No motion can be received to postpone for the purpose of in- of substitute. troducing a substitute. OF PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS. 21. No business regularly before the House, shall be inter Of motions and rupted, except by a motion For adjournment; For the previous question, namely, "Shall the main question be now put ?" For postponement; For commitment, or For amendment. privileged questions. 22. A motion for adjournment shall always be in order, and of adjournment. shall be decided without debate, except that it cannot be received when the House is voting on another question, nor while a mem ber is addressing the House. The previous question shall not be moved by less than twelve Previous quesmembers rising for that purpose, and shall be determined with- tion. out debate; but when the previous question has been called and sustained, it shall not cut off any pending amendment, but the vote shall be taken without debate on the amendments in their order, and then on the main question. A motion for postponement shall preclude commitment. A Postponement. motion for commitment shall preclude amendment or decision Commitment. on the original subject. Amendment. 23. A motion for re-consideration shall be permitted, when Of motions to remade and seconded by members who were in the majority on consider. the vote on the original question, and within six days, exclusive of Sundays, after the decision. 24. When a blank is to be filled, the question shall be first Filling blanks. taken on the largest sum, greatest number and remotest day. 25. In all cases of elections, except for Speaker, there shall of nominations be a previous nomination of the candidates at least one day and elections. before the election, and a majority of the members present shall be necessary to a choice. 26. Every resolution, order, or vote, to which the concurrence Resolutions, &c., of the Senate is necessary, and a motion to alter the rules of lie on the table. the House, or for information from the Executive or depart ments, shall lie on the table one day. peo 27. No motion or proposition for a tax or charge on the ple shall be discussed the day on which it is made or offered. OF COMMITTEES. 28. Committees may be of three kinds, viz: Committees of the whole House. Standing Committees. Select Committees. Proposition to tax people to lie on the table one day. COMMITTEES OF THE WHOLE. mittees of the 29. The rules and proceedings observed in the House, shall Manner of probe observed, as far as they are practicable, in committee of the ceeding in com whole, except that a member may speak oftener than twice on whole. the subject, nor can a motion for the previous question be made therein. Speaker to appoint chairman. Amendments made therein, not to be read in the House. Papers may be called for. Committees, sessions of. Of standing committees. 30. When the House resolves itself into a committee of the whole, the Speaker shall appoint a chairman, unless otherwise ordered by the House. 31. Amendments made in committee of the whole, shall not be read by the Speaker, on his resuming the chair, unless required by one or more of the members.* 32. When in committee of the whole, any papers laid on the table of the House may be called for by a member, and read by the Clerk, unless the committee otherwise order. 33. No committee shall sit during the sitting of the House, without leave. 34. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each session, until otherwise ordered: A Committee of Ways and Means, to consist of fifteen members. A Committee on the Judiciary System, (general,) to consist of nine members. A Committee on the Judiciary System, (local,) to consist of nine members. A Committee on Pensions and Gratuities, to consist of seven members. A Committee on Claims, to consist of nine members. A Committee on Agriculture and Manufactures, to consist of A Committee on Education, to consist of fifteen members. A Committee on the Militia System, of seven members. A Committee on Roads, Bridges and Canals, to consist of nine A Committee on Corporations, to consist of fifteen members. A Committee to Compare Bills, to consist of five members. A Committee on Mines and Minerals, to consist of thirteen A Committee on Printing, to consist of five members. A Committee on Public Buildings, to consist of three members. A Committee on Federal Relations, of thirteen members.† * Amendments made in committee of the whole are not parts of bills when the committee reports progress, and leave to sit again is not granted by the House. [Journal, 1820-21, 913.] NOTE.-The Standing Committees were revised and amended, session 1860. † Adopted, Session of 1862. OF BILLS. 35. All bills shall be introduced upon the reports of commit- How introduced. tees; standing and select committees may report by bill. 36. Every bill shall receive three several readings in the of reading bills. House, the two last of which shall be at length, previously to its passage; but no bill shall be read twice on the same day. Not twice on the All bills and joint resolutions shall be printed for the use of the same day. members, and placed on the files in their proper numerical order; Printing. and no bill shall be taken up and considered by the House until the same shall have been printed and placed on the files, and shall be read in the committee of the whole. Public bills, in Public bills. rotation in their numerical order upon the files, shall be the special order for every Friday; they may also be made the order of a particular day, and shall, when called for, have the preference of private bills, which shall be taken up according to their Private bills. seniority, reckoning from the date of their introduction into the House; and when any bill shall be presented from the Senate for concurrence, the Speaker shall determine, or the House may Bills from the order, upon the printing the same, and direct accordingly: Pro- Senate. vided, That all resolutions proposing amendments to the Constitution of this Commonwealth, or to which the approbation and signature of the Governor may be requisite, shall, on their second reading, be placed in the same position as bills, and have no precedence over them. 37. No committee, either standing or select, shall report any When bills not to bill for the action of this House, granting corporate powers in be reported. any case, when the authority of granting such powers has been conferred upon any of the courts of this Commonwealth.