Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III INTERCAMERAL RELATIONS In this chapter a study is made of the relations between the two chambers; first the formal constitutional provisions, and then the reciprocal action of the two houses in the introduction, amendment, and final disposal of bills, also their joint action and provision for conference committees. Consideration will be given to the amendments by the second house and the concurrence in amendments. One of the questions discussed is the extent of the rivalry between the two houses and whether there is such a thing as jealous and critical revision by a rival body. Finally, there is a discussion of the relative quality of membership, whether the senate attracts better men.1 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS In the present constitutional structure, the differences between the two houses are few. The senatorial term is two years, just one year longer than that of the assembly. The senatorial districts are roughly three times as large as those of the assembly, although the population of each varies widely. The population of the senatorial districts, under the apportionment of 1907, ranged from 106,103 to 179)746. The assembly districts are either coterminous with the county, as are forty districts, or are a subdivision of a county. The forty county districts are of widely different population, and the others are by no means equal. 1 The sources for the succeeding chapters include the Legislative Index; the Journals of the two houses; the bills; the legislative and clerk's manuals; the messages and papers of the governor; newspaper files; reports and publications of the Citizens' Union, New York Civic League, and similar organizations. Much information was gathered by means of frequent visits to the legislature in session to observe the actual practice, a...