RULE I, clauses 1 to 7, inclusive; X; XII; XIV; XVI; XVII; XXI; XXII; XXIII; XXIV; XXVIII; XXX; XXXIII; XXXIV; XXXV; XXXVI, and XLII. "If any difficulty arises in point of order during the divis ion, the Speaker is to decide peremptorily, subject to the future censure of the House if irregular."-Manual, p. 170. By clause 3 of RULE I he is given general control, except as provided by rule or law, of the hall of the House and of the corridors and passages, and the unappropriated rooms in that part of the Capitol assigned to the use of the House. "It is a breach of order for the Speaker to refuse to put a question which is in order.—Manual, p. 113. It is the duty of the Chair, when the hour previously fixed for taking a recess arrives (unless the yeas and nays are being taken), to declare the House to be in recess until the hour previously fixed.-Journal, 1, 48, pp. 1117, 1118. It is the duty of the Chair when a yea-and-nay vote shows |