ADAMS: THK CONTROL Or THK PURSK. 209 



reference to the Judiciary committee in order that the constitutional 

 point might be determined.'-' Without debate this motion was carried. 

 Thus the subject of House privilege arose quite accidentally and 

 attracted little interest. 



The Judiciary committee offered majority and minority reportsf 

 on February 2, 188 1, and was given leave to print extra copies, but 

 this was all that was ever done with the question. Both the majority 

 and minority reports^ were carefully worked out. Neither report 

 introduces any new evidence, though that of the majority is the 

 stronger document, asserting definitely the right of the Senate to 

 originate general appropriation bills, and making a clear cut distinc- 

 tion between " money bills " and " revenue bills. " A decision by 

 Chief Justice Gray of the Massachusetts Supreme Court is given, in 

 a case involving the question of the right of the Senate of that state 

 to originate appropriation bills. It will be remembered that the 

 provision of the ^lassachusetts constitution is similar to that of the 

 United States constitution. The decision was: ''That the power to 

 originate a bill appropriating money from the state treasury is not 

 limited by the constitution to the house of representatives, but 

 resides in both branches of the legislature." (126 Mass. Rep., sup- 

 plement pp. 557-602.) On the other hand the minority report 

 cited many authorities to show that an appropriation bill was a 

 "revenue bill" within the meaning of the constitution. 



XI. Later discussions in Congress up to i8gi. No contest betweeti 

 Senate and House, but incidental debates in both bodies. 



Since the famous debate of 1872 over the right of the Senate to 

 amend revenue bills, no similar contest has arisen between Senate and 

 House. However, on numerous occasions the right of the Senate to 

 originate appropriation bills has been debated in one house or the 

 other. There are three such instances worthy of note. 



The effect of the report of the Judiciary committee just noted was 

 seen in the next session of Congress, for on June 5, 1882, Mr. Beck 

 introduced in the Senate a resolution § calling on the Senate commit- 

 tee on Appropriations to introduce as soon as possible several general 

 appropriation bills. Mc Beck's main reason was the delay of the 

 House in sending up the appropriation bills, and the danger of hasty 

 consideration in the Senate. He also cited the majority report of the 

 House Judiciary committee as giving the Senate authority to origi- 

 nate. Mr. Allison objected that the House had not adopted the 



*Coiig. Record. 46 Cong.. 2 Sess., pt. II. p. 1-18.5. 

 +Ibia., 3 Sess., pt. II, p. 1146. 



iHouse Reports, 3 Se.ss., 46 Cong., Vol. I, 1883-81. No. 1-ff. 

 gCong. Record, 47 Cong.. 1 Sess.. pt. V, p. 1408. 



