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On every Monday, after one hour has expired.

Order of business

only changed by

On Monday of every week, at the expiration of one hour after the Journal is read, or earlier if the call of States and Territories for bills and resolutions is concluded, the Speaker may entertain a motion to suspend the rules.-Rule 145.

"The order of business, as established by the rules, two-thirds vote. shall not be changed, except by a vote of at least twothirds of the members present.”—Rule 145.

When motion may be made to go to.

hour begins.

BUSINESS-ON THE SPEAKER'S TABLE.

"After one hour shall have been devoted to reports from committees and resolutions, it shall be in order, pending the consideration or discussion thereof, to entertain a motion that the House do now proceed to dispose of the business on the Speaker's table."-Rule 54. [The When morning "hour"-known as the "morning hour"-is construed to begin from the announcement by the Speaker to the House that reports of committees are in order, and it is not necessary that resolutions shall have been called for. It is an invariable practice, too, to permit a member, upon the expiration of the morning hour, to take the taken from mem floor, even though another may be occupying it, to make the motion to proceed to business on the Speaker's table.]

Floor may be

ber to make motion.

Order of dispos ing of.

"The motion to go to business on the Speaker's table being decided in the affirmative, the Speaker shall dispose of it in the following order, viz:

"1st. Messages and other Executive communications. "2d. Messages from the Senate, and amendments proposed by the Senate to bills of the House.

"3d. Bills and resolutions from the Senate on their first and second reading, that they be referred to committees and put under way; but if, on being read a second time, no motion being made to commit, they are to be ordered to their third reading, unless objection be made; in which case, if not otherwise ordered by a majority of the House, they are to be laid on the table in the general file of bills on the Speaker's table, to be taken up in their turn.

"4th. Engrossed bills and bills from the Senate on their third reading.

"5th. Bills of the House and from the Senate on the Speaker's table, on their engrossment, or on being or

BUSINESS, UNFINISHED AT END OF A FIRST SESSION. dered to a third reading, to be taken up and considered in the order of time in which they passed to a second reading.

"The messages, communications, and bills on his table having been disposed of, the Speaker shall then proceed to call the orders of the day.”—Rule 54.

3333

ment of, on table.

"The clerk shall make a weekly statement of the resolutions and bills upon the Speaker's table."-Rule 19. [A Weekly stateprinted copy of this statement is laid upon each member's table every Monday morning.]

BUSINESS-UNFINISHED AT END OF A FIRST SESSION.

and reports to be

days.

"After six days from the commencement of a second Bills, resolutions, or subsequent session of any Congress, all bills, resolu resumed after six tions, and reports, which originated in the House, and at the close of the next preceding session remained undetermined, shall be resumed and acted on in the same manner as if an adjournment had not taken place. And Before commitall business before committees of the House at the end as though no adjournment. of one session shall be resumed at the commencement of the next session of the same Congress, as if no adjournment had taken place.”—Rule 136.

[And by the 21st Joint Rule the resumption of all undisposed of bills, resolutions, and reports, which originated in either house, is in like manner provided for. The word "resolutions" in the foregoing rule has been invariably held to apply to "Joint Resolutions" only.]

CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT AND DEPARTMENTS.

(See PRESIDENT and EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS.

CALL OF THE HOUSE.

tees, to be resumed

rum may be auattendance.

thorized to compel

By the Constitution of the United States a smaller Less than a quonumber than a quorum of each house " may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide."-Const., 1, 5, p. 8.

,authorized to com

but not less.

"Any fifteen members (including the Speaker, if there Fifteen members be one) shall be authorized to compel the attendance of pel attendance, absent members."-Rule 34. But where less than that number are present a motion for a call cannot be entertained.-Journal 1, 28, p. 885.

Unless no quo. rum, not in order

question is Бес

"A call of the House shall not be in order after the

after previous previous question is seconded, unless it shall appear, upon an actual count by the Speaker, that no quorum is present."-Rule 132.

onded.

In order before

the Journal isread,

ent.

A call of the House may be moved before the Journal if no quorum pres- is read, if no quorum is present.-Journal, 1, 34, p. 1253. Proceedings in "Upon calls of the House, the names of the members shall be called over (alphabetically-Rule 35) by the Roll to be called Clerk, and the absentees noted. After which the names

case of

twice.

Door shut.

Excuses ceived.

of absentees, &c.

of the absentees shall again be called over. The doors re-shall then be shut, and those for whom no excuse or Order for arrest 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."-Rule 36.

Order of arrest,

when made.

usually

pensed with at any

time.

of arrest.

