Parliament have three modes of separation, to wit, by adjournment, by prorogation, by dissolution by the King, or by the efflux of the term for which they were elected. Prorogation or dissolution constitutes there what is called a session; provided some act has passed. In this case, all matters depending before them are discontinued, and at their next meeting are to be taken up _de novo_, if taken up at all.--1 _Blackstone_, 186. Adjournment, which is by themselves, is no more than a continuance of the session from one day to another, or for a fortnight, a month, &c., _ad libitum_. All matters depending remain in _statu quo_, and when they meet again, be the term ever so distant, are resumed without any fresh commencement, at the point at which they were left.--1 _Lev._ 165; _Lex. Parl. c._ 2; 1 _Ro. Rep._ 29; 4 _Inst._ 7, 27, 28; _Hut._ 61; 1 _Mod._ 152; _Ruffh. Jac. L. Dict. Parliaments_; _Blackstone_, 186. Their whole session is considered in law but as one day, and has relation to the first day thereof.--_Bro. Abro. Parliament_, 86. Committees may be appointed to sit during a recess by adjournment, but not by prorogation.--5 _Grey_, 374; 9 _Grey_, 350; 1 _Chandler_, 50. Neither House can continue any portion of itself in any Parliamentary function, beyond the end of the session, without the consent of the other two branches. When done, it is by a bill constituting them commissioners for the particular purpose. $Congress separate in two ways only, to wit, by adjournment or dissolution by the efflux of their time. What then constitutes a session with them? A dissolution certainly closes one session, and the meeting of the new Congress begins another. The Constitution authorizes the President, "On extraordinary occasions, to convene both Houses, or either of them."--Art. I. Sec. 3. If convened by the President's proclamation, this must begin a new session, and of course determine the preceding one to have been a session. So, if it meets under the clause of the Constitution, which says, "The Congress shall assemble, at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day,"--I, 4,--this must begin a new session. For even if the last adjournment was to this day, the act of adjournment is merged in the higher authority of the Constitution, and the meeting will be under that, and not under their adjournment. So far we have fixed landmarks for determining sessions. In other cases, it is declared by the joint vote authorizing the President of the Senate and the Speaker to close the session on a fixed day, which is usually in the following form, "Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be authorized to close the present session, by adjourning their respective Houses on the ---- day of ----."$