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He keeps a book in which are entered, numerically, Keeps bill-book. the titles of all bills and joint resolutions; opposite which are noted, as they occur, all proceedings of the House thereon; also all proceedings of the Senate as they are reported to the House.

He places appropriate indorsements upon all papers Papers ordered presented in the House, and, after entering the same in indorsed, &c. books kept for the purpose, sends to the Government Printing-Office all such as are ordered to be printed, and

to the appropriate committee such as are referred without printing.

and resolutions.

He engrosses upon paper all bills, joint resolutions, Engrosses bills and resolutions of the House, and amendments of the House to Senate bills and joint resolutions which pass the House of Representatives, certifying the date of the passage of the same at the foot thereof.

bills

and resolutions.

He enrolls upon parchment all House bills and joint Enrolled resolutions which have passed both houses, certifying upon the back that the same originated in the House, and then delivers them to the Committee on Enrolled Bills.

He journalizes all petitions and other papers handed to him under the 131st Rule, and having indorsed them appropriately, takes them to the rooms of the proper committees, and there enters them in the committee book. He also keeps what is called the "Petition Book," in which is entered, alphabetically, each petition as presented, and the further action of the House thereon as it occurs.

re

Petitions ferred under rule.

He keeps what is called the "Newspaper Book," in Newspapers. which are entered the accounts of members for news. papers, and orders from the publishers such newspapers and periodicals as may be directed.

He contracts for and furnishes to members all books Books. voted to them by the House, and keeps the accounts of the members for the same.

He distributes to members, governors, State legislatures, &c., all public documents (other than extra numbers) required by law, rule, or resolution to be distributed.

Public docu

ments.

58

Stationery.

Library.

CLERKS OF COMMITTEES-COMMIT, MOTION TO.

Not to be employed without leave.

to employ.

He purchases, keeps, and distributes the stationery required for the use of the House. (See STATIONERY.) He keeps the library of the House, in which are kept copies of all documents printed by order of either house. CLERKS OF COMMITTEES.

"No committee shall be permitted to employ a clerk at the public expense without first obtaining leave of the House for that purpose."-Rule 73. [Such leave is usually granted to a portion of the committees, for a Committees part or the whole of the session, as they may deem the which have leave service necessary; and six of the committees have permanent clerks, viz: of Claims, by resolution of February 18, 1843; of Ways and Means, by resolution of February 18, 1856; on Public Lands, by resolution of May 27, 1862; on Appropriations, by resolution of December 12, 1865; on War-Claims, by resolution of January 19, 1874; and on Invalid Pensions, by resolution of June 18, 1874.

When appoint

ed, and

COINAGE, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES, COMMITTEE ON. There shall be appointed, at the commencement of number of what each Congress, a Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, to consist of seven members, and to this committee shall be referred all bills, resolutions, and communications to the House upon that subject.-Rule 148. COMMERCE, COMMITTEE TO.

Duties of.

When appointed, and of what number.

Duties of.

When it may be received.

There shall be appointed, at the commencement of each Congress, a Committee on Commerce, to consist of eleven members.-Rule 74.

"It shall be the duty of the Committee on Commerce to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching the commerce of the United States as shall be presented, or shall or may come into ques tion, and be referred to them by the House, and to report, from time to time, their opinion thereon."-Rule 79.

COMMIT, MOTION TO.

"When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn, to lie on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to a day certain, to commit or

Precedence with reference to other

amend, to postpone indefinitely; which several motions. shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged; and no motion to committ, or to postpone motions. indefinitely, being decided, shall be again allowed on the same day, and at the same stage of the bill or propo-ed one day and sition."-Rule 42. [When any one of the foregoing stage of bill. motions is received, the practice is not to receive one of lower dignity until the former is disposed of.]

Not to be repeat

Where different committees are

"When a resolution shall be offered, or a motion made to refer any subject, and different committees shall be proposed. proposed, the question shall be taken in the following order: the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; the Committee of the Whole House; a standing committee; a select committee.”—Rule 43. A motion to commit may be amended by the addition May be amended. of instructions. Also by striking out one committee and inserting another.-Journals, passim.

A division of the question is not in order on a motion to commit with instructions, or on the different branches of instructions.-Journals, 1, 17, p. 507; 1, 31, pp. 1395, 1397; 1, 32, p. 611.

