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be understood to be merely conventional among those who are willing to participate in the ceremony, and are, therefore, perhaps, improperly placed among the records of the House.

SECTION XIX.

PETITIONS.

A petition prays something. A remonstrance has no prayer. 1 Grey, 58. Petitions must be subscribed by the petitioners, (Scob., 87; L. Parl., c. 22; 9 Grey, 362), unless they are attending; (1 Grey, 401), or unable to sign, and averred by a member, (3 Grey, 418.) But a petition not subscribed, but which the member presenting it affirmed to be all in the handwriting of the petitioner, and his name written in the beginning, was on the question (Mar. 14, 1800) received by the Senate. The averment of a member, or of somebody without doors, that they know the handwriting of the petitioners, is necessary, if it be questioned. 6 Grey, 36. It must be presented by a member, not by the petitioners, and must be opened by him holding it in his hand. 10 Grey, 57. [Before any petition or memorial addressed to the Senate shall be received and read at the table, whether the same shall be introduced by the President or a member, a brief statement of the contents of the petition or memorial shall verbally be made by the introducer. Rule 24.]

Regularly, a motion for receiving it must be made and seconded, and a question put, whether it shall be received? But a cry from the House of "Received," or even its silence, dispenses with the formality of this question; it is then to be read at the table, and disposed of.

SECTION XX.

MOTIONS.

When a motion has been made, it is not to be put to the question, or debated until it is seconded. Scob., 21.

[The Senate say, No motion shall be debated until the same shall be seconded. Rule 9.]

It is then, and not till then, in possession of the House, and cannot be withdrawn but by leave of the House. It is to be put into writing, if the House or Speaker require it, and must be read to the House by the Speaker as often as any member desires it for his information. 2 Hats., 82.

[The rule of the Senate is: When a motion shall be made and seconded, it shall be reduced to writing, if desired by the President or any member, delivered in at the table, and read, before the same shall be debated. Rule 10.]

It might be asked, whether a motion for adjournment or for the orders of the day, can be made by any one member while another is speaking. It cannot. When two members offer to speak, he who rose first is to be heard; and it is a breach of order in another to interrupt him, unless by calling him to order, if he departs from it. And the question of order being decided, he is still to be heard through. A call for adjournment, or for the order of the day, or for the question, by gentlemen from their seats, is not a motion. No mo

tion can be made without arising and addressing the Chair. Such calls are themselves breaches of order, which, though the member who has risen may respect as an expression of impatience of the House against further debate, yet, if he chooses, he has a right to go on.

SECTION XXI.

RESOLUTIONS.

When the House commands, it is by an "order." But facts, principles, and their own opinions and purposes, are expressed in the form of resolutions. [A resolution for an allowance of money to the clerks being moved, it was objected to as not in order, and so ruled by the Chair; but on an appeal to the Senate, (i. e., a call for their sense by the President, on account of doubt in his mind, according to rule 26,) the decision was overruled. Jour.Sen., June 1, 1796. I presume the doubt was, whether an allowance of money could be made otherwise than by bill.]

SECTION XXII.

BILLS.

[Every bill shall receive three readings previous to its being passed; and the President shall give notice at each whether it be first, second or third; which readings shall be on three different days, unless the Senate unanimously direct otherwise. Rule 26.]

SECTION XXIII.

BILLS, LEAVE TO BRING IN.

[One day's notice, at least, shall be given of an intended motion for leave to bring in a bill. Rule 25.

When a member desires to bring in a bill on any subject, he states to the House in general terms the causes for doing it, and concludes by moving for leave to bring in a bill entitled, etc. Leave being given on the question, a committee is appointed to prepare and bring in the bill. The mover and seconder are always appointed of this committee, and one or more in addition. Hakew., 122; Scob., 40.

It is to be presented fairly written, without any erasure or interlineation, or the Speaker may refuse it. Scob., 41; 1 Grey, 82, 84.

