a majority favorable to the Government. The number of select
committees is, of course, variable, but it is never small. A few are
constituted for an entire year and are known as sessional committees.
Of these, the Committee of Selection is itself an example; others are
the Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Public
Petitions.

*130. Standing Committees.*--Beginning in 1882, certain great standing
committees have been created, to the general end that the time of the
House may be further economized. Through a change of the standing
orders of the chamber effected in 1907 the number of such committees
was raised from two to four, and all bills except money bills, private
bills, and bills for confirming provisional orders--that is to say,
all public non-fiscal proposals--are required to be referred to one of
these committees (the Speaker to determine which one) unless the House
otherwise directs. It is expected that measures so referred will be so
fully considered in committee that they will consume but little of the
time of the House. Each of the four committees consists of from sixty
to eighty members, who are named by the Committee of Selection in such
a manner that in personnel they will represent faithfully the
composition of the House as a whole. One of them, consisting of all
the representatives of Scotch constituencies and fifteen other
members, is constituted with a special view to the transaction of
business relating to Scotland. The chairmen of the four are selected
(from its own ranks) by a "chairman's panel" of not more than eight
members designated by the Committee of Selection. The procedure (p. 125)
of the standing committees is closely assimilated to that of the
Committee of the Whole, and, in truth, they serve essentially as
substitutes for the larger body.[180]

[Footnote 180: On committees on private bills see
p. 137. The committees of the House of Commons are
described in Lowell, Government of England, I.,
Chap. 13; Marriott, English Political Institutions,
Chap. 11; Ilbert, Parliament, Chap. 6; Redlich,
Procedure of the House of Commons, II., 180-214;
and May, Treatise on the Law, Privileges,
Proceedings, and Usage of Parliament, Chaps.
13-14.]

III. ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

*131. Sittings and Attenda