AbstractsLaw & Legal Studies

The origins and development of the Congressional Record make up an interesting chapter in the history of government printing. The Record and its predecessors had been instituted to provide a means of preserving congressional debates; to preserve what was said in Congress,as well as what was done there. The two chambers had published their journals since 1789; but legislative journals do not contain the record of debates in a legislative body; they are rather the "minutes", or a record of proceedings, providing a history of actions taken, on legislation and other matters concerning the legislature. The Record, providing similarly a history of legislation, thus serves in addition a much broader function. [TRUNCATED]