have precedence of a motion to amend; and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection.

42. When a resolution shall be offered, or a motion made, to refer any subject, and different committees shall be proposed, the question shall be taken in the following order:

The Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; the Committee of the Whole House; a Standing Committee; a Select Committee.

43. A motion to adjourn, and a motion to fix the day to which the House shall adjourn, shall be always in order: these motions, and the motion to lie on the table, shall be decided without. debate.

44. The hour at which every motion to adjourn is made shall be entered on the journal. (Oct. 9th, 1837.)

45. The previous question shall 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 effects shall be to put an end to all debate, and bring the House to a direct vote upon amendments reported by a committee, if any, upon pending 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 a decision of the main question.

46. On a previous question there shall be no debate. All'incidental questions of order arising

after a motion is made for the previous question, and pending such motion, shall be decided, whether on appeal or otherwise, without debate.

47. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon again during the session.

48. Any member may call for the division of a question, which shall be divided if it comprehend propositions in substance so distinct, that, one being taken away, a substantive proposition shall remain for the decision of the House. A motion to strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible; but a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither amendment, nor a motion to strike out and insert.

49. Motions and reports may be committed at the pleasure of the House.

50. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration, shall be admitted under colour of amendment * (March 13th, 1822.) No bill or resolution shall, at any time, be amended by annexing thereto, or incorporating therewith any other bill or resolution pending before the House.† (Sept. 15th, 1887.)

* This rule was originally established on the 7th of April, 1789, and was in these words: "No new motion or proposition shall be admitted under colour of amendment, as a substitute for the motion or proposition under debate." On the 13th of March, 1822, it was changed to its present form, in which the words "new" and "substitute" do not appear.

The latter clause of this rule was adopted at the first session of the 25th Congress; and as originally reported by the committee, the following words were contained at the end of it; "nor by any proposition containing THE SUBSTANCE, in whole or in part, of any other bill or resolution

51. When a motion has been once made, and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member of the majority to move for the re-consideration thereof on the same or the succeeding day; and such motion shall take precedence of all other questions, except a motion to adjourn.

52. When the reading of a paper is called for, and the same is objected to by any member, it shall be determined by a vote of the House.

53. The unfinished business in which the House was engaged at the last preceding adjournment shall have the preference in the orders of the day; and no motion on any other business shall be received, without special leave of the House, until the former is disposed of.

54. Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate shall be necessary, shall be read to the House, and laid on the table, on a day preceding that in which the same shall be moved, unless the House shall otherwise expressly allow.

55. 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 be made verbally by the introducer: they shall not be debated on the day of their being presented, nor on any day assigned by the House for the receipt of

pending before the House." These words were stricken out by the House before it would agree to the rule; by which it would seem to be decided that a bill or resolution might be amended by incorporating therein the substance of any other bill or resolution before the House.

petitions, after the first thirty days of the session, unless where the House shall direct otherwise, but shall lie on the table, to be taken up in the order in which they were presented.

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56. A proposition requesting information from the President of the United States, or directing it to be furnished by the head of either of the Executive Departments, or by the Postmaster-General, or to print an extra number of any document or other matter, excepting messages of the President to both houses, at the commencement of each session of Congress, and the reports and documents connected with, or referred to, in it, shall lie on the table one day for consideration, unless otherwise ordered by the 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.

57. Any fifteen members (including the Speaker, if there be one) shall be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members.

58. Upon calls of the House, or in taking the yeas and nays on any question, the names of the members shall be called alphabetically.

59. Any member may excuse himself from serving on any committee, at the time of his appointment, if he is then a member of two other committees.

60. No member shall absent himself from the service of the House, unless he have leave, or be sick, or unable to attend.

61. 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: the doors shall then be shut, and those for whom no excuse, or insufficient excuses, are made, may, by order of those present, if fifteen in number, be taken into custody as they appear, or may be sent for and taken into custody, wherever to be found, by special messengers, to be appointed for that

purpose.

62. When a member shall be discharged from custody, and admitted to his seat, the House shall determine whether such discharge shall be with or without paying fees; and, in like manner, whether a delinquent member, taken into custody by a special messenger, shall, or shall not, be liable to defray the expense of such special messenger.

63. A serjeant-at-arms shall be appointed, to hold his office during the pleasure of the House, whose duty it shall be to attend the House during its sittings; to execute the commands of the House from time to time; together with all such process, issued by authority thereof, as shall be directed to him by the Speaker.

64. The fees of the serjeant-at-arms shall be, for every arrest, the sum of two dollars; for each day's custody and releasement, one dollar; and for travelling expenses for himself or a special messenger, going and returning, one-tenth of a dollar per mile.

65. It shall be the duty of the serjeant-at-arms to keep the accounts for pay and mileage of members, to prepare checks, and, if required to do so,