of the House, shall be under his hand, and attested by the Clerk. 9. In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct in the lobby, the Speaker or Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House, shall have the power to have the same cleared. 10.-ORDER OF THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY. After the journal is read, the following order shall govern : 1. 5. 6. Resolutions; Messages and communications on the Speaker's table; 7. Bills and resolutions read a second time; 8. Bills on their passage; 9. Reports in possession of the House which offer grounds for a bill, are to be taken up in order that the bill may be ordered in. 10. Bills or other matter before the House, and unfinished the preceding day. OF DECORUM AND DEBATE. 11. When any member is about to speak in debate, or deliver any matter to the House, he shall rise from his seat, and respectfully address himself to the presiding officer, by his title, saying, "Mr. Speaker," and shall not proceed until he shall be recognized by the Chair, and shall confine himself to the question under debate, and shall avoid personalities. 12. When any member in speaking, or otherwise, transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker shall, or any member may, call him to order; in which case, the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, but may be permitted, with leave of the House, to explain; and the House shall, if appealed to, decide the case, but without debate. If there be no appeal, the decision of the Chair shall be submitted to; if the decision be in favor of the member called to order, he is at liberty to proceed. If the case requires it, he shall be liable to the censure of the House. 13. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the Speaker shall designate the member entitled to speak. 14. No member shall speak more than once on the same ques tion, without leave of the House, nor more than twice until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken. 15. Whilst the Speaker is putting any question, or addressing the House, none shall walk out of or across the house, or when a member is speaking, shall entertain private discourse, nor whilst a member is speaking pass between him and the Chair. No member shall vote on any question in the event of which he is personally interested; or in case where he was not present when the question was put, unless the Speaker again states the question. 17. Upon a division and count of the House on any question, no member without the bar shall be counted. 18. Every member who shall be in the House when the question is put, shall give his vote, unless the House, for special reasons, shall excuse him; but such member must ask to be excused before commencing to take the vote on the main question. 19. Wher. a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the Speaker; or being in writing, it shall be handed to the Chair, and read aloud by the Clerk before debated. 20. Every motion, except subsidiary or incidental motions, shall be reduced to writing if the Speaker or any member desire it; but this exception shall not apply to motions to amend. 21. All bills, resolutions, petitions, memorials, or other papers, shall be accompanied by the name of the member presenting the same, and also the name of the county. 22. After a motion is stated by the Speaker, or read by the Clerk, it shall be deemed to be in the possession of the House, but may be withdrawn by leave of the House. 23: When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn; to lie on the table; for the previous question; to postpone to a day certain; to commit or amend; to postpone indefinitely; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged, and no motion to postpone to a day certain; to commit or postpone indefinitely, being decided, shall again be allowed on the same day and at the same stage of the bill or proposition. A motion to strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to amend, and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection. 24. When a resolution shall be offered, or a motion made to re fer any subject, and different committees shall be proposed, the question shall be taken in the following order: The Committee of the Whole House; a Standing Committee; a Select Committee. 25. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, except a member is speaking, or the House voting. when 26. The previous question shall always be in this form: "Shall the main question be now put?" It shall only be admitted when demanded by a majority of the members present, and its effect shall be to put an end to all debate, and bring the House to a direct vote upon amendments, and then upon the main question. On a motion for the previous question, and prior to the seconding of the same, a call of the House shall be in order; but after a majority shall have seconded such motion no call shall be in order prior to the decision of the main question. 27. Motions to lie on the table, to adjourn, and for the previous question, shall be decided without debate. 28. When a question is postponed indefinitely, it shall not be again acted upon during the session. 29. Any member may call for a division of the question, which shall be divided if it comprehends questions so distinct that one being taken away, the rest may stand entire for the discussion of the House; a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither A motion to amendment nor a motion to strike out and insert. strike out and insert shall be deemed divisible. 30. Motions and reports may be committed at the pleasure of the House. 31. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration, shall be admitted under color of amendment. 32. When a motion shall have been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member in the majority to move for the reconsideration thereof, on the same or succeeding day, and such motion shall take precedence of all other questions, except a motion to adjourn. 33. Petitions, memorials and other papers addressed to the House, shall be presented by the Speaker, or by a member in his place, a brief statement of the contents thereof shall verbally be made by the introducer, and shall not be debated or decided on the day of their being first read, unless where the House shall direct otherwise, but shall lie on the table, to be taken up in the order they were read. 34. A proposition requesting information from the Governor, Secretary or any other State Officer, shall lie on the table one day, for consideration, unless otherwise ordered by unanimous consent of the House; and all such propositions shall be taken up for consideration in the order they were presented, immediately after reports are called for from select committees, and when adopted, the Clerk shall cause the same to be delivered. 35. Any five members, if the Speaker be in the Chair, shall be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members. 36. Upon calls of the House, or in taking the yeas and nays on any question, the names of the members shall be called alphabetically. 37. No member shall absent himself from the services of the House without leave, unless he be sick, or unable to attend. 38. Upon the call of the House, the names of the members shall be called over by the Clerk, and the absentees noted, after which the names of the absentees shall again be called over, and the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be directed by the Speaker to compel their attendance. 39. No Committee shall sit during the sitting of the House without special leave. 40. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum, and upon the demand of any two members, the yeas and nays shall be ordered. 41. The hour to which this House shall stand adjourned from day to day, shall be 10 o'clock A. M., and 2 o'clock P. M., unless otherwise ordered by the House. OF BILLS. 42. Every bill shall receive three several readings; but no bill shall have its second and third readings on the same day. 43. The first reading of a bill shall be for information; and if opposition be made to it the question is: "Shall this bill be rejected?" If no opposition be made or if the question to reject be negatived, the bill shall go to its second reading without a question. 44. Upon a second reading of a bill, the Speaker shall state that it is ready for commitment, amendment or engrossment; and if committed, then the question shall be, whether to a select or standing committee, or to a committee of the Whole House. If to a committee of the Whole House, the House shall determine on what day; but if the bill be ordered to be engrossed, the House shall appoint the day when it shall be read a third time. 45. After a bill has been committed and reported back, it shall be considered on its second reading after the amendments of committee have been read. 46. After the commitment and the report thereof to the House, or at any time before its passage, a bill may be recommitted. 47. All bills ordered to be engrossed, shall be executed in a fair round hand. 48. No amendment unless by way of rider, shall be received to any bill on its third reading, and no debate shall be allowed on the same. 49. When a bill shall pass, it shall be certified by the Clerk, noting the day of its passage at the foot thereof. 50. No standing rule or order of the House shall be rescinded or changed, without one day's notice being given of the motion therefor, nor shall any rule be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present; nor shall the order of business as established by the rules of the House, be postponed or changed, except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. 51. It shall be in order for the committee on enrolled bills to report at any time. 52. No bill, memorial or joint resolution, shall be printed unless ordered by the House. 53. When any matter is referred to a standing committee by motion of any member, it shall be the duty of the Chairman of such standing committee, to notify such member of the time of their sitting upon such matter so referred; and said member shall be permitted to confer with such committee during their consideration of such matter. 54. The following shall be the Standing Committees: Committee on Constitutional Amendments. Ways and Means. 66 The Judiciary. 66 Claims. Schools and State University. "Military Affairs. |