The Constitution requires that Congress keep a Journal of its proceedings as public record. The Journal of the House is the official record of the proceedings of the House, and contains minutes of official actions. It is not a record of debates. You can find an on-line collection of House Journals from 1789 to 1873 (1st Congress, 1st Session—42nd Congress, 3rd Session) via the Library of Congress.

You can find recent House Journals(1991-1999) on-line via the Government Printing Office (GPO).

Tips to help you search for various House Journals are also available on the website of the GPO.

For more information about the House Journal and related House publications, search or browse Deschler's Precedents of the United States House of Representatives.

How can A.Bill find records of Federal Holiday legislation in the House Journal?

First, A. Bill searches the online House journals for the word "holidays."

After reading through the results of his search, A.Bill discovers that the first federal holiday bill number is "H.R. 2224." A.Bill has found his first real clue!

Now, A.Bill can search the House Journals for the bill number "H.R.2224." We can read the minutes of the House Floor proceedings from almost 150 years ago! Let's see what A.Bill discovered . . .




This act was passed by the House of Representatives on June 17, 1870. After the bill's text was amended, or changed, it was passed by the House Members and given a title. Read the excerpt from the House Journal to learn more about the act.

Mr. Cook, from the same committee, reported a bill (H.R. 2224) making the 1st day of January, the 25th day of December, the 4th day of July, and Thanksgiving Day holidays; which was read a first and second time.
Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time.
Being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time and passed. The title of the said bill was then amended by adding thereto the following, viz.: "within the District of Columbia."
Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate therein.

June 24,1870

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a joint resolution and bills of the House of the following titles, viz.:
. . .H.R. 2224. An act making the 1st day of January, the 25th day of December, the 4th day of July, and Thanksgiving Day holidays within the District of Columbia; . . .

June 25th, 1870

Mr. Beatty, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee had examined and found truly enrolled a joint resolution and bills of the following titles; viz.:
. . . .H.R. 2224. An act making the 1st day of January, the 25th day of December, the 4th day of July, and Thanksgiving Day holidays within the District of Columbia; . . .

June 29th, 1870

A message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Porter, his private secretary, notifying the House that he did, on the 28th instant, approve and sign bills and joint resolutions of the following titles, viz.:
H.R. 2224. An act making the 1st day of January, the 25th day of December, the 4th day of July, and Thanksgiving Day holidays within the District of Columbia.