BINDING.

of documents.

Extra copies of documents, the size of which shall of extra copies 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 123 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 binding ing to have exeof each house executed.-Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 117

to 120.

(See PRINTING, PUBLIC.)

cuted.

BLANK BOOKS.

Public

All the blank books ordered by Congress, or by either. To be furnished by SuperintendHouse of Congress, shall be done and executed under the ent of Superintendent of Public Printing.—Stat. at Large, Vol. XII, p. 118.

BLANKS.

Printing.

"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

house, may be

"A bill passed by the one House with blanks. These, Left by may be filled up by the other by way of amendments, filled by theother. returned to the first as such, and passed."-Manual,

p. 111.

ed in ballotings.

"In all ballotings blanks shall be rejected, and not Not to be counttaken into the count in enumeration of votes, or reported by the tellers."-Rule 12.

BOND.

Arms.

The Sergeant-at-Arms shall give bond, with surety, of Sergeant-atto the United States, in a sum not less than five nor

Of Clerk.

Price of,

re

ceived by mem

ducted from compensation.

more than ten thousand dollars, at the discretion of the Speaker, and with such surety as the Speaker may approve, 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, with one or more sureties, to be approved by the Comptroller of the Treasury, in the penal sum of twenty thou sand dollars, with condition for the faithful application and disbursement of the contingent fund of the House."Stat. at Large, Vol. III, p. 212.

BOOKS.

"If any books shall hereafter be ordered to and rebers, to be deceived by members of Congress by a resolution of either or both houses of Congress, the price paid for the same shall be deducted from the compensation provided for such member or members: Provided, however, That this shall not extend to books ordered to be printed by the Public Printer during the Congress for which the said member shall have been elected.”—Stat. at Large, Vol. XI, p. 49.

Attempted, of member, breach

BRIBERY.

An offer to bribe a member is held to be a breach of of privilege. the privileges of the House.-Journals 1, 4, p. 389; 1,

15, pp. 117, 154; Manual, p. 59.

Of members of By the act of February 26, 1853, it is provided “that Congress.

if any person or persons shall, directly or indirectly, promise, offer, or give, or cause or procure to be promised, offered, or given, any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or any promise, contract, undertaking, obligation, or security for the payment or delivery of any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or any other valuable thing whatever, to any member of the Senate or House of Representatives, after his election as such member, and either before or after he shall have qualified and taken his seat, or to any officer of the United States, or person holding any place of profit or trust, or discharging any official functions under or

the House.

in connection with any department of the Government of the United States, or under the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, with intent to influ- of employés of ence his vote or decision on any question, matter, cause, or proceeding which may then be pending, or may by law, or under the Constitution of the United States, be brought before him in his official capacity, or in his place of trust or profit, and shall be convicted thereof, such person or persons so offering, promising, or giving, or causing or procuring to be promised, offered, or given, any such money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward or any promise, contract, undertaking, obligation, or security for the payment or delivery of any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or other valuable thing whatever; and the member, officer, or person Acceptance of who shall in any wise accept or receive the same, or any part thereof, shall be liable to indictment, as for a high crime and misdemeanor, in any court of the United States having jurisdiction for the trial of crimes and misdemeanors, and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not ex- Penalty for. ceeding three times the amount so offered, promised, or given, and imprisoned in a penitentiary not exceeding three years; and the person convicted of so accepting or receiving the same, or any part thereof, if an officer or person holding any such place of trust or profit as aforesaid, shall forfeit his office or place; and any person so convicted under this section shall forever be disqualified to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States."-Stat. at Large, Vol. X, p. 171.

BUSINESS-DAILY ORDER OF.

bribes.

Journal.

"The Speaker shall take the chair every day precisely Reading of the at the hour to which the House shall have adjourned on the preceding day; shall immediately call the members to order; and, on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the preceding day to be read."Rule 1.

"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,

Unfinished business of preceding

day considered.

Reports of committees called for.

Call of States

and for

Territories

and bills on leave.

and at the same time each day thereafter until disposed of."-Rule 56.

"As soon as the Journal is read, and the unfinished business in which the House was engaged at the last preceding adjournment has been disposed of, reports from committees shall be called for and disposed of; in doing which the Speaker shall call upon each standing committee in regular order, and then upon select committees; and if the Speaker shall not get through the call upon the committees before the House passes to other business, he shall resume the next call where he left off-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. [But this proviso does not prevent the House from occupying the morning hour on more than two days in the consideration of a report previously made.-Rule 51.-(See MORNING HOURS ON MONDAYS.)

"Reports from committees having been presented and resolutions 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."-Rule 52. And at this time bills on leave may be introduced.—Rule 115.

Business on the Speaker's table.

"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 enter

tain 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, 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 objections be made; in which ease, 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."-Rule 54.

[The foregoing is the order of business which may be May be interpursued, under the rules, each day, except Fridays, Sat- fered with. urdays, and Mondays; but it is often interfered with by questions of privilege, special orders, privileged questions, &c.]

"Friday and Saturday in every week shall be set On Friday and Saturday, and apart for the consideration of private bills and private mode of proceed ing on those days. business, in preference to any other, unless otherwise determined by a majority of the House."-Rule 128. [On those days, as soon as the Journal is read, and the unfinished business of the last private-bill day is disposed of, the Speaker proceeds to call the committees for reports of a private nature, which being disposed of,