CONGRESS.
The members of the House, according to the Constitution, must be 25 years of g seven years citizens of the United States age, residents of the States which send them: by act of 25 June 1842 they must be chosen from districts formed of contiguous territory (but see GERRYMANDER for the observance of this). This put an end to electing on general ticket, but there is no provision that the representa tives shall be residents of their districts, and the people have a perfect right to choose them from any part of the State. What prevents this is not law, but the intense local particular ism which, even in State senatorial districts made up of several towns, insists on passing the office around among the towns; at bottom, the American conviction that public office de mands no training. The number of members is fixed by Congress after each new census.
A quorum of members is a majority of those actually chosen. The House organizes by hav ing the clerk of the last House call the new members to order, and if a quorum is present he calls the roll for a vote on choice of speaker. The members choose their seats in turn as their numbers are drawn by lot. The principal
officers are the speaker, clerk, sergeant-at-arms, doorkeeper, postmaster and chaplain. (For the speaker's powers, see CONGRESS). The ser geant-at-arms is the constable. The symbol of his authority is the mace, made on the pattern ordered by the House 14 April 1789; a Ro man device, ebony fasces, of which each rod ends in a spear-head, bound at the ends and in the middle with silver bands, and on the end a globe surmounted by an eagle with outspread wings. The House is governed by Jefferson's 'Manual of Parliamentary Practice,' plus its standing Toles and orders and the joint rules of the two houses. Consult Beard, C. A., 'American Government and Politics> (New York 1910) ; Bryce, J., Common wealth) (4th ed., New York 1910); McLaugh lin, A. C., and Hart, A. B.. 'Cyclopedia of American Government' (New York 1914) ; Reinsch, P. S , 'American Legislatures and Legislative Methods' (New York 1907) ; Wil son, W., Government' (15th ed., New Yorl.