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A.Bill
has discovered a lot about Federal Holiday legislation by exploring
the Constitution, the House Journal, and the Congressional Record
of Floor debates. But what about the text of the law itself?
THOMAS
is the the Library of Congress' website for legislative information.
This is the website that we would search if we were looking for
a bill passed by Congress in the 101st-108th sessions
(1989-Present).
The
Law Library of Congress is part of the Library of Congress'
American Memory Collection, which contains information about the
1st-43rd Congresses (1774-1875).
 How
can A.Bill find the text of the first Federal Holiday legislation?
 We
know from following the clues in the Congressional records
that the law we are looking for was passed in 1870, during
the 41st Congress. Now we can search
Law
Library of Congress: Statutes and Documents to look for
Bills
and Resolutions. We use the
search
query to look for H.R.
2224
in the House Bills and Resolutions, and we can look at the
actual text of the bill itself!
The
text of first act related to the creation of Federal holidays
appears below.
June
28, 1870 An Act making
the first Day of January, the twenty-fifth Day of December, the fourth Day of
July,
and Thanksgiving Day, Holidays, within the District of Columbia.
Be
it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That the following days, to wit: The first
day of January, commonly called New Year's day, the fourth day of July, the
twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas day, and any day appointed
or recommended by the President of the United States as a day of public fast
or thanksgiving, shall be holidays within the District of Columbia, and shall,
for all purposes of presenting for payment or acceptance of the maturity and
protest, and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of exchange, bank checks
and promissory notes or other negotiable or commercial paper, be treated and
considered as is the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, and all
notes, drafts, checks, or other commercial or negotiable paper falling due or
maturing on either of said holidays shall be deemed as having matured on the
day previous.
APPROVED,
June 28, 1870
Onto
Clue 5: Put it All Together . . .
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