Committee

Committee (Fr. comité), a portion, generally consisting of not less than three members, selected from a more numerous body, to whom some special act to be performed, or investigation to be made, is committed. But though a committee usually consists of several members of the body by which it is appointed, it may consist of one member, or, what is more frequent, of the whole of the members acting in a different capacity from that which usually belongs to them. For the committees of parliament, whether 'select,' 'of the whole house,' 'grand,' or 'standing' committees, see PARLIAMENT.