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or of any committee of either House of Congress, is empowered to administer oaths to witnesses in any case under their examination.-R. S., sec. 101.

The Speaker has general control of the corridors, passages, and the disposal of unappropriated rooms of the House wing of the Capitol.-See Rule I, clause 3.

May prescribe regulations for the admission of reporters to the reporter's gallery and to the hall in the rear of the Speaker's chair. See Rule XXXVI, clause 2.

APPOINTMENTS BY.

He appoints the standing committees of the House unless otherwise specially ordered.-Rule X, clause 1.

(According to the practice of long standing the Speaker is invariably named as chairman of the Committee on Rules.) He appoints the select committees.-Rule X, clause 2. He appoints from the Members of the House:

Three Visitors to the Military Academy at West Point.R. S., 1326.

Three Visitors to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.-20, Stat. L., p. 290.

Three Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.-R. S., sec. 5581.

Two Directors of the Columbia Hospital for Women.-17, Stat. L., p. 360.

Two Directors of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.-R. S., sec. 4863.

Two consulting trustees of the Reform School of the District of Columbia.-R. S., Supplement of, 1890, p. 101.

In the event of vacancies by death, resignation, or removal for cause, he appoints the official stenographers of the House, including the stenographers to committees. (See Rule XXXVI.)

He also appoints the engineer of the House and the employés in the engineer's department.

He may appoint a Speaker pro tempore for one day; but in case of the Speaker's illness he may, with the approval of the House, make such appointment for ten days.-Rule I, clause 7. (The Senate and the President should be notified of such appointment if for a period beyond one day.)

He appoints the chairman of the Committee of the Whole.Rule XXIII, clause 1.

DUTIES OF.

He calls the House to order, examines and approves Journal of the House.-Rule I, clause 1.

He preserves order, and may cause galleries to be cleared.Rule I, clause 2.

He is required to sign all acts, addresses, joint resolutions, and warrants issued by order of the House.

He decides all questions of order arising in the House, subject to appeal.-Rule I, clause 4.

He rises to put a question, but may state it sitting.-Rule I, clause 5.

He is not required to vote except where his vote would be decisive, or when the vote is by ballot.-Rule I, clause 6. [A proposition being defeated by a tie rote as well as by a majority of one, it follows that the Speaker is under this rule never required to vote, except in case of a ballot.]

When any Member desires to speak or deliver any matter to the House, he shall rise and respectfully address himself to "Mr. Speaker," and, on being recognized, may address the House, etc.-Rule XIV, clause 1.

When two or more Members rise at once, the Speaker shall name the Member who is first to speak.-Rule XIV, clause 2.

If any Member, in speaking, or otherwise, transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker shall, or any Member may, call him to order. Rule XIV, clause 4.

While the Speaker is putting a question or addressing the House no Member shall walk out of or across the Hall, nor, when a Member is speaking, pass between him and the Chair.Rule XIV, clause 7.

After the second roll call "the Speaker shall not entertain a request to record a vote."-Rule XV, clause 1. But in accordance with the long usage of the House, when a Member states that he was in his seat listening, and failed to hear his name, the request to record his vote is entertained.

Every motion made to the House and entertained by the Speaker shall be reduced to writing on the demand of any

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Member, and shall be entered on the Journal, etc.-Rule XVI, clause 1. A motion not entertained by the Speaker is not entered on the Journal, and has no parliamentary status.

Pending a motion to suspend the rules the Speaker may entertain one motion that the House adjourn; but after the result thereon is announced he shall not entertain any other dilatory motion till the vote is taken on suspension.-Rule XVI, clause 8.

Pending the consideration of a report from the Committee on Rules the Speaker may entertain one motion that the House adjourn; but after the result is announced he shall not entertain any other dilatory motion until the said report shall have been fully disposed of.-Rule XI, clause 57.

When a motion has been made the Speaker shall state it, or (if it be in writing) cause it to be read aloud by the Clerk before being debated.-Rule XVI, clause 2.

A call of the House shall not be in order after the previous question is ordered, unless it shall appear upon an actual count by the Speaker that a quorum is not present.-Rule XVII, clause 2.

