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RULE III.

DUTIES OF THE CLERK.

Clerk.

commencement

Jan. 27, 1880.
Mar. 19, 1860.

1. The Clerk shall, at the commencement of the Presides at first session of each Congress, call the members to of session, until order, proceed to call the roll of members by States Speaker elected. in alphabetical order, and, pending the election of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore, preserve order and decorum, and decide all questions of order, subject to appeal by any member.

Shall mail to members list of

Mar. 13, 1822.

2. He shall make, and cause to be printed and delivered to each member, or mailed to his address, official reports. at the commencement of every regular session of Congress, a list of the reports which it is the duty of any officer or Department to make to Congress, referring to the act or resolution and page of the volume of the laws or journal in which it may be contained, and placing under the name of each officer the list of reports required of him to be made; also make a weekly statement of the resolutions ly statements of and bills upon the Speaker's table, accompanied Speaker's table. with a brief reference to the orders and proceedings of the House upon each, and the dates of such orders and proceedings, which statement shall be printed.

To make week

business on

Apr. 21, 1836.

of order in Jour

Dec. 23, 1811.

Distributes bers and State

Journal to mem

officers.

3. He shall note all questions of order, with the Notesquestions decisions thereon, the record of which shall be nal. printed as an appendix to the Journal of each session; and complete, as soon after the close of the session as possible, the printing and distribution to Members and Delegates of the Journal of the House, together with an accurate and complete index; retain in the library at his office, for the use of the members and officers of the House, and not to be withdrawn therefrom, two copies of all the books and printed documents deposited there; send, at the end of each session, a printed copy of the Journal thereof to the executive and to each

June 18, 1832.

House library.
Dec. 22, 1826.

Nov, 13, 1794

documents to

members

Feb. 9, 1831.

Attests bills, writs, etc.

Jan. 27, 1880.

tracts for House

tives.

Jan. 30, 1846.

branch of the legislature of every State and Territory; preserve for and deliver or mail to each Mails bound Member and Delegate an extra copy, in good binding, of all documents printed by order of either House of the Congress to which he belonged; attest and affix the seal of the House to all writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by order of the House; certify to the passage of all bills and joint. Makes con resolutions; make or approve all contracts, barof Representa- gains, or agreements relative to furnishing any matter or thing, or for the performance of any labor for the House of Representatives, in pursu ance of law or order of the House; keep full and Keeps accounts accurate accounts of the disbursements out of the of disbursements and members' contingent fund of the House; keep the stationery accounts of Members and Delegates, and pay them as provided by law. He shall pay to the officers and employés of the House of Representatives, on the last day of each month, the amount of their salaries that shall be due them; and when the last day of the month falls on Sunday he shall pay them on the day next preceding.

stationery.

Jan. 27, 1880. Pays salaries to officers and employés.

Jan. 28, 1892.

Sergeant-at

Arms.

To maintain order.

RULE IV.

DUTIES OF THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.

1. It shall be the duty of the Sergeant-at-Arms to attend the House during its sittings, to maintain order under the direction of the Speaker, and, pending the election of a Speaker or Speaker pro Executes proc- tempore, under the direction of the Clerk, execute the commands of the House, and all processes issued by authority thereof, directed to him by the Pays Salary Speaker; keep the accounts for the pay and mileage of Members and Delegates, and pay them as provided by law.

ess of House.

Apr. 14, 1789.

and mileage of

members.
Apr. 4, 1838.

The mace.

Apr. 14, 1789.

2. The symbol of his office shall be the mace, which shall be borne by him while enforcing order on the floor.

RULE V.

DUTIES OF OTHER OFFICERS.

1. The Doorkeeper shall enforce strictly the rules relating to the privileges of the Hall and be responsible to the House for the official conduct of his employés.

Doorkeeper.

Duties and responsibility. Mar. 1, 1838.

Jan. 27, 1880.

To take inventories of public property.

2. At the commencement and close of each session of Congress he shall take an inventory of all the furniture, books, and other public property in Mar. 2, 1865. the several committee and other rooms under his charge, and report the same to the House, which report shall be referred to the Committee on Accounts, to ascertain and determine the amount for which he shall be held liable for missing articles. 3. He shall allow no person to enter the room over the Hall of the House during its sittings; and fifteen minutes before the hour for the meeting of the House each day he shall see that the floor is cleared of all persons, except those privileged to remain, and kept so until ten minutes after adjourn

ment.

RULE VI.

To clear floor of House before,

during, and after
Jan. 27

Jan. 27, 1880.
Feb. 14, 1890.

shall keep House

mails.