SECTION XXIV.

BILLS, FIRST READING.

When a bill is first presented, the Clerk reads it at the table, and hands it to the Speaker, who, rising, states to the House the title of the bill; that this is the first time of reading it; and the question will be, whether it shall be read a second time? then sitting down to give an opening for objections. If none be made, he rises again, and puts the question, whether it shall be read a second time? Hakew., 137, 141. A bill cannot be amended on the first reading, (6 Grey, 286;) nor is it usual for it to be opposed then, but it may be done, and rejected. D'Ewes, 335; col. 1; 3 Hats., 198.

SECTION XXV.

BILLS, SECOND READING.

The second reading must regularly be on another day. Hakew., 143. It la done by the Clerk at the table, who then hands it to the Speaker. The Speaker, rising, states to the House the title of the bill; that this is the sccond time of reading it; and that the question will be, whether it shall be com mitted or engrossed and read a third time? But if the bill came from the other House, as it always comes engrossed, he states that the question will be, whether it shall be read a third time, and before he has so reported the state of the bill, no one is to speak to it. Hakew., 143, 146.

[In the Senate of the United States, the President reports the title of the bill; that this is the second time of reading it; that it is now to be considered as in a committee of the whole; and the question will be, whether it shall be read a third time? or that it may be referred to a special committee?]

SECTION XXVI.

BILLS, COMMITMENT.

If on motion and question it be decided that the bill shall be committed, it may then be moved to be referred to Committee of the Whole House, or to a special committee. If the latter, the Speaker proceeds to name the committee. Any member also may name a single person, and the Clerk is to write him down as of the committee. But the House have a controlling power over the names and number, if a question be moved against any one; and may in any case put in and put out whom they please.

Those who take exceptions to some particulars in the bill are to be of the committee, but none who speak directly against the body of the bill, for he that would totally destroy will not amend it, (Hakew., 146; Town., col. 203; D'Ewes, 634; col. 2; Scob., 47;) or, as it is said, (5 Grey, 145,) the child is not to be put to a nurse that cares not for it, (6 Grey, 373). It is therefore a constant rule "that no man is to be employed in any matter who has declared himself against it." And when any member who is against the bill hears himself named of its committee, he ought to ask to be excused. Thus (March 7, 1606) Mr. Hadley was, on the question being put, excused from being of a committee, declaring himself to be against the matter itself, Scob., 46.

[No bill shall be committed or amended until it shall have been twice read; after which it may be referred to a committee. Rule 27.]

[In the appointment of the standing committees, the Senate will proceed, by ballot, severally to appoint the Chairman of each committee; and then, by one ballot, the other members necessary to complete the same; and a majority of the whole number of votes given shall be necessary to the choice of a Chairman of a standing committee. All other committees shall be appointed by ballot, and a plurality of votes shall make a choice. When any subject or matter shall have been referred to a committee, any other subject or matter of a similar nature may, on motion, be referred to such committee. Rule 34.]

The Clerk may deliver the bill to any member of the committee, (Town., co! 38;) but it is usual to deliver it to him who is first named.

In some cases the House has ordered a committee to withdraw immediate ly into the Committee Chamber and act on and bring back the bill, sitting in the House. Scob., 48. A committee meet when and where they please, if the House has not ordered time and place for them, (6 Grey, 370;) but they can only act when together, and not by separate consultation and consentnothing being the report of the committee, but what has been agreed to in committee actually assembled.

A majority of the committee constitutes a quorum for business. Elsynge's Method of Passing Bills, 11.

Any member of the House may be present at any select committee, but cannot vote, and must give place to all of the committee, and sit below them. Elsynge, 12; Scob., 49.

The committee have full power over the bill or other paper committed to them, except that they cannot change the title or subject. 8 Grey, 228.

