Since the foregoing clause was changed to its present form in the first session Forty-ninth Congress, it has been almost uniformly held in the Committee of the Whole that a "limita tion" of a specific appropriation which has the effect of chang ing existing law is not in order as a provision in, or amendment to, a general appropriation bill.

As to what constitutes a "work or object already in progress," see debate on and ruling of Chairman Wellborn, Congressional Record, 2d sess. 48th Cong., February 19, 1885, vol. 73, p. 1914. See, also, ruling of Chairman McCreary, 2d sess. 49th Cong., on H. R. 11020, Cong. Record, vol. 18, part 3, p. 2228. Also of Chairman Cox, 2d sess. 50th Cong., vol. 20, part 1, p. 717.

To be first discussed in Committee of the Whole.-RULE XXIII, clause 3.

During the first forty years of our history all appropriations (with the exception of an occasional special bill making appropriation for some particular branch of the public service) were made in one act, entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of the Government."

In 1823 the appropriations for fortifications, and in 1826 the appropriations for pensions, were made in separate bills. The first separate act for rivers and harbors appeared in 1828, and in 1844 the Post-Office and general deficiency bills were first passed as separate acts.

In 1847 the appropriations were made in nine separate bills, viz: Army, Civil and Diplomatic, Deficiency, Fortifications, Indians, Military Academy, Navy, Pensions, and Post-Office.

In 1856 the consular and diplomatic appropriations were first embodied in a separate bill, and in 1857 the legislative, executive, and judicial bill first appeared in the form which is still maintained.

In 1862 the sundry civil bill was added, containing the various miscellaneous items not embraced in the other bills.

In 1880 the agricultural and District of Columbia appropriations were first reported in separate bills, the Committee on Agriculture being given jurisdiction of the first-named bill.

Since then there have been thirteen regular annual appropri ation bills, the river and harbor bill not being included, that

being held to be not one of the general appropriation bills. See decision of Chairman Carlisle February 15, 1881, 3d session, sion, 46th Congress, Congressional Record, p. 1624.

An amendment in the nature of a private claim on the Government is not in order to a general appropriation bill.—Congressional Globe, 1, 31, pp. 1617, 1651; 2, 32, p. 736; 1, 33, pp. 385, 1483 [and such is the well-established practice].

Preference given to general appropriation bills in Committee of the Whole.-RULE XVI, clause 9, and RULE XXIII, clause 4. A motion to go into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to consider general appropriation bills is in order on Friday. Journal 1, 51, p. 398.

General appropriation bills are given a highly privileged character which attaches to them at all stages of proceedings. Journal 1, 51, p. 910.

In considering general appropriation bills the clauses are invariably treated as sections.

As to the right of the Senate to originate appropriation bills, see House Report 147, third session Forty-sixth Congress.

The "general appropriation" bills under the present prac tice of the House number thirteen, viz:

Agricultural; Army; Consular and Diplomatic; Deficiency; District of Columbia; Fortification; Indian; Legislative, Execu tive, and Judicial; Military Academy; Naval; Pension; PostOffice, and Sundry Civil; what is known as the "River and Harbor bill" not being one of the general appropriation bills. The Committee on Appropriations report the Deficiency; District of Columbia; Fortification; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; Pension, and Sundry Civil bills, the remaining bills being reported by the several committees having jurisdiction of their subject-matter. (See clauses 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15, RULE XI.)

As a matter of interest and for convenience of reference, the following chronological history of general appropriation bills passed during the last session, together with estimates and ap propriations for the fiscal year 1890-'91, and appropriations for the fiscal year 1889-'90, prepared by the clerks to the committees on appropriation of the two houses, is herewith given.

1890-991.

Chronological history of appropriation bills, first session of the Fifty-first propriations for fiscal year 1889-'90. [Prepared by the clerks to the

a Fifty per centum of the amounts appropriated for the District of Columbia is paid by the United States. The amount for the water department (estimated for 1891 at $234,474.18) is paid out of the revenues of that department.

This amount includes $1,912,942.02 for payment to Seminole Indians for lands. eThis amount includes $1,000,000 appropriated by joint resolution September 29, 1890, for nickel ore or nickle matte for naval purposes.

d Appropriations for postal service are paid out of postal revenues (estimated for 1891 at $65,414.337.34), and any deficiency in revenue is provided for out of the U. S. Treasury. e This is the estimate submitted for rivers and harbors for 1891. The amount that can be profitably expended," as reported by the Chief of Engineers, is $38,532,550. [Book of Estimates pages 175-180.]

1890-991.

Congress; estimates and appropriations for the fiscal year 1890–’91, and apCommittees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives.]

No appropriations made for rivers and harbors for 1890.

g This amount is approximated.

463, 398, 510. 79 395, 337, 516. 27

The aggregate amount of the five deficiency appropriation acts is $38,617,448.96, which includes $25,321,907 35 for pensions for the fiscal year 1890.

i This amount includes $8,000,000 for pensions for the fiscal year 1889.

This amount includes $1,000,000 for procuring farm mortgage and other statistics; $1,364,000 for aid to agricultural colleges; $1,200,000 for Rock Creek Park, and $598,085.81 for additional clerical force for Pension and other offices.

This amount includes $2,375,000 for public buildings; $1,000,000 for Eleventh Census; $2.2-0,857.10 for payment to Creek Nation of Indians for lands; $3,153,200 to secure relinquishment of a portion of the Sioux Indian Reservation.

This is the amount originally submitted to Congress by the Secretary of the Treasury as estimated to be necessary under permanent specific and indefinite appropriations.

APPROPRIATIONS, COMMITTEE ON.

Number of members and duties of.-(See RULE X, and RULE XI, clause 3.)

The Committee on Appropriations was created on the 2d of March, 1865 (2d sess. 38th Congress), but not appointed until the Thirty-ninth Congress.

It was given the jurisdiction with respect to the general appropriation bills then possessed by the Committee on Ways and Means, which up to that Congress had reported such bills, with the exception, occasionally, of River and Harbor bills reported by the Committee on Commerce.

In the revision of the rules in the second session Forty-sixth Congress the Agricultural Appropriation bill was taken from it and assigned to the Committee on Agriculture. And on the 18th of December, 1885 (1st sess. 49th Congress), the Army; Consular and Diplomatic; Indian; Military Academy; Naval, and Post-Office bills were also taken from it and assigned to the various committees having jurisdiction of the subject-matter of said bills. (See clauses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16 of RULE XI.) The committee now has jurisdiction of and reports the following-named bills, viz: Deficiency; District of Columbia; Fortification; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; Pension, and Sundry Civil appropriation bills.

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.

(See CAPITOL.)

ARREST.

Members under arrest can not participate in the proceedings of the House. 18 Congressional Globe. May 265.

(See CALL OF THE HOUSE.)

AYES AND NOES.

(See YEAS AND NAYS.)

(See also VOTING.)