Article 1, Section 5, Paragraph 3
Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.
Recorded vote by 1/5th vote
A fifth is enough to recognize, but not enough to harm.
A fifth of what we have is the highest limit one can take before things getting oppressive. Joseph knew this and so set the tax rate at this level to save Egypt.
Genesis 47:26, "And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s."
It is also the amount that was added to the amount of restitution made for damaged things.
Leviticus 5:16, "And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him."
Leviticus 6:5, "Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering."
It is also the amount added to redeem things sanctified, Lev. 27:13-31
By requiring a fifth part of the members to vote to have votes recorded, they were trying to keep an insignificant minority from controlling this rule, but yet allow a minority to have it done.
The recording and publishing of votes is important to know how a member is performing and to verify attendance. However, if decisions are not close but less than 20% of the vote differs from the majority, vote recording is not so necessary.
This provision thus makes the recording of individual votes only done when there is a narrowed decision about a bill.
The record was put in a journal. This is a book that contains the happenings of each day. It could be called a diary.
Journals serve a vital purpose in helping motivate people to accomplish something to record each day. It also enables them to review lessons that have been learned and the facts around an incident.
The practice of keeping daily journals was abandoned in the last presidential administration, because their deeds were evil. Their journals would leave evidence of criminal intent and behavior, insuring a conviction.
God’s children are on this earth to learn and grow as much as possible. It is vital that we record the lessons and events of each day, so we can review them and actually learn from them.
Proverbs 7:1-3, "My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."
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