Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/92

 Ixx UNITED STATES all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when rati- fied by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress. Slavery was abolished throughout the whole of the United States by the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution, adopted Dec. 18, I860. The vast change in the political and social organization of the E-epublic made by this new funda- mental law was completed by the fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution, adopted in 1868 and 1870, which gave to the former slaves all the rights and privileges of citizenship. Under an act of Congress approved Jan. 20, 1874, the salary of a senator, representative, or delegate in Congress is $5000 per annum with travelling expenses calculated at the rate of twenty cents per mile, by the most direct route of usual travel, and similar return, once for each session of Congress. There is also an annual allowance of $125 for stationery, etc., for each member. The salary of the Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives is, under the same Act of Congress, $8000 per annum. No senator or representative can, during the time for which he is elected, be appointed to any civil office under authority of the United States which shall have been created or the emolu- ments of which shall have been increased during such time ; and no person holding any office under the United States can be a member of either house during his continuance in office. No religious test is required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. The period usually termed " a Congress " in legislative lan- guage continues for two years ; as, for example, from noon, Marcli 4, 1899, until March 4, 1901, at which latter time the term of the representatives to the Fifty-sixth Congress expires, and the term of the new House of Representatives commences ; but a new Congress does not assemble, unless called together by the President in special session, until the first Monday in December following, and the organization of the House, that is, the election of the Speaker and other officers, takes place on the first assembling, whether in special session after the 4th of March of every second year, as stated, or on the first Monday in December after its term begins. While the sessions of the Senate are hekl contemporaneously with those of the House, its organization may continue from Congress to Con- gress.