Until 1911 the speaker was chairman of the Committee on Rules, which consisted of himself and four other members, who were appointed by him. All proposed action relating to the rules, joint rules and order of business had to be referred to this committee for consideration and report, and it, therefore, practically de cided what legislative measures should be taken up for consideration in the House, when they should be considered, what time should be al lowed for debate and what amendments, if any, should be offered and voted on. However, in 1909 an attack on the arbitrary power of the speaker was instigated when the Democratic leader, Champ Clark, moved that the speaker should appoint committees only as instructed by the House, and that the Committee on Rules be enlarged to 15 members, elected by the House and be instructed to report at the following ses sion upon the entire subject of rules revision. The proposal seemed too drastic and the final result was a motion proposed by John J. Fitz gerald of New York freeing members (some what of the necessity of 'seeing the speaker' before offering motions." However, on 19 March 1910 the attack was renewed by George W. Norris of Nebraska, who introduced a reso lution to increase the Committee on Rules from 5 to 10, to provide for their election by the House and to exclude the speaker from mem bership. This brought on a heated conflict, the Democratic and insurgent Republicans joining forces; but owing to a tactical mistake, Joseph G. Cannon, against whose arbitrary actions the resolution was mainly directed, weathered the storm. But in 1911 when the Democrats gained control of the House they signalized their vic tory by stripping from the speaker the power of appointment of all remaining standing com mittees and vesting this function in the Ways and Means Committee subject to the ratification of the House. By so doing the House secured greater control of its affairs (than it had exer cised at any time since the Civil War' The Committee on Rules has since been raised from 10 to 11 members.
The speaker must rise from the chair to put a question to the House, but he may state it sitting. There are four different methods of taking the sense of the House on a pending proposition: First, by the voices, the members who vote in the affirmative saying and those voting in the negative saying (No.)) If the speaker doubts, or if a division is called for, he directs those in the affirmative to rise from their seats and be counted, and after he has made the count and announced the number, those voting in the negative rise and are counted. If he still doubts, or if tellers are demanded by one-fifth of a quorum, the speaker designates two members, one from the affirma tive side and one from the negative side, to count the votes for and against the measure and report the result to him. Even after all these methods are resorted to, if the yeas and nays are demanded by one-fifth of the members pres ent, the speaker directs the clerk to call the roll, and the names of those voting are entered on the journal. It is frequently the case that the votes are taken in all these different ways upon the same question before the result is finally ascertained and announced.
When the House resolves itself into a com mittee of the whole, the speaker leaves his place and designates a member to preside as chairman. In case of disorder in the committee,
the regular practice is for the committee to rise by vote and report the fact to the House, but there have been occasions when the speaker, having knowledge of the disorder, has sum marily resumed the chair and restored order without the formality of a vote by the com mittee to rise and report.
It is the duty of the speaker to sign all acts, addresses, joint resolutions, writs, war rants and subpoenas ordered by the House, and to decide all questions of order as they arise, subject to . appeal by any member. Being a representative himself, he has the right to vote on all questions in the House and in com mittees of the whole, but, under the rules, he is not required to vote in ordinary legislative proceedings, except in case when his vote would be decisive or when the House is voting by bal lot. When there is an even, or tie, vote, the question is lost, and the speaker, therefore, does not vote unless he is in favor of the measure. According to the general parliamentary law, the speaker has no right to speak except on questions of order, but, in the House of Rep resentatives, he has several times participated in the debates without asking the consent of the House; and it is not unusual for him to speak and vote in committees of the whole.
He is required to take the chair on every legislative day at the time to which the House shall have adjourned at its last sitting, and, on the appearance of a quorum, it is his duty to cause the journal of the last day's proceed ings to be read, having first examined and ap it. Generally, however, the reading of the journal is dispensed with by unanimous consent of the House. If no quorum attends at the hour of meeting, or if it appears at any i time during the sitting that no quorum is present, he has no power to adjourn the House on his motion, as is the case in the English House of Commons. Under the Constitution, a majority of the House constitutes a quorum to do business, but it is provided that a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may be authorized to compel the attendance of ab sent members, in such manner and under such penalties as it may prescribe. it is provided by rule that 15 members, including the speaker, shall be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, and, conse quently, the House is not disabled and forced to adjourn because there is no quorum present.
The speaker has the power to appoint and remove for cause the official reporters of de bates for the House, and he prescribes regula tions for the admission of the representatives of the press to the reporters' gallery. He has also control over the hall of records and the unappropriated rooms in that part of the Capi tol assigned to the use of the House. Under the statutes of the United States he appoints from the membership of the House three visit ors to the Military Academy, three to the Naval Academy, a consulting trustee of the Reform School of the District of Columbia, two direct ors of the Columbia Hospital for Women, three regents of the Smithsonian Institution and two members of the Memorial Association of the District of Columbia.