"Upon the second reading of a bill, the Speaker shall state it as ready for commitment."-Rule 118.

[On a motion to commit, the whole question is open to debate.]

a

After the previous question is ordered, if no motion to postpone is pending, the House is brought first "to direct vote on the motion to commit, if such motion shall have been made."-Rule 132.

With

instructions not divisible.

A bill when ready for commit

ment.

Debate on.

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"Motions and reports may be committed at the pleas- Motions and reure of the House."-Rule 47.

COMMITTEES.

ports may be committed.

mittees to be ap

commencement of

Thirty three standing committees shall be appointed at Standing comthe commencement of each Congress, viz: Of Elections, pointed at the of Ways and Means, on Appropriations, on Banking each Congress. and Currency, of Claims, on Commerce, on the Public Lands, on the Post-Office and Post-Roads, for the District of Columbia, on the Judiciary, on War-Claims, on Public Expenditures, on Private Land-Claims, on Manu

Territories, Indian Affairs,

and Public Lands.

factures, on Agriculture, on Indian Affairs, on Military Affairs, on the Militia, on Naval Affairs, on Foreign Affairs, on the Territories, on Revolutionary Pensions, on Invalid Pensions, on Railways and Canals, on Mines and Mining, on Education and Labor, on the Revision of the Laws, on Public Buildings and Grounds, on Patents to consist of eleven members each; on the Pacific Railroad-to consist of thirteen members; on Coinage, Weights, and Measures-to consist of seven members; of Accounts, and on Mileage-to consist of five members each.-Rule 74.

By Rule 162 the Speaker is directed to appoint from Mines and Mining, among the Delegates an additional member of the Committee on the Territories, an additional member of the Committee on Indian Affairs, an additional member of the Committee on Mines and Mining, and an additional member of the Committee on Public Lands.

Joint committees to be appointed at

ment of each Congress.

There shall be a Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills, to the commence- consist of two members of each house, (Joint Rule 7;) there shall be a Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, to consist of three members of each house, (Joint Rule 20;) there shall be a Joint Committee on Public Printing, to consist of three members of each house.-R. S., Sec. 3756. [The rules do not designate for what period these joint committees shall be appointed; but the practice is for the Speaker to appoint them at the commencement of each Congress.]

Standing committees to be ap

mencement of

There shall be appointed at the commencement of the pointed at the com- first session in each Congress eight additional standing each Congress. committees, whose duties shall continue until the first session of the ensuing Congress, viz: On Expenditures in the Department of State, on Expenditures in the Treasury Department, on Expenditures in the War Department, on Expenditures in the Post Office Department, on Expenditures in the Navy Department, on Expenditures in the Interior Department, on Expenditures in the Department of Justice, on Expenditures on the Public Buildings, to consist of five members each.—Rule 102.

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For duties of the several committees, see under their respective names.

appointed.

"All committees shall be appointed by the Speaker, Committees, how 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."-Rule 67. [The latter mode of appoint. ing committees is, of late years, never resorted to; but the practice has been for the House to adopt an order "that the Speaker be authorized to appoint the regular standing committees." And after adopting such order, it is usual for, the House to adjourn over for two or three days, to enable him to make the appointments.]

Member may be appointed on, be

Before a return be made, a member elected may be named of a committee, and is to every extent a member, fore he is sworn. except that he cannot vote until he is sworn.-Manual, p. 61. [While this is the law, it has not been a common practice in the House to appoint a member on a committee until he has been sworn, although there have been instances of the kind.]

chairman of a com

cused from serv

"The first-named member of any committee shall be Who shall be the chairman; and in his absence, or being excused by mittee. the House, the next named member, and so on, as often as the case shall happen, unless the committee, by a majority of their number, elect a chairman."-Rule 68. "Any member may excuse himself from serving on Who may be exany committee at the time of his appointment, if he is ing on a committhen a member of two other committees."-Rule 69. [And under the practice, it is sufficient for him to offer such an excuse at any subsequent period of the session.] "It shall be the duty of a committee to meet on the Who shall call a call of any two of its members, if the chairman be absent, or decline to appoint such meeting."-Rule 70.

tee.

meeting of a com

mittee.

Committees shall not sit while

without leave.

"No committee shall sit during the sitting of the House without special leave.”—Rule 72. And "so soon House is sitting, as the House sits, and a committee is notified of it, the chairman is in duty bound to rise instantly, and the

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