may be stricken out. initely, which several motions take precedence in the order in which they are arranged. "But a motion to Enacting words strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to amend; and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection."-Rule 123. (See all of said motions respectively.) [The question of engrossment is put in this form, viz: Engrossment and third reading. "Shall the bill be engrossed and read a third time?" If it be negatived, the bill is rejected; but if it be decided in the affirmative, and the bill is actually engrossed, or no question is made on its failure to be engrossed, the Speaker immediately directs "the third reading of the bill." But if the question is made, and it be not actually engrossed, the bill goes to the Speaker's table. In the case of a Senate bill, the engrossment having already Third reading been made before it came to the House, the question which arises is, "Shall the bill be read a third time?" which being decided negatively the bill is rejected, but being decided affirmatively the bill is immediately read a third time.] of Senate bills. In case of a bill with a preamble. [Where the bill has a preamble, although there is no rule, and until lately no settled practice, defining the stage at which it is to be considered, it would seem to be most appropriate that its consideration should take place after the bill has been ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and before the third reading takes place. By this course, the bill can be engrossed either with or without the preamble, as the House shall have determined.] [After the third reading of a bill, the question which After third readnext arises in course is, "Shall the bill pass?" At this stage the bill is again open to debate, but is not amend- Debate. able; it may, however, under the 124th Rule, be recom- Recommitment. mitted at any time before passage.-(See RECOMMIT, MOTION TO.)] ing. [The bill having passed, and the title having been After passage. read, the Speaker states, "If there be no objection this will remain the title of the bill." The title, however, is Title. After title disposed of. [After the title is disposed of, it is usual for the member having charge of the bill to move "that the vote last taken be reconsidered, and that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table;" which latter motion having been decided in the affirmative, no reconsideration can take place, and the transmission of the bill to the Senate cannot be delayed. Indeed, it is not uncommon to make re- the motion "to reconsider and lie" at every stage of the bill.] Motion to consider and lie. Certified by Clerk and taken to the Senate. The bill is then, as required by Rule 127, "certified by the Clerk, notifying the day of its passage at the foot thereof," and conveyed by him to the Senate, "together with all the papers on which it is founded," as required Not to be taken by Joint Rule 14. But "no bill that shall have passed last three days of one house shall be sent for concurrence to the other on either of the last three days of the session."-Joint Rule 16. [This rule is almost invariably suspended by the two houses near the close of a session.] to the Senate on session. To be on paper, when on passage "While bills are on their passage between the two between the two houses, they shall be on paper, and under the signature of the Secretary or Clerk of each house respectively."— Joint Rule 5. houses. After the re turn of, from Sen ment. [After the bill has been acted on by the Senate, it is ate, with amend brought back to the House by the Secretary of the Senate, together with a report of their action thereon. If it has passed with amendment, it is placed on the Speaker's table, to be taken up in its order under the 54th Rule. Action on Senate amendment to. When the Sen ate amendment is agreed to. When taken up, the amendment of the Senate may be either agreed to, disagreed to, or agreed to with amendment; in case of an appropriation of money being involved. in the amendment, however, it must be first considered in a Committee of the Whole. If the amendment of the Senate is agreed to, that body is notified of the fact by message through the Clerk, and the bill is enrolled.] In case of disagreement by the House to, or amendment of, the Senate's amendment, see AMENDMENTS BETWEEN THE HOUSES and CONFERENCE COMMITTEES. When enrolled, "After a bill shall have passed both houses, it shallAfter passage by both houses, be duly enrolled on parchment by the Clerk of the House to be enrolled on parchment. of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate, as the bill may have originated in the one or the other house, before it shall be presented to the President of the United States."-Joint Rule 6. "When bills are enrolled, they shall be examined by to be examined. a joint committee of two from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives, appointed as a standing committee for that purpose, who shall carefully compare the enrollment with the engrossed bills, as passed in the two houses, and, correcting any errors that may be discovered in the enrolled bills, make their report forthwith to their respective houses."-Joint Rule 7. (See ENROLLED BILLS, COMMITTEE ON.) When exam re and signed by "After examination and report, each bill shall be signed ined. to be in their respective houses, first by the Speaker of the ported to House House of Representatives, then by the President of the Speaker." Senate."