The Postmaster shall superintend the post-office Postmaster kept in the Capitol for the accommodation of Rep- post-office and resentatives, Delegates, and officers of the House, deliver ma and be held responsible for the prompt and safe delivery of their mail.

RULE VII.

Jan. 27, 1880.

Jan. 27, 1880.

The Chaplain shall attend at the commencement Chaplain. of each day's sitting of the House and open the same with prayer.

RULE VIII.

OF THE MEMBERS.

Members.

Shall attend

and vote or an

1. Every member shall be present within the Hall of the House during its sittings, unless excused or sittings of House necessarily prevented; and shall vote on each ques- swer present. tion put, unless he has a direct personal or pecun

When not re- iary interest in the event of such question; and

quired to vote.

Apr. 7 and 17, on a roll call, should he not vote, he shall answer

1789.

Apr. 17, 1894. "present."

Pairs.

Announced

day.
Jan. 29, 1880.

2. Pairs shall be announced by the Clerk, after but once on same the completion of the second roll call, from a written list furnished him, and signed by the Member making the statement to the Clerk, which list shall be published in the Record as a part of the proceedings, immediately following the names of those not voting: Provided, That pairs shall be announced but once during the same legislative day. RULE IX.

Questions of privilege. Defined.

QUESTIONS OF PRIVILEGE.

Questions of privilege shall be, first, those affect ing the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings; second, the rights, reputation, and conduct of Members individually in their representative capacity Precedence only; and shall have precedence of all other questions, except motions to fix the day to which the House shall adjourn, to adjourn, and for a recess.

over other ques

tions.

Jan. 29, 1880.

Appointment and membership of standing committees.

Jan. 13, 1790.

Apr. 13, 1789.

Jan. 7, 1802.

Mar. 2, 1865.

June 3, 1813.

Mar. 2, 1865.

Jan. 21, 1864.

RULE X.

OF COMMITTEES,

1. Unless otherwise specially ordered by the House, the Speaker shall appoint, at the commencement of each Congress, the following standing committees, viz:

On Elections, to consist of fifteen members. On Ways and Means, to consist of seventeen members.

On Appropriations, to consist of seventeen mem bers.

On the Judiciary, to consist of seventeen members.

On Banking and Currency, to consist of seventeen members.

On Coinage, Weights, and Measures, to consist of seventeen members.

On Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to consist of seventeen members.*

On Rivers and Harbors, to consist of seventeen members.

On the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, to consist of thirteen members.

On Agriculture, to consist of seventeen members. On Foreign Affairs, to consist of fifteen members. On Military Affairs, to consist of fifteen members.

On Naval Affairs, to consist of fifteen members. On the Post-Office and Post-Roads, to consist of fifteen members.

On the Public Lands, to consist of fifteen members.

On Indian Affairs, to consist of fifteen members. On the Territories, to consist of thirteen members. On Railways and Canals, to consist of thirteen members.

On Manufactures, to consist of eleven members. On Mines and Mining, to consist of thirteen members.

Dec. 16, 1891.

Dec. 19, 1883.

Dec. 21, 1887.

May 3, 1820. Mar. 13, 1822.

Mar. 13, 1822.

Mar. 13, 1822.
Nov. 9.1808.

Dec. 17, 1805.

Dec. 18, 1821.

Dec. 13, 1825.
Apr. 9,1869.

Dec. 8, 1819.

Dec. 19, 1865.

On Public Buildings and Grounds, to consist of Mar. 10, 1871. fifteen members.

On Pacific Railroads, to consist of fifteen members.

Mar. 2, 1865.

On Levees and Improvement of the Mississippi Dec. 10, 1875. River, to consist of thirteen members.

On Education, to consist of thirteen members.
On Labor, to consist of thirteen members.
On the Militia, to consist of thirteen members.
On Patents, to consist of thirteen members.
On Invalid Pensions, to consist of fifteen mem-
bers.

On Pensions, to consist of thirteen members.†
On Claims, to consist of fifteen members.
On War Claims, to consist of thirteen members.
On Private Land Claims, to consist of thirteen
members.

*Successor to Committee on Commerce, created December 14, 1795.

Mar. 21, 1867.

Dec. 19, 1883.

Dec. 10, 1835.
Sept. 15, 1837.

Jan. 10, 1831.

Feb. 11, 1880.
Nov. 13, 1794.

Dec. 2. 1873.

Apr. 29, 1816,

† Successor to Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, created December 9, 1825.

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