the House passes to other business, he shall resume the next call where he left off-September 15, 1837-giving preference to the report last under consideration: Provided, That whenever any committee shall have occupied the morning hour on two days, it shall not be in order for such committee to report further until the other committees shall have been called in their turn.-December 7, 1857. 52. Reports from committees having been presented and disposed of, the Speaker shall call for resolutions from the Members of each State and Delegate from each Territory, beginning with Maine and the Territory last organized, alternately; and they shall not be debated on the very day of their being presented, nor on any day assigned by the House for the receipt of resolutions, unless where the House shall direct otherwise, but shall lie on the table, to be taken up in the order in which they were presented; and if on any day the whole of the States and Territories shall not be called, the Speaker shall begin on the next day where he left off the previous day: Provided, That no member shall offer more than one resolution, or one series of resolutions, all relating to the same subject, until all the States and Territories shall have been called.-January 14, 1829. 53. 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-December 13, 1820-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.January 22, 1822. 54. 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 and to the orders of the day―January 5, 1832; which being decided in the affirmative, the Speaker shall dispose of the business on his table 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 ordered 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.-September 14, 1837. 55. The business specified in the 54th and 130th rules shall be done at no other part of the day, except by permission of the House.-December 23, 1811. 56. The consideration of the unfinished business in which the House may be engaged at an adjournment shall be resumed as soon as the journal of the next day is read, and at the same time each day thereafter until disposed of; and if, from any cause, other business shall intervene, it shall be resumed as soon as such other business is disposed of. And the consideration of all other unfinished business shall be resumed whenever the class of business to which it belongs shall be in order under the rules.-March 18, 1860. OF DECORUM AND DEBATE. 57. When any member is about to speak in debate, or deliver any matter to the House, he shall rise from his seat and respectfully address himself to "Mr. Speaker"-April 7, 1789-and shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personality.- December 23, 1811. 58. Members may address the House or committee from the Clerk's desk, or from a place near the Speaker's chair. 59. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the Speaker shall name the member who is first to speak.—April 7, 1789. 60. No member shall occupy more than one hour in debate on any question in the House or in committee; but a member reporting the measure under consideration from a committee may open and close the debate: Provided, That where debate is closed by order of the House, any member shall be allowed, in committee, five minutes to explain any amendment he may offer-December 18, 1847-after which any member who shall first obtain the floor shall be allowed to speak five minutes in opposition to it, and there shall be no further debate on the amendment; but the same privilege of debate shall be allowed in favor of and against any amendment that may be offered to the amendment; and neither the amendment nor an amendment to the amendment shall be withdrawn by the mover thereof, unless by the unanimous consent of the committee.-August 14, 1850: Provided further, That the House may, by the vote of a majority of the members present, at any time after the five minutes' debate has taken place upon proposed amendments to any section or paragraph of a bill, close all debate upon such section or paragraph, or, at their election, upon the pending amendments only.-March 19, 1860. 61. If any 'member, in speaking or otherwise, transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker shall, or any member may, call to order; in which case the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain; and the House shall, if appealed to, decide on the case, but without debate; if there be no appeal, the decision of the Chair shall be submitted to. If the decision be in favor of the member called to order, he shall be at liberty to proceed; if otherwise, he shall not be permitted to proceed, in case any member object, without leave of the House; and if the case require it, he shall be liable to the censure of the House.-April 7, 1789, and March 13, 1822. 62. If a member be called to order for words spoken in debate, the person calling him to order shall repeat the words excepted to, and they shall be taken down in writing at the Clerk's table; and no member shall be held to answer, or be subject to the censure of the House, for words spoken in debate, if any other member has spoken, or other busiuess has intervened, after the words spoken, and before exception to them shall have been taken.-September 14, 1837. 63. No member shall speak more than once to the same question without leave of the House-April 7, 1789-unless he be the mover proposer, or introducer of the matter pending; in which case he shall be permitted to speak in reply, but not until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken.-January 14, 1840. 64. If a question depending be lost by adjournment of the House, and revived on the succeeding day, no member who shall have spoken on the preceding day shall be permitted again to speak without leave.— April 7, 1789. 65. While the Speaker is putting any question, or addressing the House, none shall walk out of or across the House; nor in such case, or when a member is speaking, shall entertain private discourse; nor while a member is speaking, shall pass between him and the Chair.April 7, 1789. Exery member shall remain uncovered during the session of the House.-September 14, 1837. No member or other person shall visit or remain by the Clerk's table while the ayes and noes are calling, or ballots are counting.-September 14, 1837. Smoking is prohibited within the bar of the House or gallery.-February 28, 1871. 66. All questions relating to the priority of business to be acted on shall be decided without debate.-February 21, 1803. OF COMMITTEES. 67. All committees shall be appointed by the Speaker, unless otherwise specially directed by the House, in which case they shall be appointed by ballot; and if upon such ballot the number required shall not be elected by a majority of the votes given, the House shall proceed to a second ballot, in which a plurality of votes shall prevail; and in case a greater number than is required to compose or complete a committee shall have an equal number of votes, the House shall proceed to a further ballot or ballots.