-Joint Rule 8. be presented to "After a bill shall have been thus signed in each house,,After being signed by presiit shall be presented by the said committee to the Presiding officers, to dent of the United States for his approbation, it being President. first indorsed on the back of the roll, certifying in which house the same originated; which indorsement shall be signed by the Secretary or Clerk (as the case may be) of the house in which the same did originate, and shall be entered on the Journal of each house. The said committee shall report the day of presentation to the Presi dent, which time shall also be carefully entered on the Journal of each house."-Joint Rule 9. But no bill or resolution that shall bave passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be presented to the President of the United States for his approbation on the last day of the session."-Joint Rule 17. [This rule, like the 16th, is generally suspended near the close of the session.] But not on last day of session. sented to Presi After a bill is presented to the President, "if he ap- After being preprove he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it, with dent. his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated.”—Const., 1, 7, p. 10. [Where the President ap approved. Where bill is proves a bill, it is customary for him to notify the house where the bill originated of the fact, and the date of his approval, which is entered on the Journal.] Where vetoed. Where not returned within ten days. When an act has been approved by the President, the usual number of copies shall be printed for the use of the House.-Rule 157. And messages from the President giving notice of bills approved shall be repeated from the Clerk's desk forthwith.-Rule 158. In case of a bill returned with the objections of the President, see VETO. "If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law."-Const., 1, 7, p. 10. Where a bill is allowed to become a law by reason of the failure of the President to return the same, it is usual for him to notify the House of that fact, as in the case of approval.— Where Presi Journals, 2, 36, pp. 424, 480; 2, 39, p. 479. And where from returning he is prevented by an adjournment from returning a bill, by reason of ad- it is usual for him to communicate his reasons at the next session for not approving it.-Journals, 3, 12, p. 544; 1, 30, p. 82; 2, 35, p. 151. journment. Where bill of one house is re other. "When a bill or resolution which shall have passed in jected in the one house is rejected in the other, notice thereof shall be given to the house in which the same shall have be passed."-Joint Rule 12. And, when so rejected, "it shall without leave of not be brought in during the same session, without a notice of ten days and leave of two-thirds of that house in which it shall be renewed."-Joint Rule 13. Not to brought in again two-thirds. Bills undisposed of at end of session. Printing of. Of extra copies of documents. In regard to bills left undisposed of at the end of a session, see UNFINISHED BUSINESS. In regard to the printing of bills, see PRINTING, PUB LIC. BINDING. Extra copies of documents, the size of which shall not be less than 250 pages, shall be bound, under the direction of the Committee on Printing on the part of the House, at a cost not exceeding 12 cents per volume."-Act of March 3, 1853.-Stat. at Large, Vol. X, p. 190. uments. "The Clerk shall have preserved for each member of Of session docthe House an extra copy, in good binding, of all the documents printed by order of either house at each future session of Congress."-Rule 18. of Public Print By the joint resolution of June 23, 1860, the Superin- Superintendent tendent of Public Printing is directed to have the bind- ing to have exeing of each house executed.-Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 117 to 120. (See PRINTING, PUBLIC.) BLANK BOOKS. cuted. To be furnished by Superintendof All the blank books ordered by Congress, or by either House of Congress, shall be done and executed under the ent Superintendent of Public Printing.-Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 118. BLANKS. Printing. Public "In filling up blanks, the largest sum and longest time How filled. shall be first put."-Rule 50. [But where a specific time or sum stands part of a motion, it is not until it is struck out and a blank thereby produced, that this rule can begin to operate.] one "A bill passed by the one House with blanks. These Left by house, may be may be filled up by the other by way of amendments, filled by the other. returned to the first as such, and passed."-Manual, p. 111. "In all ballotings blanks shall be rejected, and not taken into the count in enumeration of votes, or reported by the tellers."—Rule 12. BOND. Not to be counted in ballotings. Arms. "The Sergeant-at-Arms shall give bond, with surety, of Sergeant-at to the United States, in a sum not less than five nor more than ten thousand dollars, at the discretion of the Speaker, and with such surety as the Speaker may ap prove, faithfully to account for the money coming into his hands for the pay of members."-Rule 26. The Clerk shall, within thirty days after he enters upon the duties of his office, give bond to the United States, Of Clerk. |