The congressional material in the Serial Set includes the committee reports, journals, manuals, and administrative reports of both the House and Senate, in addition to a variety of directories, orations, and special publications. Unfortunately, not all these categories appear consistently in the set.
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Committee reports on proposed public and private legislation are among the most important of the Serial Set’s congressional publications and have always been part of the set.
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The Journals of proceedings of both Houses appeared from the beginning but have been excluded from the set since 1953, while Senate and House manuals did not appear in it until 1896 but are still included.
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The Congressional Directory was privately printed and distributed until 1865 and was not given serial numbering until 1882.
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Orations and eulogies have always appeared, but recently addresses on deceased members of Congress have been printed for distribution outside the Serial Set scheme.
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The Congressional Record and its predecessors (Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, & the Congressional Globe) have never been included.
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Texts of bills and resolutions appear only sporadically, and then only in the early years of the Serial Set.
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Committee hearings and prints have been considered committee in origin rather than congressional publications and have been excluded. However, during the 19th century, some hearings of particular note were printed as Serial Set items.
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The Senate frequently sat in secret session in early Congresses. Proceedings and other records of such sessions have never been included except by special order.