-January 13, 1790. 68. The first-named member of any committee shall be the chairman; and in his absence, or being excused by the House, the next-named member, and so on, as often as the case shall happen, unless the committee, by a majority of their number, elect a chairman. December 28, 1805. 69. 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.-April 13, 1789. 70. It shall be the duty of a committee to meet on the call of any two of its members, if the chairman be absent or decline to appoint such meeting.-December 20, 1805. 71. The several standing committees of the House shall have leave to report by bill or otherwise.-March 13, 1822. 72. No committee shall sit during the sitting of the House without special leave.-November 13, 1794. 73. No committee shall be permitted to employ a clerk at the public expense without first obtaining leave of the House for that purpose.December 14, 1838. 74. Thirty-four standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress, viz: A Committee of Elections.-Nov. 13, 1789. A Committee of Ways and Means.-Jan. 7, 1802. A Committee on Appropriations.-March 2, 1865. A Committee on Banking and Currency.-March 2, 1865. A Committee of Claims.-Nov. 13, 1794. A Committee on Commerce-Dec. 14, 1795. A Committee on Public Lands.-Dec. 17, 1805. A Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads.-Nov. 9, 1808. A Committee for the District of Columbia.-Jan. 27, 1808. To consist of eleven (March 9, 1869.) A Committee on the Judiciary.-June 3, 1813. A Committee on War-Claims.-Dec. 2, 1873. A Committee on Public Expenditures.-Feb. 26, 1814. A Committee on Naval Affairs.-March 13, 1822. A Committee on Railways and Canals.-April 9, 1869. A Committee on Freedmen's Affairs.-Dec. 4, 1866. A Committee on Education and Labor.-March 21, 1867. A Committee on the Revision of the Laws.-July 25, 1968. A Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.-March 10, 1871. A Committee on Patents.-Sept. 15, 1837. To consist of eleven A Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures.-Jan 21, 1864-To consist of seven March 2, 1867. members. A Committee of Accounts.-Nov. 7, 1804. A Committee on Mileage.-Sept. 15, 1837. To consist of five members each. 75. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Elections to examine and report upon the certificates of election, or other credentials of the members returned to serve in this 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 into question, and be referred to them by the House.-November 13, 1789; November 13, 1794. 76. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Appropriations to take into consideration all executive communications and such other propositions in regard to carrying on the several departments of the govern ment as may be presented and referred to them by the House.-March 2, 1865. In preparing bills of appropriations for other objects, the Committee on Appropriations shall not include appropriations for car. rying 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.-March 2, 1865. 77. It shall also be the duty of the Committee on Appropriations, within thirty days after their appointment, at every session of Congress, commencing on the first Monday of December, to report the general appropriation bills-September 14, 1837-for legislative, executive, and judicial expenses; for sundry civil expenses; for consular and diplomatic expenses; for the Army; for the Navy; for the expenses of the Indian Department; for the payment of invalid and other pensions; for the support of the Military Academy; for fortifications; for the service of the Post-Office Department, and for mail transportation by ocean steamers; or in failure thereof, the reasons of such failure. And said committee shall have leave to report said bills (for reference only) at any time.- March 2, 1865. In all cases where appropriation cannot be made specific in amount, the maximum to be expended shall be stated, and each appropriation bill, when reported from the committee, shall, in the concluding clause, state the sum total of all the items contained in said bill.-March 15, 1867. 78. It shall be the duty of the 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.- November 13, 1794. 79. It shall be the duty of the Committee on 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 into question, and be referred to them by the House; and to report from time to time their opinion thereon.-December 14, 1795. 80. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Public Lands to take into consideration all such petitions and 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 thereon, together with such propositions for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient.-December 17, 1805. 81. It shall be the duty of the Committee on the Post-Office and PostRoads to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching the post-office and post-roads as shall be presented, or shall come in question, and be referred to them by the House; and to report their opinion thereon, together with such propositions relative thereto as to them shall seem expedient.-November 9, 1808. 82. It shall be the duty of the Committee for the District of Columbia to take into consideration all such petitions and 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 thereon, together with such propositions relative thereto as to them shall seem expedient.-January 27, 1808. The third Monday of each month, from the hour of 2 o'clock p. m. until the adjournment of that day, shall, when claimed by the Committee for the District of Columbia, be devoted exclusively to business reported from said committee; and said committee shall henceforth be omitted by the Speaker in the reg. ular call of committees.-May 8, 1874. 83. It shall be the duty of the Committee on the Judiciary to take into consideration 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 thereon, together with such propositions relative thereto as to them shall seem expedient.-June 3, 1813. 84. It shall be the duty of the Committee on War Claims to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching claims growing out of any war in which the United States has been engaged; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositious for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient.—December 2, 1873. 85. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Public Expenditures to examine into the state of the several public departments, and particu larly into laws making appropriations of money, and to report whether the moneys 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.-February 26, 1814. 86. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Private Land Claims to take into consideration all claims to land which may be referred to them, or shall or may come in question; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient.-April 29, 1816. 87. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Military Affairs to take |