Library Resources for Administrative History
Each house of Congress is required by the Constitution to keep a journal of its proceedings. In consequence a Journal of the Senate and a Journal of the House of Representatives have been issued since the first session of Congress containing the day by day minutes of their meetings. These journals comprise two series published in the Serial Set from the 15th to the 82d Congress [1952] and now are issued under separate SuDoc classification numbers.
The journals contain a list of bills and resolutions introduced each day by number and title, but neither the text of the bills, except such parts as are affected by amendments, nor debate on them is included. They also contain titles of memorials and petitions to Congress, the annual messages of the President of the United States, his veto messages and his other communications to the respective houses.
Boyd, p. 62, Morehead, p. 99-100; Schmeckebier, p. 144-145; 1909 Checklist, p. 1678-1679.
- United States Congress. Senate. Journal of the Senate of the United States. Washington; 1820-to date.
- REF Z 3.5:/Serial Set/XJH
Titles vary. A complete list of Journals and their SuDoc classification numbers is available in Journal database available at the National Archives Library.
Boyd, p. 63; Morehead, p. 99-100, 164; Schmeckebier, p. 144-145; 1909 Checklist, p. 1678. - United States Congress. House of Representatives. Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States. Washington; 1826- to date.
- REF Z 3.5:/Serial Set/XJH.
Titles vary. A complete list of Journals and their SuDoc classification numbers is available in Journal database available at the National Archives Library.
Boyd, p. 63; Morehead, p. 99-100, 164; Schmecktbier, p. 144-145; 1909 Checklist, p. 1679. - United States Congress. Senate. Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate. Washington: Government Printing Office; 1789-to date.
- REF Y 1.3/4:(volume)
A complete set is in The Center for Legislative Archives (RG287).
A separate series of journals is printed for the secret sessions of the Senate. In these sessions the President's nominations to office and the treaties which he has negotiated with foreign countries are considered. Distribution of these journals is limited; 50 copies were authorized printed by law in 1975. Only seven printings [covering the years 1789-1948] of the Executive Journal had been authorized as of I969. The Executive Journal is issued sessionally. The Executive Journal of the 91st Congress, 1st session was assigned the SuDoc number Y 1.3\4:112 and was printed for official use only. The National Archives Library has only a few of the Executive Journals.
Boyd, p. 63; Morehead, p. 115; Schmeckebier, p. 145-146.