Connecticut has the honor of furnishing this valuable compromise. In her legislature, representation in one house was based on population; in the other, the towns had equal representation.
Among the advantages of having two houses, aside from that mentioned on page 80, are these: It tends to prevent a few popular leaders from carrying through laws not designed for the common good; it secures a review of any proposed measure by men elected in different ways and looking at it from different standpoints. As our congress is organized, the members of the house of representatives, being elected by popular vote and for a short term, are likely to represent with considerable faithfulness the wishes of the people. But the people may be for a time wrong—as, for instance, in the persecution of the "witches"—and senators, who by their mode of election and length of term are made somewhat independent, can comparatively without fear do what seems right, even if temporarily unsupported by public opinion.
SECTION II.—HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.[1]
Clause 1.—Composition and Term.
The house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year[2] by the people[3] of the several states, and the electors[4] in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.[5]
[1] So called because it represents the people.
[2] The term under the confederation had been one year. This was too short to permit any adequate study of the subjects to be legislated upon. This longer term, two years, is still short enough to impose upon representatives the feeling of responsibility.
The term begins March 4, at noon. The time covered by a representative's term is called a congress; thus we speak of the fortieth congress, meaning the fortieth two years of our constitutional existence. The name also applies to the body constituting our national legislative department during that time. Thus we say that a certain person is a member of congress.
"A congress" includes two regular sessions and any number of extra sessions which the president may see fit to call or which may be provided for by law. The first regular session is called "the long session," because congress may remain in session through the summer, if it choose. The second is called "the short session," because it must end March 4, at noon. Expiring thus by limitation, it lasts not more than about three months.
[3] The word people here means voters.