say the session
commenced in January and ended in March. The word _session_ has
reference also to a single sitting, from the hour at which the members
assemble on any day, to the time of adjournment on the same day. Thus we
say, the legislature holds a daily session of four hours; or, it holds
two sessions a day, as the case may be.

Sec.2. Meetings of the legislature are held at a place permanently fixed by
the constitution; at which place the principal state officers keep their
offices. Hence it is called the _seat of government_, or perhaps more
frequently, the _capital_ of the state. _Capital_ is from the Latin
_caput_, the head, and has come to mean chief, or the highest. A capital
city is therefore the chief city of a state or kingdom. But the word
_capital_, applied to a city, now generally indicates the seat of
government.

Sec.3. When the two houses have assembled in their respective chambers,
some person designated for that purpose administers to the members of
each house the oath of office, in which they solemnly swear (or affirm,)
that they will support the constitution of the United States, and the
constitution of the state, and faithfully discharge the duties of their
office.

Sec.4. Each house then proceeds to _organize_ for business, by appointing
proper officers, and determining the right of members to seats in the
house. In organizing a legislative body, the first thing done is the
election of a presiding officer, or chairman, who is usually called
_speaker_. The lieutenant-governor, in states in which there is one,
presides in the senate, and is called _president of the senate_. In the
absence of the presiding officer, a temporary speaker or president is
chosen, who is called speaker or president _pro tempore_, commonly
abbreviated, _pro tem._, which is a Latin phrase, meaning _for the
time_.

Sec.5. The duty of the person presiding is to keep order, and to see that
the business of the house is conducted according to certain established
rules. When a vote is to be taken, he puts the question, which is done
by requesting all who are in favor of a proposed measure, to say _aye_,
and those opposed to say _no_. And, when a vote has been taken, he
declares the question to be carried or lost. This part of a speaker's
business is similar to that of the chairman of an ordinary public
meeting.

Sec.6. The other officers chosen by each house are, a _clerk_ to keep a
record or journal of its proceedings;