PREFACE,

THIS MANUAL has been undertaken and executed mainly with the view of giving gentlemen, who may not have served as members of our National Legislature, some small insight into the mode of transacting the business of Congress, especially in the House of Representatives of the United States. Members of the sev. eral State Legislatures will also find it serviceable in the performance of their legislative duties, while at the same time it will, in some measure, qualify them for a seat in the House of Represe tatives of the United States, in the event of their promotion to that distinguished body. Perhaps, occasionally the old members of congress may find it a convenient reference.

This work contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, Rules of both Houses of Congress, and Jefferson's Manual, besides a mass of important parliamentary decisions worthy the attention of every man desirous of becoming acquainted with the congressional practice of the country.

INDEX

TO THE CONGRESSIONAL MANUAL.

A.
Amendments, offered to bills on first reading,
Appropriation Bills,

Page.

38
57

B.

31

33

38
ib

39

Bills, mode of reporting, and receiving by the chair

General Appropriation, to be considered first

when in committee of the whole on the state

of the Union,
mode of passing, by the house,
title of,
mode of demanding the yeas and nays on,
resolutions and reports of a first session, and

undetermined, may be taken up in the se-
cond, (after the first six days of the session)
in the same manner as if an adjournment

had not taken place,
Business, priority of,
local and private,

C.
Call of the House. A call of the house after previous

question ordered, not allowed. (See Previous

Question.)
Chaplain, elected for a session,

53
54
59

16

Page. Clerk, Journalizing, reads the journal of the preced

ing day to the Speaker, before the house
convenes on the succreding day,

42 Committees, joint, to wait on the President at the

opening of the two Houses, standing, how appointed,

21 reports of, mode of calling and receiving them by the chair,

27 select, are called after standing committees,

27 of the whole on the state of the Union,

mode of going into, and reports from 33 mode of transacting business when in, ib proceedings of the chair and House on reports from

37 report of, when not in committee of the

whole on the state of the Union, 36 of former sessions,

53 Rooms,

ib of the whole,

58 Conferences,

60 Committee of conference mutually separated with

out agreement-agreed to recede on one amend-
ment, but could not agree as to the others, and
so reported,

61 The House refusing to adhere, afterwards resolved to recede,

62 Part of the report of conference rejected,

63 Further conference asked,

65 Receding after conference,

65—69

D.
Delegates may speak, frank, &c., but not vote,

17 their pay and mileage same as members, 17 District of Columbia, committee of

55 public grounds,

55 E. Election of clerk and sergeant-at-arms,

13 of Speaker, a majority of the whole number necessary,

11

Page.

54

15

16
50

F.
Franking, to what extent allowed,

H
House of Representatives-notice to Senate of its or-

ganization,
daily hour of adjournment in early part of

session,
call of the, proceedings on, &c.

I. J.
Inauguration of the first President, General Wash-

ington,
Journal of the House, corrected if necessary,

M.
Majority of the whole number necessary to elect a

Speaker,
Manual, Jefferson's, rules of, to govern the House

adopted,
Message, mode of receiving and announcing, from

President of the United States,
printed confidentially before delivery,

not seen by members till read in the House,
Mileage, duty of the committee on,

remarks concerning,
Motion, to lie on the table,

84
17

11

14

18
ib
19
56
57
43

N.

20

Newspapers,—members supplied with three daily,

0.
Oath of office, members arriving after the opening of

the session, take the
Opening of the House,

selection of seats at the,

clerk puts the question to open,
Orders of the day, when to proceed in the consider-

ation of the,

17
9
ib
10

27

18

P.

Page. Petitions, Speaker calls for under the 16th rule, com

mencing with Maine and Wisconsin al-
ternately,

25
commences where he left off the preceding
day,

26 mode of presenting and receiving,

ib reading, called for,

ib may be presented daily for the first 30 days ib rule respecting, frequently suspended,

ib Postpone—to postpone to a day certain takes prece

dence of a motion to postpone indefinitely 47 Postponement, indefinite, last in the order of privileged motions,

48 President of the United States,

General Washington and Mr. Adams met the

House in session,
Mr. Jefferson sent the first inaugural message,

18 Presidential Title,

82-84 Previous Question, a majority must second the demand for the

44 Division of the question, when the proposition

before the House will admit of it, may be
permitted after the previous question has
been ordered,

44
Amendment pending when the question has
been seconded, cut off,

44 If a majority should not vote in favour of the

main question after the previous has been
ordered, the question goes over to the next

day,
A call of the House after previous question
ordered, not allowed,

46 Relative to points of order, having been adjourned over,

46 To lie on the table,

47 Call of the House not in order after the previous question has been seconded,

46 Precedents of Order—Casting vote of the chair to

sustain its decision,

45

70