COMMITTEE, one or more persons elected or deputed from among a larger body to ex amine, consider and report on any matter of business.
Large deliberative assemblies, with a great variety of business coming before them from time to time, are unable, when sitting as a whole, sufficiently to discuss and investigate many subjects on which they are obliged to act. Committees, therefore, are appointed to ex amine and report to the assembly from which they are selected. In the legislative bodies of the United States and in the British Parlia ment—in fact, in all legislative bodies in rep resentative goverriments— there are committees for various purposes. What are known as °standing committees° and °grand committees° are regularly appointed at the beginning of every session, and have a definite class of sub jects with which to deal, the object being to divide the work of the assenably among several bodies, and so facilitate the progress of legisla tion. In the British Parliament there were formerly four grand committees—of Religion, of Grievances, of Courts of Justice and. of Trade, but they fell into disuse and were dis continued in 1832. Another ancient committee is that of Privileges, which is still appointed at the beginning of every session, but has seldom any work to do, questions of privilege being generally laid before a select committee spe cially appointed. In the United States Congress there are numerous standing committees. Among the most important of them in both Senate and House (though each House has not the same comthittees) are those on Appro priations, Commerce, Elections, Foreign Af fairs, Judiciary, Military and Naval Affairs, Rules and Ways and Means. (See CONGRESS, UNITED STATES) . °Select committees° are ap pointed by both Houses of the British Parlia ment and of the United States Congress to take up special questions and investigate them pre vious to legislation. In these witnesses may be examined upon oath, and evidence of all kinds brought forward, the proceedings being such as could not be carried on before the whole House.
When their reports are given in, measures may be based upon them and passed into law. What is known as a Committee of the Whole House can only be regarded as a committee in so far as its procedure is concerned, since it consists of all the members who are present. Matters of great concernment (as supply, ways and means, etc.) are usually referred to a commit tee of the whole House, in which bills, resolu tions, etc., are debated and amended till they take a shape which meets the approbation of the majority. The sense of the whole assembly is better taken in this way, because in all com mittees the member is permitted to speak as often as he pleases. When in the British Par liament, the House is in committee, the chair is regularly taken by the chairman of commit tees, a member who receives a salary and holds the post during the duration of the Parliament, acting as deputy speaker. (See PARLIAMENT). When the House is desirous of forming itself into committee, the speaker, on motion, puts H the question whether the ouse will resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration such a matter, naming it. The previous question cannot be put in com mittee; nor can the House in committee ad journ, as ordinary committees may, but if the business is unfinished, must hold an entirely new sitting. If the business is finished, the chairman reports, either immediately, or, if the House wish, at a later period. The committee stage of a bill takes place between the second and third reading, when the measure is dis cussed clause by clause. Private bills are re ported on by select committees.
In law, a committee is a guardian appointed to take charge of the person or estate of one who has been found to be of unsound mind, or who is laboring under some other disability. The next of kin is usually selected, but the appointment rests in the discretion of the court. It is the duty of the person appointed to take care of the incompetent.