ADAMS: THE CONTROL OF THE PURSE. 217 



The form of government in England, which permits the plans for 

 legislation to be made by a responsible ministry, gives to the people 

 an effective influence upon financial questions, and as a consequence, 

 upon all questions of public interest. The control of the budget by the 

 people, through their representatives, more than any other thing secures 

 the maintenance of constitutional liberty in England, and its history 

 is really identical with the history of constitutional liberty. The 

 conditions in the United States differ widely from those existing in 

 England, yet a comparison of the position taken by the House of 

 Representatives, in the control of money affairs, with that of the House 

 of Commons is of the greatest interest in an historical point of view, 

 and as indicating the trend of our own governmental development. 



c. — Development of Financial Committees in the House of 



Representatives. 



As the House claims the supreme control in financial matters, it 

 also makes itself responsible for their correct management. In this 

 connection it is necessary to outline briefly the history of the method 

 by which the House conducts its business and particularly its financial 

 affairs. Such an outline must necessarily treat of the growth of the 

 system of financial committees now used by the House, for it is by 

 means of committees that business of every sort has been conducted 

 and controlled. The development in the committee of Ways and 

 Means and of others will therefore be traced. 



The method of appointment of committees in the House is first 

 noticed in a resolution of April 7, 1789: "The Speaker shall 

 appoint committees, unless it be determined by the House that the 

 committee shall consist of more than three members, in which case 

 the appointment shall be by ballot in the House."* This resolution 

 formed a part of the standing rules and orders of the House. It was 

 soon found that the balloting for members of committees was an 

 intricate and tiresome proceeding, so that January 13, 1790 it 

 was ordered "that hereafter it be a standing rule of the House that 

 all committees shall be appointed by the Speaker unless otherwise 

 specially directed by the House in which case they shall be appointed 

 by ballot, "t Hovvever,^ these committees were only special commit- 

 tees, whose existence was dependent in every case upon a formal 

 motion passed by the House. The first committee of Ways and 

 MeansJ was appointed on motion of Mr. Gerry, who found some 

 difiiculty in convincing the House that there was any necessity for 



*House Journal. lTS9-9^2. p. t). 



tibi.l., p. 140. 



;ibi.l.. July -Jl. 1T8J. p. 6J. 



