AGENTS FOR CLAIMS-AMENDMENT.

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of 12 o'clock m. of the 4th of March of each alternate year, when, by the usage, the last session of a Congress terminates, the Speaker (either on or without motion) pronounces the House adjourned sine die.-Journals, 1, 28, p. 1362; 1, 33, p. 1345; 1, 35, p. 1148; 2, 32, p. 431; 3, 34, p. 691; 2, 35, p. 625.

AGENTS FOR CLAIMS.

(See CLAIM AGENTS.)

AGRICULTURE, COMMITTEE ON.

When appointed, number and duties of.-(Rule 74, p. 119.) [No duties are assigned to this committee under the rules.]

AMENDMENT.

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 amend, to postpone indefinitely; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged.-Rule 42, p. 111.

A motion to strike out the enacting words of a bill takes precedence of a motion to amend.-Rule 123, p. 132. (See ENACTING WORDS, MOTION TO STRIKE OUT.)

A bill cannot be amended on the first reading.-Manual, p. 66. [It seems to have become the settled practice of the House not to receive an amendment to a House bill except when the question is on its engrossment, and to a Senate bill except when the question is on ordering it to a third reading.]

If the motion to amend is pending when a demand for the previous question is made, it is not cut off by the order of the previous question.-Rule 132, p. 135.

An amendment may be moved to an amendment, but it is not admitted in another degree.-Manual, p. 76. [But it is a well-settled practice of the House that there may be pending, at the same time with such amendment to the amendment, an amendment in the nature of a substitute for part or the whole of the original text, and an amendment to that amendment.-(Journal, 1, 31, pp. 1074, 1075.) It was decided many years ago that if the motion to amend the original matter was first submitted, it was not then in order to

submit an amendment in the nature of a substitute-Journal, 1, 19, p. 794; but it was subsequently decided otherwise-Journal, 1, 28, p. 807-and the practice ever since has been in accordance with the latter decision. So, now, notwithstanding the pendency of a motion to amend an amendment to the original matter, a motion to amend, in the nature of a substitute, and a motion to amend that amendment, may be received, but cannot be voted upon until the original matter is perfected.-Barclay.]

An amendment of the House to a Senate amendment is only in the first degree; for, as to the Senate, the first amendment with which they passed the bill is a part of its text; it is the only text they have agreed to.-Manual, p. 88.-(See AMENDMENTS BETWEEN THE HOUSES.)

"When it is proposed to amend by inserting a paragraph, or part of one, the friends of the paragraph may make it as perfect as they can, by amendments, before the question is put for inserting. If it be received, it cannot be amended afterward in the same stage, because the House has, on a vote, agreed to it in that form.”—Manual, p. 79. But an amendment which has been inserted may be added to.-Journal, 1, 19, p. 794.

Although it is not in order to strike out by itself what has been inserted, it may be moved to strike out a portion of the original paragraph, comprehending what has been inserted, provided the coherence to be struck out be so substantial as to make this effectively a different proposition.-Manual, p. 80.

If it is proposed to amend by striking out a paragraph, the friends of the paragraph are first to make it as perfect as they can, by amendments, before the question is put for striking it out.— Manual, p. 79. But (contrary to the parliamentary practice) if on the question it be retained, neither amendment nor a motion to strike out and insert shall be precluded thereby, and a motion to strike out and insert is indivisible.-Rule 46, p. 110.-(See STRIKE OUT, MOTION TO.)

After a proposition is amended it cannot be withdrawn.-Rule 40, p. 108. (Nor after the previous question is seconded.) It may, however, be withdrawn while the House is dividing on a demand for the previous question.-Journal, 2, 29, p. 241.

A motion to amend cannot be modified after the previous ques

tion is seconded-Journal, 1, 28, p. 811-[doubtless for the reason that the pendency of the particular amendment may be the inducement for seconding the previous question.]

If a member yields the floor to another to offer an amendment, as he may do, the member yielding loses his right to reoccupy it.— Journal, 1, 26, p. 248.

An amendment proposing to ingraft a general provision of law upon a private bill is against order.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 784. It is also out of order to ingraft upon a bill for the relief of one individual a provision for the relief of another.-Journal, 2, 32, p. 414.

