order on, cannot be well taken. when the rules have been suspended for the purpose of When point of enabling the report of a measure to be made, and also for its consideration, a point of order that it contains an appropriation cannot be well taken.-Journal, 1, 34, pp. 1172, 1173. to general, in the "General appropriation bills shall be in order in pre- Preference given ference to any other bills of a public nature, unless other- House. wise ordered by a majority of the House. And the House may, at any time, by a vote of majority of the General, may be made special or members present, make any of the general appropriation der at any time. bills a special order."-Rule 119. "And in Committee of the Whole House on the state Preference given to general, in of the Union, general appropriation bills, and, in time of Committee of the Whole. war, bills for raising men and money, and bills concerning a treaty of peace, shall be preferred to all other bills, at the discretion of the committee; and when demanded by any member, the question (of consideration) shall first be put in regard to them."-Rule 114. [Existing special orders, however, (being made under a suspension of the rules,) take precedence of all other business.] be treated as sec question on, for ments. [In the consideration of general appropriation bills, the, Clauses of, to clauses are invariably treated as sections in other bills.] tions. "Upon the engrossment of any bill making appropria- Division of the tions of money for works of internal improvement of any internal improvekind or description, it shall be in the power of any member to call for a division of the question, so as to take a separate vote of the House upon each item of improvement or appropriation contained in said bill, or upon such items separately, and others collectively, as the members making the call may specify; and if one-fifth of the members present second said call, it shall be the duty of the Speaker to make such divisions of the question, and put them to vote accordingly.”—Rule 121. APPROPRIATIONS, COMMITTEE ON. Its number, and when appointed. This committee, to consist of nine members, is directed to be appointed at the commencement of each Congress.Rule 74. Its duty shall be to take into consideration all Duties of. executive communications, and such other propositions in regard to carrying on the several departments of the Government, as may be presented and referred to them by the House. In preparing bills of appropriations for other objects, the said committee shall not include appropriations for carrying 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.-Rule 76. It shall also be the duty of the said committee, within thirty days after their appointment, at every session of Congress commencing on the first Monday of December, to report the general appropriation bills 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 refer Amonnt in ap- ence only) at any time. In all cases where appropriapropriation bills to be stated. tions 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.-Rule 77. Reasons to be reported in writing. When committees are to be appointed by. In reporting the reasons above referred to, the report must be in writing.-Congressional Globe, 1, 31, pp. 1207, 8. AYES AND NOES. "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 BANKING AND CURRENCY, COM. ON-BAR OF HOUSE. elected by a majority of the votes given, the House shall proceed to a second ballot, in which a plurality 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."-Rule 67. "In all other cases of ballot than for committees, a majority of the votes given shall be necessary to an election; and where there shall not be such a majority on the first ballot, the ballots shall be repeated until a majority be obtained; and in all ballotings blanks shall be rejected, and not taken into the count in enumeration of votes, or reported by the tellers."-Rule 12. 19 vote in cases of. "In all cases of ballot by the House, the Speaker shall Speaker shall vote."-Rule 7. No person to visit Clerk's desk while counting. Vote of late years not taken "No member or other person shall visit or remain by the Clerk's table while ballots are counting."-Rule 65. [There has been no instance for many years where a vote by ballot has been taken in the House, the Speaker by. and other officers having been elected by viva voce votes, and the committees appointed by the Speaker.] (See ELECTIONS and COMMITTEES.) BANKING AND CURRENCY, COMMITTEE ON. This committee, to consist of nine members, is directed Its number, and when appointed. to be appointed at the commencement of each Congress.Rule 74. Its duty shall be to take into consideration all Its duty. propositions relative to banking and the currency as shall be presented or shall come in question and be referred to them by the House, and to report thereon by bill or otherwise. BAR OF THE HOUSE. members must be "within the bar." "No member shall vote in any case where he was not In order to vote, within the bar of the House when the question was put. When the roll-call is completed, the Speaker shall state that any member offering to vote does so upon the assurance that he was within the bar before the last name on the roll was called: Provided, however, That any mem What is meant by "within the bar." No vote of a member without ber who was absent by leave of the House may vote at any time before the result is announced.”—Rule 29. [At the 1st session 35th Congress, (see Journal, p. 337,) soon after the occupancy of the present hall, it was decided that, in order to be entitled to vote, a member must have been upon the floor of the hall, and not outside of any of the doors leading into it.] "Upon a division and count of the House on any the bar counted. question, no member without the bar shall be counted.”— Rule 30. BILLS. How bills are introduced. Revenue bills. Bills on leave. (See also PRIVATE BILLS AND PRIVATE BUSINESS.) Every bill shall be introduced on the report of a committee, or by motion for leave-Rule 115—or upon the report of the Court of Claims.-(Stat. at Large, Vol. X. pp. 613, 614.) "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as on other bills."-Const, 1, 7, 10. "In the case of a bill on leave, at least one day's notice shall be given of the motion in the House, or by filing a memorandum thereof with the Clerk, and having it entered on the Journal; and the motion shall be made and the bill introduced, if leave is given, when resolu tions are called for; such motion, or the bill when introIn relation to duced, may be committed. But the Speaker shall not post routes. Bills on leave, when and how introduced. entertain a motion for leave to introduce a bill or joint resolution for the establishment or change of post routes, and all propositions relating thereto shall be referred, under the rule, like petitions and other papers, to the appropriate committee."-Rule 115. "All the States and Territories shall be called for bills on leave and resolutions every Monday during each session of Congress; and, if necessary to secure the object on said days, all resolutions which shall give rise to debate shall lie over for discussion, under the rules of the House already established; and the whole of said days shall be appropriated to bills on leave and resolutions, until all And the the States and Territories are called through. paper. for leave. [The notice above referred to is rarely given in the House, (it being in order to give it there only when resolutions are in order,) but is usually given to the Clerk by sending to him a written memorandum in this form: “Mr. -- gives notice that to-morrow, or on some sub- Form of notice. sequent day, he will ask leave to introduce a bill (here insert its title.") If the member desires his notice to To have notice appear in newsappear in the newspaper report of the proceedings of the House, he should furnish the reporter of such paper with a copy of the memorandum furnished the Clerk. Having given his notice, it is then in order, on any subsequent day, when bills on leave and resolutions are being called When to move for, and when his particular State is called, to move for leave to introduce his bill. The practice of introducing, Objections to the practice of inbills on leave, it may be remarked, however, does not troducing bills on leave. facilitate business. If, instead of waiting for an opportunity to introduce his bill on leave, the member would file his petition, or whatever other matter he may have in favor of the proposed legislation, and have it referred to the appropriate committee, as he may do on any day, under Rule 131, (see PETITIONS,) he will thus have the subject before them, and will get a bill reported as speedily as if it had been originally referred. Besides, the bill thus reported comes before the House unencumbered with amendments, as is not likely to be the case with a bill previously referred. These suggestions, of course, do not apply to cases where the immediate passage of a bill, without the intervention of a committee, is sought for, or where it is desirable to refer it to a select committee.] For information in regard to bills reported from a committee, see COMMITTEES. Bills reported from committees. |