The paper before a committee, whether select or of the whole, may be a bill, resolutions, draught of an address, etc., and it may either originate with them or be referred to them. In every case the whole paper is read first by the clerk, and then by the chairman, by paragraphs, (Scob., 49,) pausing at the end of each paragraph, and putting questions for amending, if proposed. In the case of resolutions on distinct subjects, originating with themselves, a question is put on each separately, as amended or unamended, and no final question on the whole, (3 Hats., 276;) but if they relate to the same subject, a question is put on the whole. If it be a bill, draught of an address, or other paper originating with them, they proceed by paragraphs; putting questions for amending either by insertion or striking out, if proposed; but no question on agreeing to the paragraphs separately; this is reserved to the close, when a question is put on the whole for agreeing to it as amended or unamended. But if it be a paper referred to them, they proceed to put questions of amendment, if proposed, but no final question on the whole, because all parts of the paper, having been adopted by the House, stand, of course, unless altered or struck out by a vote. Even if they are opposed to the whole paper, and think it cannot be made good by amendments, they cannot reject it, but must report it back to the House without amendments and there make their opposition.

The natural order in considering and amending any paper is, to begin at the beginning, and proceed through it by paragraphs, and this order is so strictly adhered to in Parliament, that when a latter part has been amended, you cannot recur back and make any alterations in a former part. 2 Hats., 90. In numerous assemblies this restraint is doubtless important. [But in the Senate of the United States, though in the main we consider and amend the paragraphs in their natural order, yet recurrences are indulged; and they seem, on the whole, in that small body, to produce advantages overweighing their inconveniences.]

To this natural order of beginning at the beginning, there is a single excep.

tion found in parliamentary usage. When a bill is taken up in committee, or on its second reading, they postpone the preamble till the other parts of the bill are gone through. The reason is, that on consideration of the body of the bill, such alterations may therein be made as may also occasion the alteration of the preamble. Scob 50; 7 Grey, 431.

On this head the following case occured in the Senate, March 6, 1800: A resolution which had no preamble having been already amended by the House so that a few words only of the original remained in it, a motion was made to prefix a preamble, which having an aspect very different from the resolution, the mover intimated that he should afterwards propose a corresponding amendment in the body of the resolution. It was objected that a preamble could not be taken up till the body of the resolution is done with; but the preamble was received, because we are in fact through the body of the resolution; we have amended that as far as amendments have offered, and, indeed, till little of the original is left. It is the proper time, therefore, to consider a preamble; and whether the one offered be consistent with the resolution is for the House to determine. The mover, indeed, has intimated that he shall offer a subsequent proposition for the body of the resolution; but the house is not in possession of it; it remains in his breast, and may be withheld. The rules of the House can only operate on what is before them. [The practice of the Senate, too, allows recurrences backwards and forwards, for the purposes of amendment, not permitting amendments in a subsequent to preclude those in a prior part, or e converso.]

When the committee is through the whole, a member moves that the committee may rise, and the chairman report the paper to the House, with or without amendments, as the case may be. 2 Hats., 289, 232; Scob., 53; 2 Hats., 290; 8 Scob., 50.

When a vote is once passed in a committee, it cannot be altered but by the House, their votes being binding on themselves. 1607, June 4.

The committee may not erase, interline, or blot the bill itself; but must, in a paper by itself, set down the amendments, stating the words which are to be inserted or omitted, (Scob., 50,) and where, by references to the page, line, and word of the bill. Scob., 50.

SECTION XXVII.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE.

The chairman of the committee, standing in his place, informs the House that the committee, to whom was referred such a bill, have, according to order, had the same under consideration, and have directed him to report the same without any amendment or with sundry amendments, (as the case may be,) which he is ready to do when the House pleases to receive it. And he or any other may move that it be now received; but the cry of " now, now," from the House, generally dispenses with the formality of a motion and question. He then reads the amendment, with the coherence in the bill, and opens the alterations and the reasons of the committee for such amendments, until he has gone through the whole. He then delivers it at the clerk's ta

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