Frank M. Stewart,.. RULES AND ORDERS OF THE SENATE. Calling Senate to order. Duties of President. Temporary President pro tem. Committee 1. The Lieutenant Governor of the State, who, by the 8th Section of the 5th Article of the Constitution, is constituted ex officio President of the Senate, shall, when present, take the chair at the hour fixed for the meeting of the Senate, when he shall immediately call the members to order, who shall thereupon take their seats, and continue with their heads uncovered, while the Senate remain in session; the clerk shall call the roll of members, and as soon as a majority is present, the journal of the preceding day shall be read, to the end that any mistake may be corrected. 2. The President shall preserve order and decorum; may speak to points of order in preference to other members, rising from his seat for that purpose; and shall decide points of order, subject to an appeal to the Senate by any member. 3. The President shall have the right to name any member to perform the duties of the chair temporarily, who shall be invested, during such time, with all the powers of the President; but no member shall be excused from voting on any question by reason of his occupying the chair; nor shall such substitute's authority, as presiding officer, extend beyond a day's adjournment of the Senate. 4. In the absence or inability of the President, except as provided in rule three, the Senate shall appoint a President pro tempore, who shall possess all the powers and prerogatives of the President of the Senate for the time being. 5. Whenever the Senate determines to go into comof the whole. mittee of the whole, the President shall name one of the members as chairman, who shall, for the time being, be invested with all the authority of the presiding officer of the Senate. Duties of 6. The President shall appoint all committees, unless otherwise directed, he shall sign all acts, memorials, addresses and resolutions; and all writs, warrants and subpoenas, that may be issued by the Senate, shall be signed by him, and attested by the Clerk. 7. Whenever any disturbance or disorderly conduct Disturbances shall occur in the lobby, the President (or chairman of in Lobby. the committee of the whole) shall have power to cause the same to be cleared of all persons except the members and officers of the Senate. how stated and decided. 8. Questions may be stated by the President while Questions sitting, but he shall rise to put a question, and shall use this form: "As many as are of the opinion that [as the question may be,] will say aye;" and after the affirmative voice is expressed, "As many as are of a different opinion, will say no." If the President doubt as to the voice of the majority, or a division be called for, the Senate shall divide-those in the affirmative of the question shall first rise and be counted; or if there still be a doubt, or a count be called for, the President shall appoint two tellers, one from each side, to make the count and report the same to the President, who shall declare the same to the Senate. 9. A majority of all the members elected to the Senate, Quorums. must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of ordinary business; three-fifths of all the members elected to the Senate, must be present to constitute a quorum for the passage of appropriation bills, as provided by the constitution of the State; a smaller number, however, can adjourn from time to time, and have power to compel the attendance of absent members. 10. No member or officer of the Senate, unless from Leave of abillness or other cause he shall be unable to attend, shall absent himself from the sessions of the Senate during an entire day, without first having obtained leave of absence. sence. 11. Any committee required or entitled to report upon Reports of a subject referred to them, may make a majority and Committees. minority report; any member of such committee dissenting in whole or in part, from either the conclusions or the reasoning, of both the majority and minority, shall be entitled to present to the Senate a brief statement of his reasons for such dissent, which, if decorous in its language, and respectful to the Senate, shall be entered on the journal in connection with the majority and minority reports. 12. A Clerk shall be elected at the commencement of Clerk-election of, and each session, to hold his office at the pleasure of the duties. Senate, he shall keep a correct journal of the daily proceedings of the Senate, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him; he shall superintend the recording of the journal of proceedings, the engrossing, enrolling, transcribing, and copying of bills, resolutions, etc.; shall permit no records nor papers belonging to the Senate to be taken out of his custody, otherwise than in the regular course of business; shall report any tion and duties. missing papers to the notice of the President; and generally shall perform, under the direction of the President, all duties pertaining to his office as Clerk. Sergeant-at- 13. A Sergeant-at-Arms shall be elected at the comArms-elec- mencement of each session to hold his office at the pleasure of the Senate. It shall be his duty to execute all orders of the President of the Senate, and to perform all duties they may assign to him, connected with the police and good order of the Senate Chamber; to exercise a supervision over the ingress and egress of all persons to and from the chamber; to see that messages, etc., are promptly executed, and the requisite fires are kept up during the appropriate season; and to perform all other services pertaining to the post of Sergeant-at-Arms. Committees. 14. The following standing committees shall be elected by the Senate at such time as may be designated, unless otherwise directed: The Joint Committees on Local Laws and Printing, shall consist, on the part of the Senate, of two for each. The Committees on the Judiciary and Railroads, shall consist of five members each, and all other committees of three members each. Reporters, 15. Reporters for newspapers can have seats assigned persons prive them by the President, within the bar of the chamber, fleg'd to floor of Serate. for the purpose of taking down the proceedings, but not so as to interfere with the convenience of the Senate. The Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Senators, and ex-Senators, and Members of Congress, Judges of any Courts, Members and ex-Members of State Legislatures, and Mem bers of the Assembly of this State, and all editors of newspapers in the State may be admitted to seats within the bar of the Senate. 16. After the journal shall have been read, and an Reading of opportunity given to correct it, the order of business Journal, or shall be as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. Letters, petitions, memorials, remonstrances and accompanying Resolutions may be offered and considered, notice of intention Reports of committees may be made and considered; first from 5. Messages from the Assembly, and amendments proposed by the Bills and resolutions from the Assembly on their first and ɛec- Bills on their third reading. 6. 7. 8. Bills ready for a third reading. 9. 10. 11. Bills reported by a committee of the whole. Bills in which a committee of the whole has made progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Bills not yet considered in committee of the whole. der of busi ness. 17 When any member is about to speak in debate or Call to order deliver any matter to the Senate, he shall rise from his seat and respectfully address himself to "Mr. President,” and shall confine himself to the question under consideration, and avoid personalities. 18. When any member is called to order, he shall sit down until it shall be determined whether he is in order or not, except he be permitted to explain; and if a member be called to order for words spoken in debate, the exceptionable words shall be taken down in writing immediately. 19. When two or more members happen to rise at the same time, the President shall name the member who is first to speak. 20. No member shall speak more than twice on the same question during the same day, nor more than once on a motion for commitment without leave of the Senate. 21. While the President is putting any question or addressing the Senate, no member shall walk out of or across the room, nor entertain private discourse; nor whilst a member is speaking, shall pass between him and the chair. No member or other person shall visit or remain by the Clerk's table while the ayes and noes are being called, or the ballots counted. 22. No member shall vote on any question in any case where he was not in the chamber of the Senate when the question was put, unless by leave of the Senate; nor shall any member be counted, upon a division and count |