VI. When the House shall determine to go into a Committee of the whole House, the Speaker shall appoint the Member who shall take the Chair. VII. On all questions and motions whatsoever, the Speaker shall take the sense of the House by yeas and nays, provided, one fifth of the Members present shall so require. When the yeas and nays are taken, no Member shall be allowed to vote, who shall have entered the House after the calling of the roll is finished. VIII. He shall propound all questions, in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion be previous in its nature; except, that in naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and longest time shall be put first. IX. After a motion is stated or read by the Speaker, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the House, and shall be disposed of by vote of the House; but the mover may withdraw it at any time before a decision or amendment. X. When a question is under debate, the Speaker shall receive no motion, but to adjourn, to lay on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to a day certain, to commit, to amend, or to postpone indefinitely; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they stand arranged: and a motion to strike out the enacting clause of a Bill shall be equivalent to a motion to postpone indefinitely. XI. He shall consider a motion to adjourn, as always first in order; and that motion, and the motion to lay on the table, or to take up from the table, shail be decided without debate. XII. He shall put the previous question in the following form: "shall the main question be now put?" — and all debate upon the main question shall be suspended, until the previous question shall be decided. After the adoption of the previous question, the sense of the House shall forthwith be taken upon amendments reported by a committee, upon pending amendments, and then upon the main question. XIII. On the previous question no Member shall speak more than once without leave; and all incidental questions of order, arising after a motion is made for the previous question, shall be decided without debate, excepting on appeal, and, on such appeal, no member shall be allowed to speak more than once without leave of the House. XIV. When two or more Members happen to rise at once, the Speaker shall name the Member who is first to speak. XV. All Committees shall be appointed and announced by the Speaker, unless otherwise specially directed by the House. XVI. The Speaker shall have the right to name any Member to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. CHAPTER II. Of the Duties, Rights, and Decorum of Members. I. Every seat, which shall be drawn by any Member, in person, at the beginning of the session, shall be his seat during the year, unless he shall have leave of the Speaker to change it. II. The desks on the right and left of the Speaker shall be appropriated to the use of the Clerk and the Committees on Bills. III. Every Member, when about to speak, shall rise and respectfully address the Speaker, shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personality, and shall sit down when he has finished. No Member shall speak out of his place without leave of the Speaker. IV. No Member speaking shall be interrupted by another, but by rising up to call to order. V. No Member shall speak more than twice on one question, without first obtaining leave of the House; nor more than once, until the other Members, who have not spoken, shall speak, if they desire it. VI. When a vote has passed, it shall be in order for any Member of the majority to move for a re-consideration thereof, on the same or the succeeding day and such motion (except in the last week of the session,) shall be placed first in the orders of the day for the day succeeding that on which the motion is made and when a motion for re-consideration is decided, that vote shall not be re-considered. : VII. Bills, resolves, and other papers, in reference to which, any member, having a right to move a reconsideration, shall give notice of a motion to that effect, to be made on the next day after the vote proposed to be re-considered, shall remain in the possession of the Clerk until such succeeding day: provided, that the operation of this rule shall be suspended during the last week of the session. VIII. No Member shall be obliged to be on more than two Committees at the same time, nor Chairman of more than one. IX. No Member shall be permitted to stand up to the interruption of another, while any Member is speaking, or to pass unnecessarily between the Speaker of the House and the person speaking; nor shall any Member be permitted to stand in the alleys during the session of the House. X. Every Member shall keep an account of his own attendance and travel, and deliver the same to the Committee appointed to make up the pay-roll, and on his failure so to do, he shall be omitted from the roll; and no Member shall receive pay for any weekday on which he has not actually attended, except in case of sickness. All proceedings of the House with closed doors, and every matter relating to the same, shall be kept secret, until the House shall remove the injunction of secrecy. XII. Every Member, who shall neglect to give his attendance in the House for more than six days after the session commences, shall, on making his appearance therein, be held to render the reason of such neglect; and in case the reason assigned shall be deemed by the House sufficient, such Member shall be entitled to receive pay for his travel, and not otherwise; and no Member shall be absent more than two days, without leave of the House; and a vote of leave of absence shall be inoperative, unless the Member obtaining it shall avail himself of it within five days. XIII. When any Member shall be guilty of a breach of either of the Rules and Orders of the House, he may be required by the House on motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and shall not be allowed to vote, or speak, except by way of excuse, till he has done so. XIV. No Member shall be permitted to vote, or serve on any Committee, in any question where his private right is immediately concerned, distinct from the public interest. XV. Every Member, who shall be in the House when a question is put, where he is not excluded by interest, shall give his vote, unless the House, for special reasons, shall excuse him. Any Member desiring to be so excused on any question, shall make application to that effect before the House is divided, or before the calling of the yeas and nays; and such application shall be accompanied by a brief statement of reasons, and shall be decided without debate. |