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for its consideration, a point of order that it contains

an appropriation cannot be well taken.-Journal, 1, 34, pp. 1172, 1173.

Preference giv

"General appropriation bills shall be in order in pref- en to general, in erence to any other bills of a public nature, unless other- the House. wise ordered by a majority of the House. And the House may at any time, by a vote of a majority of the members present, make any of the general appropriation bills General, may be a special order."-Rule 119.

made special order at any time. Preference giv en to general, in

Whole.

"And in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, general appropriation bills, and, in time of Committee of the 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.]

treated as sections.

Division of the

question on, for

ments.

[In the consideration of general appropriation bills, the Clauses of, to be clauses are invariably treated as sections in other bills.] "Upon the engrossment of any bill making appropriations 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.

This committee, to consist of eleven members, is Its number, and when appointed. directed to be appointed at the commencement of each Congress. Rule 74. Its duty shall be to take into con- Duties of. sideration all 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

B D

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 referAmount in ap-ence only) at any time. In all cases where appropriations 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 con cluding clause state the sum total of all the items contained in said bill.-Rule 77.

propriation

to be stated.

bills

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, 1208.

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.

(See CAPITOL.)

AYES AND NOES.

(See YEAS AND NAYS.)

BALLOT.

"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,

BANKING AND CURRENCY, COM. ON-BAR OF HOUSE. 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 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.

vote in cases of.

19

"In all cases of ballot by the House, the Speaker Speaker shall shall vote."-Rule 7.

No person to visit Clerk's desk

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. while counting. [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.

when appointed.

Its duty.

This committee, to consist of eleven members, is Its number, and directed to be appointed at the commencement of each Congress. Rule 74. Its duty shall be to take into consideration all 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.-Rule 152.

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

Smoking prohibited within the bar.

What is meant by "within."

a

No vote of member without

on the roll was called: Provided, however, That any member who was absent by leave of the House may vote at any time before the result is announced."-Rule 29.

Smoking is prohibited within the bar of the House.Rule 65.

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[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 questhe bar counted. tion, no member without the bar shall be counted."

Rule 30.

BILLS.

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(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.

The enacting clause of all acts of Congress hereafter enacted shall be in the following form: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.”—R. S., Sec. 7.

No enacting words shall be used in any section of an act of Congress except the first.-R. S., Sec. 9.

Each section shall be numbered, and shall contain, as near as may be, a single proposition of enactment.-R. S., Sec. 10.

The style and title of all acts making appropriations for the support of Government shall be as follows: "An act making appropriations (here insert the object) for the year ending June 30, (here insert the calendar year.)-R. S., Sec. 11.

"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 resolutions are called for; such motion, or the bill when introduced, may be committed. But the Speaker shall not In relation to 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.

post-routes.

when and how introduced.

"All the States and Territories shall be called for bills Bills on leave, 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 the States and Territories are called through. And the Speaker shall first call the States and Territories for bills on leave; and all bills so introduced during the first hour after the Journal is read shall be referred, without debate, to their appropriate committees: Provided, however, That a bill so introduced and referred, and all bills at any time introduced by unanimous consent and referred, shall not be brought back into the House upon a motion to reconsider."-Rule 130. (See MORNING HOUR ON MONDAYS.)

What bills not by motion to re

to be brought back

consider.

Form of notice.

[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 subsequent 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 the newspaper-report of the proceedings of the paper. 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

appear in news

for leave.

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