Mr. DOOLlTTLE. Mr. President, the resolution as it came from the HoRep to the Senate was a JtResolution, and, if passed by this body in that form, would have required the signature of the President, and in that eventit would have become the law of the land, binding upon both Houses of congress and upon the whole Government, until repealed by the joint action of the 2 Houses with the concurrence of the Executive. That, however, by the amendment 1st offered by the Senfrom RhdIsland, has been obviated, ud by the language of the resolution as it n stands amended it is a resolution of concurre e only, not requiring, according to the practicekof the Government, the signature of the lresidfont. But sir, I object tothis resolution in the 1st place, because upon these great questions which are to go to the JtCommee the Senate does not stand upon an equality with the House. This resolution provides that, of the JtCommee of. 15, 9 shall be appointed by the HoRep, 6 only by the Senate, giving to the House portion of the committee amajority of 3. We all know that in JtCommees the members vote, not as the representatives of the 2 Houses, but percapita. The vote of a member of the committee from the House weighs precisely the same as the vote of a member of the committee from the Senate; so that to all intents and purposes, if we pass this concurrent resolution, which we cannot repeal but by the concurrence of the other House, we place the consideration of these grave questions in the hands of a committee which we cannot control and in which we have noequal voice. Mr. President, another o jection to the resolution as it came from the House, and a stron reason why I favor the amendment proposed by the Senfrom l RhdIsland, is that the resolution in its terms reaclies even beyond the present Congress. Sir, have you carefully studied this language, which would seem almost to have been employed for the purpose rather of disguising its idden meaning than of giving full utterance to the truth? The resolution provides that, in case this committee shall for any reason make no report, or if for any reason Congress, which includes both Houses, shall not take final action thereon, the restrictive clause goes into effect as a law, and what is its provision? It provides by law that, in the happening of that contingency, that failure to set, no one of the 11 States of the U.S shall send a Representative to either House of Congress. It would be binding on the Senate until reealed, beyond the present congress it wouldpbind us in the next Congress an bind usin the congress after that. It would be of peretual bining obligation forever until repeated by set of A Congress. Sir, what would have been thought of the jtresolution raising the committee on the conduct oflhe War if therehad been contained in it a provision similar to this, which the Senfrom lthode lsland moves to strike out, and which the Senfrom Michigan insists shallbe retained, and upon which he calls the yeas&nays of the Senate? Suppose that in that JtResolution there had been a provision declaring that until the JtCommee on the conduct of the war should make their final report, and Congress should take final action thereon, neither House of Congress should take any action on the subject of carrying on the war, and that every paperrelating to that subject should be referred to that committee without debate? Monstrousassucha proposition would have been, it might perhaps have been within the purview of the constitution for us to adopt it; at on the subject of representation in this body, it is not within our constitutional power to delegate our power to any other body, or to any committee which we ourselves do not control. Mr. President, I believe that under the constitution, upon all subjects of legislation but one, the 2 Houses are equal and coordinate branches of Congress. That one relates to their representation in the bodies, to their member ship, that which constitutes their existence, which is essential to their life and their independence. That is confided to each House, and to each House alone, to act for itself. It judges for itself 11 on the elections, returns, and quali fieations o its members. It, judges, it admits, it punishes, it expels. It cannot share that responsibility with any other Dept of the Government. It can no more share it with the other House than it can share it with the Supreme Court or with the President. It is a matter over which its jurisdiction is exclusive of every other jurisdiction. It is a matter in which its decisions, right or wrong, are absolute and without a peal. Sir, in my opinion the Senate of the U.S. cannot give to a committee beyond its control this question of the representation in this body, Without a loss of its selfrespect, its dignity, its independence; without an abandonment of its constitutional duty and a surrender of its constitutional wers.