“ CONGRESS (Lat. congressus, conference, from congredi, to meet together, from com-, together + gradi, to step) . In international affairs, an assembly either of sovereign princes or of delegates of sovereign States for the purpose of considering matters of common interest. In the United States, where the term has now a specific meaning as applied to the National Legislature (see United States) , it had a similar origin, the first Congress being that of the delegates from the various British colonies, who met on October 7, 1765, for the purpose of considering their grievances. ”