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32. 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, until it is decided, shall preclude all amendment, and further debate of the main question.

33. On a previous question there shall be no debate. 34. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon again during the session.

35. Any member may call for the division of a question, which shall be divided if it comprehends questions so distinct, that, one being taken away, the rest may stand entire 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.

36. Motions and reports may be committed at the pleasure of the house.

37. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under colour of amendment.

38. 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 reconsideration thereof, on the same, or the succeeding day.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. If a question depending be lost by adjournment of the house, and revived on the succeeding day, no member who shall have spoken twice on the preceding day shall be permitted again to speak without leave.

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. 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, 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.

45. Any fifteen members, (including the speaker, if there be one,) shall be authorised to compel the attendance of absent members.

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

47. 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.

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

49. Upon a call of the house, the names of the mem bers 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. 50. 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.

51. A sergeant-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 sitting; 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.

52. The fees of the sergeant-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.

53. Nineteen standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each session, viz:

A committee on the territories,

A committee on revolutionary claims,

A committee on military pensions,

A committee of elections,

A committee of ways and means,

▲ committee of claims

A committee of commerce,

A committee on the public lands,

A committee on the post office and post roads, To consist of sẻ

A committee for the District of Columbia,

A committee on the judiciary,

A committee on public expenditures,

A committee on private land claims,

A committee on manufactures,

A committee on agriculture,
A committee on Indian affairs,
A committee on military affairs,

A committee on naval affairs,

A committee on foreign affairs,

A committee of revisal and unfinished business,

and

A committee of accounts,

ven members

each.

To consist of

three members each.

It shall be the duty of the said committee of elections to examine and report upon the certificates of election or other credentials of the members returned to serve in this

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house, and to take into their consideration all such petitions, and other matters touching elections and returns, as shall or may be presented, or come in question, and be referred to them by the house.

It shall be the duty of the said committee of ways and means, to take into consideration all such reports of the treasury department, and all such propositions relative to the revenue, as may be referred to them by the house; to inquire into the state of the public debt, or the revenue, and of the expenditures, and to report, from time to time, their opinion thereon; to examine into the state of the several public departments, and particularly into the laws making appropriations of monies, and to report whether the monies have been disbursed conformably with such laws; and also to report, from time to time, such provisions and arrangements as may be necessary to add to the economy of the departments, and the accountability of their officers.

In preparing bills of appropriation for other objects, they shall not include appropriations for carrying into effect treaties made by the United States; and where an appropriation bill shall be referred to them, for their consideration, which contains appropriations for carrying a treaty into effect, and for other objects, they shall propose such amendments as shall prevent appropriations for carrying a treaty into effect being included in the same bill with appropriations for other objects.

It shall be the duty of the said committee of claims to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching claims and demands on the United States, as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions for relief therein, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the said committee of commerce to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching the commerce of the United States, as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the house, and to report, from time to time, their opinion thereon.

It shall be the duty of the said committee on the public lands to take into consideration all such petitions and

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matters or things respecting the lands of the United States, as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such proposition for relief therein, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the committee on the post office and post roads to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching the post office and post roads, as shall be presented, or may come in question and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions relative thereto, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the committee for the district of Columbia to take into consideration all such petitions, matters, or things, touching the said district, as shall be presented, or shall come in question, and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions relative thereto, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the said committee on the judiciary to take into consideration all such petitions, and matters, or things, touching judicial proceedings, as shall be presented, or may come in question, and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions relative thereto, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the said committee on pensions and revolutionary claims to take into consideration all such petitions, and matters, or things, touching military pensions, and, also, claims and demands originating in the revolutionary war, or arising therefrom, as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the house; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions for relief therein, as to them shall seem expedient.

It shall be the duty of the said committee on public expenditures to examine into the state of the several publie departments, and particularly into laws making appropriations of monies, and to report whether the monies have been disbursed conformably with such laws; and, also, to report, from time to time, such provisions, and arrangements, as may be necessary to add to the econo

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