The previous question having been ordered, a vote by yeas and nays disclosed no quorum voting. The point being made that, under paragraph 2 of Rule XVII, a call of the House is not in order after the previous question is ordered unless it shall appear by actual count by the Speaker that a quorum is not present, Speaker Crisp overruled the point of order, holding as follows: The Chair adopts the count made on the call immediately preceding this motion, and the judgment of the Chair is that that is evidence of the very best possible character of the number present.-Journal, 1, 52, pp. 159, 162.

Bills or petitions which in the judgment of the Speaker are of an obscene or insulting character are not entered and referred, but are returned to the Member introducing them. (See Rule XXII, clauses 1 and 2.)

Bills, memorials, and resolutions of a public character are introduced by delivering them to the Speaker and are by him appropriately referred to committees. (See Rule XXII, clause 3.)

Estimates of appropriations, and all other communications from the Executive Departments, intended for the considera5585---35

tion of any committees of the House, shall be addressed to the Speaker, and by him submitted to the House for reference.Rule XLII.

The Speaker, each day, immediately after the approval of the Journal, lays before the House, for reference to committees, executive and other communications and bills, resolutions and messages, from the Senate on the Speaker's table. (See Rule XXIV, clause 1.)

Except on the first and third Mondays in each month, after business on the Speaker's table is disposed of, the Speaker calls the committees for reports of a public character. (See Rule XXIV, clause 2.)

According to the practice, on the third Monday of each month the Speaker calls the committees in regular order, on which call motions (previously authorized by the respective committees) to suspend the rules are entertained as the committees are respectively reached; and if all the committees are not called in one day, the call is resumed on the third Monday of the succeeding month where it was left off.

There is no express rule requiring this practice, and occasionally motions by committees to suspend the rules have been entertained without regard to their order on the committee list; the discretion as to recognition in this, as in other matters, being entirely with the Speaker.

SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE.

He (the Speaker) shall have the right to name any Member to perform the duties of the Chair; but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment: Provided, however, That in case of his illness, he may make such appointment for a period not exceeding ten days, with the approval of the House at the time the same is made; and in his absence and omission to make such appointment, the House shall proceed to elect a Speaker pro tempore, to act during his absence.-Rule I, clause 7.

When the appointment of a Speaker pro tempore extends be yond one day, he is vested for the time as to ordinary busi ness of the House, with all the powers which are possessed by the regular Speaker. Thus, he signs enrolled bills and joint

resolutions, signs warrants for the arrest of members, subpœnas for witnesses, etc.

In view of the important functions of the Speaker pro tempore, it is proper that the President and the Senate be formally notified of his election or appointment, if for a period extending beyond one day.

SPEAKER'S TABLE.

(See Business on Speaker's Table.)

SPECIAL ORDERS.

A special order amounts to a change of the rules and regularly can be adopted only in the manner prescribed for changing the rules, it being a change of the established order of business. Journals, 1, 23, p. 785; 3, 27, p. 355; 1, 31, p. 1096.

A special order may be postponed by a majority vote.-Journal, 1, 29, p. 1170; Cong. Globe, 1, 31, p. 1318. And, according to the usage, whenever the time arrives for the consideration of a special order in Committee of the Whole, the same may be postponed by a vote in the House.

Pending a special order, it is not in order to move a suspension of the rules, the special order having been made under a suspension of the rules-Cong. Globe, 2, 29, p. 430-unless said motion be with reference to the pending special order.

A continuing special order for the consideration of a public bill "from day to day until finally acted on" makes such consideration in order on Friday as on other days.—Journal, 2, 48, p. 136.

A given number of days being assigned generally for the consideration of certain public bills is construed as not including Friday, which day is set apart for private business.-Congressional Record, 1, 51, p. 2012.

When a bill which is in Committee of the Whole is made a special order the effect of such order is to bring the bill into the House for consideration.-Congressional Record, 2, 49, p. 42. A special order fixing a day for the consideration of certain business is not necessarily a change of the rules.-Congressional Record, 2, 49, p. 43.

A special order assigning a certain day for the considera

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