No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment. And no bill or resolution shall, at any time, be amended by annexing thereto, or incorporating therewith, any other bill or resolution pending before the House.-Rule 48, p. 112. The latter clause of the 48th rule, as originally reported to the House, contained at the end of it, "nor by any proposition containing the substance, in whole or in part, of any other bill or resolution pending before the House." These words were stricken out by the House before it would agree to the rule, by which it would seem to have been decided that an amendment containing the substance of another bill or resolution may be entertained.-Note to Rule 48, p. 112. [Such, too, has been the practice ever since.] It has been decided that an amendment including the same provisions, to a very great extent, as other bills pending before the House, is in order.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 1333.

If an amendment be proposed inconsistent with one already agreed to, it is a fit ground for its rejection by the House, but not within the competence of the Speaker to suppress as if it were against order.-Manual, p. 78.

On an amendment being moved, a member who has spoken to the main question may speak again to the amendment.-Manual, p. 78. A bill granting lands to a State for railroad purposes may be amended by adding thereto a similar provision for other States.Journal, 1, 32, pp. 427, 967.

A resolution of the House cannot be amended so as to be converted into a Joint Resolution.-Journal, 1, 32, p. 679.

No amendment by way of rider shall be received to any bill on its third reading.-Rule 126, p. 133.

An amendment to the rules cannot be proposed without one day's notice-Rule 145, p. 140-nor, without a similar notice, is it in order to offer an amendment, the effect of which is to change a standing rule.-Journal, 1, 17, p. 282. And it is virtually an amendment of the rules to impose other duties upon an officer of the House than those already prescribed.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 456.

An amendment reported from the Committee of the Whole as an entire amendment is not divisible.-Journals 1, 28, p. 1061; 1, 29, pp. 366, 642; 1, 30, p. 1059; 2, 30, p. 574. Nor is an amendment of the Senate divisible.—Journal, 2, 32, p. 401. Nor is it subject to the point of order that, under Rule 112, it must be first considered in the Committee of the Whole House.-Journal 1, 45, p. 485.

After a bill has been reported from the Committee of the Whole with amendments, it is in order to submit an additional amendment, but the first question put is upon the amendment reported.—Journal, 1, 29, p. 865. If, in Committee of the Whole, an amendment is adopted, and subsequently the paragraph as amended is struck out, the amendment striking out is the only one to be reported to the House. And if the latter is voted down in the House, the first amendment is not thereby revived.-Journal, 2, 31, p. 346.

No appropriations shall be reported in a general appropriation bill, or be in order as an amendment thereto, for any expenditure not previously authorized by law, unless in continuation of appropriations for such public works and objects as are already in progress, nor shall any provision in any such bill or amendment thereto changing existing law be in order, except such as being germane to the subject-matter of the bill, shall retrench expenditures.-Rule 120, p. 132. [This rule, so far as relates to amendments offered, is usually enforced with much strictness, but an instance is not known where the Committee of the Whole has ever ruled out any portion of a bill as reported from the Committee of Ways and Means, although containing provisions in violation of said rule, where the bill was committed without any reservation of points of order.-Barclay.] (See APPROPRIATION BILLS.)

"The House may at any time, on motion seconded by a majority of the members present, close all debate upon a pending amendment, or an amendment thereto, and cause the question to be put thereon; and this shall not preclude any further amendment or debate upon the bill."-Rule 132, p. 135.

y modify an amendment from the other ho mendment on it."-Manual, p. 88.

The

O amend an amendment from the other house a motion to agree or disagree. A bill originat passed by the other with an amendment. grees to their amendment with an amendment ree to their amendment with an amendmen the second and not the third degree; for, as use, the first amendment with which they pass of its text; it is the only text they have agreed Amendments of the Senate, to bills of the Hous iations of money, are not subject to the require ons of Rule 112, i. e., that they must be conside tee of the Whole House.-Journal, 2, 45, p. 485. Speaker Randall, on the point of order that the a e Senate to the House bill "to authorize the fre standard silver and to restore its legal-tender char onsidered in the Committee of the Whole House e Union, was sustained on appeal by yeas 222, nay ordinary parliamentary course there are two free least, before an adherence."-Manual, p. 88; Jour ; 1,35, p. 1136-although either house is free to pas of insisting and to adhere in the first instance; bu