irds of the Senate vote for the treaty, it is ratified; otherwise, it
is rejected.

Treaties are compacts or contracts between two or more nations made
with a view to the public welfare of each, and are usually formed by
agents or commissioners appointed by the respective governments of the
countries concerned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House of Representatives, often called the lower House of Congress,
is a much larger body than the Senate. The last apportionment of
representatives, made in 1911, gave the House four hundred and
thirty-five members, and this went into effect with the Sixty-third
Congress, beginning on the 4th of March, 1913.

A census of the people is made every ten years, and upon this as a
basis Congress fixes the number of representatives for the entire
country, and the number to which each State shall be entitled for the
next ten years thereafter. Each legislature divides the State into as
many Congress districts as the State is entitled to representatives,
and each district elects a representative by direct vote of the people.

The term of office is two years, and the terms of all representatives
begin and end at the same time.

A representative must be twenty-five years old, must have been a
citizen of the United States seven years, and must be an inhabitant of
the State in which he is elected.

A vacancy in a State's representation in the lower house of Congress is
filled by special election called by the governor for that purpose.

"All bills for raising revenue"--that is, all bills providing for
taxation--"must originate in the House of Representatives; but the
Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as in other bills."
Taxation is called the strongest function of government, and therefore
the Constitution provides that the first step must be taken by the
House of Representatives, because all its members are elected every two
years by the people, and are supposed to represent the people's views.

The Constitution provides that "the House of Representatives shall have
the sole power of impeachment;" that is, the House of Representatives
must formulate and present the charges to the Senate, and prosecute the
accused at its bar. An impeachment by the House of Representatives
corresponds to an indictment by a grand jury; specific charges must be
made before a trial can be held in any court.

THE SPEAKER.--The speaker is elected by the representatives. He is a
member of