endorsement is to facilitate its reference to a committee by
the President and for entry on the Journal; but any petition
or memorial may be entered in full upon the Journal by a
majority vote of the Senators present.

COMMITTEES.
(See Rules XV to XX.)

JOINT COMMITTEES.

A request for the appointment of a joint committee is
embodied in a message from one house to the other. It
embraces the subject and names the committee upon the part
of the House originating or concurring in the request. The
committee is appointed by the presiding officer, and consists
usually of two members of the Senate and three of the House.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
(See Rule XVII.)

A conference committee usually consists of three members
of each House, and is usually asked where one House dis-
agrees to amendments of its bills made by the other; but may
be asked in cases of difference of opinion on all matters pend-
ing between them. The request for a conference must always
be by the House which is possessed of the papers, and said
papers must always accompany the message requesting the
appointment of a conference committee, and be retained by
the conferees of the other. The report of a committe of con-
ference must be made in writing and signed by the conferees.
It is a question of the highest privilege, and the report may be
made even during the pendency of a motion to adjourn. A
conference committee may be instructed like any other com-
mittee, but their report cannot be amended or altered, but it
may be laid on the table, and, its effect will be to lay the bill
also on the table.