[The order of arrest is not usually made by the House unless a quorum cannot otherwise be obtained; and upon the appearance of a quorum, a motion is usually made Call may be dis and carried that "all further proceedings in the call be dispensed with;" and this motion is held to be in order at any period of the proceedings. The order for arrest Form of order is usually in this form, viz: "That the Sergeant-at-arms take into custody, and bring to the bar of the House. such of its members as are now absent without the leave Issue of warrant. of the House;" and, upon its adoption, a warrant, under the hand and seal of the Speaker, and attested by the Clerk, with a list of the absentees thereto attached, is immediately placed in the hands of the Sergeant-at-arms. Upon his appearance with members under arrest, he is Return of war- announced at the bar of the House by the doorkeeper, whereupon he makes his return. The members brought Arraignment of in by him are then severally arraigned by the Speaker

rant.

absent members.

House to determine as to payment of fees.

and interrogated by him as to what excuses they may have to offer for being absent from the sitting of the House without its leave.]

"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."-Rule 37. In regard to the fees of Sergeant-atarms and special messenger, see SERGEANT-AT-ARMS. Until a member has paid the fees assessed against him, he is not at liberty to address the Chair or make question of order.-Journal, 1, 36, p. 1025.

[blocks in formation]

pay fees before he

a can be recognized.

It is not in order for the House to take a recess during Recess not in order during. a call of the House.-Journal, 1, 26, p. 843. [Indeed, no motion, except to adjourn or with reference to the call, Only to adjourn is ever entertained during a call.]

or with reference to call.

By an adjourn

ment proceedings

[By an adjournment pending a call all proceedings in the call are terminated; but where the House has pre- in, ordinarily fall. viously passed an order specially directing otherwise, such special direction should doubtless be executed.See Journal, 2, 27, p. 672.]

CAPITOL.

trol over ball and

Hall not to be used except for le

"The unappropriated rooms in that part of the Capitol Speaker has conassigned to the House shall be subject to the order and other rooms. disposal of the Speaker until the further order of the House."-Rule 5. The Speaker shall also "have a general direction of the hall."-Rule 5. And "no person shall be permitted to perform divine service in the chamber occupied by the House of Representatives unless with the consent of the Speaker."-Rule 6. The hall of the House shall not be used for any other purpose than the legitimate business of the House, nor shall gitimate business. the Speaker entertain any proposition to use it for any other purpose or for the suspension of this rule: Provided, That this shall not interfere with the performance of divine service therein under the direction of the Speaker, or with the use of the same for caucus meetings of the members, or upon occasions when the House may, by resolution, agree to take part in any ceremonies to be observed therein.—Rule 155.

li

quors prohibited

No spirituous or malt liquors or wines shall be offered Spirituous for sale, exhibited, or kept within the Capitol, or in any in, or grounds. room or building connected therewith, or on the public grounds adjacent thereto. And it shall be the duty of the Sergeant-at-arms of the two houses, under the supervision of the presiding officers thereof, respectively, to

The Vice-President and

the

scribe rules for

enforce the foregoing provisions. And any officer or employé of either house who shall in any manner violate or connive at the violation of this rule shall be dismissed from office.-Joint Rule 19.

By the act of Congress of May 2, 1828, Stat. at Large, Speaker to pre- Vol. IV, page 266, the Commissioner of Public Buildkeeping, andings is directed to take charge of and superintend the clusive occupancy public buildings: "And it shall be the duty of the Com

grounds not in ex

of either house.

trol the keeping of

use of the House.

Chief engineer to have charge of.

missioner of Public Buildings to obey such rules and regulations as may, from time to time, be prescribed, jointly, by the presiding officers of the two houses of Congress, for the care, preservation, orderly keeping, and police of all such portions of the Capitol, its appurtenances, and the enclosures about it, and the public buildings and property in its immediate vicinity, as are not in the exclusive use and occupation of either house Speaker to con- of Congress; that it shall also be his duty to obey such that part of, in the rules and regulations as may be, from time to time, prescribed by the presiding officer of either house of Congress for the care, preservation, orderly keeping, and police of those portions of the Capitol and its appurte nances which are in the exclusive use and occupation of either house of Congress respectively."-(See SPEAKER.) By the act of March 2, 1867, the office of Commissioner of Public Buildings is abolished, and the Chief Engi neer of the army is directed to perform the duties re Police of to be quired of said Commissioner; and the appointment of geants-at-arms. the police of the Capitol is conferred upon the Sergeantsat-arms of the two houses.-Stat. at Large, 2, 39, p. 466. By the act approved March 30, 1866, the Sergeants-atarms of the two houses are authorized to appoint the eight watchmen on the dome, at the stables, the gatekeeper, and watchmen of the grounds surrounding the Capitol, also three additional watchmen. And said SerRules and regu- geants-at-arms are also authorized to uniform and arm the lations in regard Capitol police and watchmen, and to make such rules and regulations as they may deem necessary to preserve the peace and secure the Capitol from defacement, and for the protection of the public property therein; and shall have power to arrest and detain any person violating said rules until such person can be brought before

appointed by Ser

Also, watchmen.

to.

certain

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