* 38. That on Tuesday of each week the Speaker shall, imme- Tuesday, private diately after the reading of the Journal, take up private bills, a bill day. calendar of which, in their numerical order, shall be made by the Clerk, and printed and laid on each member's desk before nine o'clock on the morning of each Tuesday; and the Speaker having announced such bills in their order, they shall be severally read by the Clerk, and all such bills as shall encounter no objection, either when the titles of the same are announced by the Speaker, or when the Clerk shall have read the same through, shall be laid aside and prepared for second reading, and shall be taken up in the afternoon of the same day, in the same order, and disposed of in the manner in which bills are now disposed of; and such bills as have passed as aforesaid, shall be in order from day to day until disposed of, unless a majority of the House shall determine otherwise. The proposing of an amendment to any bill shall not be construed to be an objection, unless an objection be actually made, but no debate on such amendment, or to the bill to which it is proposed, shall be in order; nor shall any bill reported with a recommendation to be negatived be placed upon the calendar. Any member objecting to a bill upon the calendar shall be required to state the grounds of his objection at the time, confining himself, however, briefly to the objection. All bills objected off the calendar shall be placed at the foot of the calendar of the succeeding Tuesday, under the head of Adopted January 8, 1841. Call for bill or other subject. Bills introduced "Objected Bills," and shall be taken up in their order, as soon as the regular calendar has been disposed of, unless a majority of the House shall otherwise determine. This rule shall not be so construed to interfere with the passage of Senate bills as they may be reached; nor shall that part of the rule which allows a member to object a bill off the calendar be in force during the last ten days of the session; but all bills then upon the calendar shall be considered in their order, unless a majority of the House shall otherwise order. 39. On the call of a member for a bill or other subject, on the table of the House, the question shall be decided without debate or amendment. 40. Any bill or joint resolution may be introduced by a memwithout previous ber in his place, without giving previous notice, upon leave of notice given. the House. Joint resolutions. Bills not to be amended by adding irrelevant matter. Persons permit in the bar. 41. Joint resolutions, which partake of the character of bills, shall not be placed upon the Journal in any other way than by a reference to the number and title.* 42. 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, nor shall a motion or proposition be entertained under color of such an amendment, nor shall any bill or resolution be amended by substituting therefor, under a motion to strike out, or otherwise, any other bill or resolution, on a subject different from that under consideration, without the unanimous consent of the House.† OF PERSONS PRIVILEGED. 43. None but members of the Senate, their officers, the Govted to come with- ernor and Heads of Departments, judges of the courts of this Commonwealth, and former members of the Legislature, shall be permitted to come within the bar of the House during its session, unless specially introduced by a member. And no person, not a member of the Legislature, shall be allowed to come upon the floor of the House, or sit in any seats appropriated for members, or interrupt a member by speaking to him in his seat while the House is in session; and it shall be the duty of the Door-keeper to give notice to any person offending against this rule. Door-keeper to give notice. No smoking allowed. Oaths administered to officers. 44. It is not permitted to any person to smoke tobacco at any time within the chamber of the House. 45. No person or persons shall at any time be permitted to enter the room of the Transcribing Clerks, except the members and officers of the General Assembly.‡ OATH OF OFFICERS. 46. The Speaker of the House shall administer to the Sergeant-at-Arms, Door-keeper, Assistant and Transcribing Clerks, an oath or affirmation, that they will severally support the Con stitution of Pennsylvania, and of the United States, and that they will also discharge the duties of their respective offices with fidelity.§ OF RULES. 17. No rule shall be altered or dispensed with, but by two- Not to be altered thirds of the members present. 48. The rules now adopted, shall be the rules of the House Publishing rules. of Representatives of the Commonwealth until otherwise ordered, and shall be published in pamphlet form, and delivered Clerk to furnish by the Clerk to the members of each succeeding Legislature, rules. within the first week of the session. MISCELLANEOUS. members with 49. All reports by committees shall be in writing: Provided, Reports to be in That the minority of a committee may make report in writing, writing. setting forth the reasons of their dissent. 50. Communications from the Senate to the House shall be Communications read, and information shall be given to the Senate, whenever from the Senate. any proposition coming from that body shall be concurred in. 51. When the names of members shall be called, it shall be Order of calling done in alphabetical order, except Mr. Speaker, who shall be the roll. called last. 52. The yeas and nays of the members on any question, shall Yeas and nays, at the desire of any two of them, be entered on the Journals, and the members shall have a right to insert the reasons of their Reasons for votes votes on the Journals.* 53. No member shall absent himself without first obtaining Absence. leave of the House. 54. No member shall be permitted to vote on any question, of voting. unless he be within the bar, and when the yeas and nays are called, he be present to answer to his name. 55. On the call of the yeas and nays, the Clerk shall read the Changing of vote names of the members after they have been called, and no member shall be permitted to change his vote, unless he, at that time, declare that he voted under a mistake of the question. 56. When amendments made by the Senate to bills are on second reading, it shall be the duty of the Speaker, without a motion, to put the question, "Will the House concur in the amendment (or amendments) made by the Senate?" and the vote be immediately taken, unless a motion to postpone or refer shall be made.t Of Senate amend ments. der of members. 57. Immediately after the presentation of petitions on Thurs- Bills called up in day of each week, it shall be in order for the House to proceed alphabetical orto the consideration of private bills, to be called up by calling over the names of the members in alphabetical order; each alphabetical call to be continued until the alphabet has been gone through with, and absent members to be credited with their call at the time of their presence. 58. When less than a quorum vote on any subject under the When less than consideration of the House, it shall be the duty of the Speaker a quorum vote forthwith to order the bar of the House to be closed, and that bar of the House the roll of the members be called by the Clerk, and if it is as- to be closed, certained that a quorum is present, either by answering to their names or by their presence in the House, the yeas *See Journal of 1835-6, p. 995. and nays shall +Changed, January 10, 1842. |
