shall have a general direction of the hall. He shall have the right to name any member to perform the duties of the chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment.

7. 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.

8. In all other cases of ballot than for committees, a majority of the votes given shall be necessary to an election; and when there shall not be such a majority on the first ballot, the ballot shall be repeated until a majority be obtained.

9. In all cases of ballot by the house, the speaker shall vote; in other cases he shall not vote unless the house be equally divided, or unless his vote, if given to the minority, will make the division equal, and in case of such equal division, the question shall be lost.

10. In all cases where other than members of the house may be eligible to

any office by the election of the house, there shall be a previous nomination.

11. All acts, addresses, and joint resolutions, shall be signed by the speaker; and all writs, warrants, and subpoenas, issued by order of the house, shall be under his hand and seal, attested by the elerk.

12. In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct in the galleries or lobby, the speaker (or chairman of the committee of the whole house) shall have power to order the same to be cleared.

13. No person, except members of the senate, their secretary, heads of departments, the treasurer, comptroller, register, auditor, postmaster general, president's secretary, chaplains to congress, judges of the United States, foreign ministers and their secretaries, officers who, by name, have received, or shall hereafter receive, the thanks of Congress for their gallantry and good conduct displayed in the service of their country, the commissioners of the navy board, governor for the time being of any state or territory in the Union, who may attend at the seat of the general government during the sessions of Congress, and who may choose to avail himself of such privilege, such gentlemen as have been heads of departments, or members of either branch of the legislature, "and, at the

liscretion of the speaker, persons who belong to such legislatures of foreign governments, as are in amity with the United States," shall be admitted within the hall of the House of Representatives.

14. Stenographers, wishing to take down the debates, may be admitted by the speaker, who shall assign such places to them on the floor or elsewhere, to effect their object, as shall not interfere with the convenience of the house.

Order of business of the session.

15. After six days from the commencement of a second or subsequent session of any congress, all bills, resolutions, and reports, which originated in this 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.

Order of business of the Day.

16. As soon as the journal is read, the speaker shall call for petitions from the members of each state, and delegates from each territory, beginning with NewHampshire; 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.

17. The petitions having been presented and disposed of, reports, first from the standing, and then from the select committees, shall be called for, and disposed of.

The above business shall be done at no other part of the day, except by permis sion of the house.

Of Decorum and Debate.

18. 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, and shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personality.

19. 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, and the case require it, he shall be liable to the censure of the house.

20. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the speaker shall name the member who is first to speak.

21. No member shall speak more than twice to the same question, without leave of the house, nor more than once, until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken.

22. Whilst 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 whilst a member is speaking, shall pass between him and the chair.

23. No member shall vote on any question in the event of which he is immediately and particularly interested: or in any case where he was not present when the question was put.

24. Upon a division and count of the house on any question, no member without the bar shall be counted.

25. Every member who shall be in the house, when the question is put, shall give his vote, unless the house for special reasons shall excuse him.

26. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the speaker, or being in writing, it shall be handed to the chair, and read aloud by the clerk before debated.