Constitution of the United States of America, with the Amendments Thereto: to which are Added Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice, the Standing Rules, Joint Rules, and Orders for Conducting Business in the House of Representatives of the United States, and Barclay's Digest

Bills on leave, when and how introduced; what bills not to be brought back on a motion to reconsider.-Rule 130, p. 134.

(See also MORNING HOUR ON MONDAY.)

[The notice referred to in Rule 115 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 appear in the newspaper report of the proceedings of the 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 for, and when his particular State is called, to move for leave to introduce his bill. The practice of introducing bills on leave, it may be remarked, however, does not facilitate business. If, instead of waiting for an opportunity to introduce his bill on leave, the member would file his petition, or whatever other matter he may have in favor of the proposed legislation, and have it referred to the appropriate committee, as he may do on any day, under Rule 131 (see PETITIONS), he will thus have the subject before them, and will get a bill reported as speedily as if it had been originally referred. Besides the bill thus reported comes before the House unincumbered with amendments, as is not likely to be the case with a bill previously referred. These suggestions, of course, do not apply to cases where the immediate passage of a bill, without the intervention of a committee, is sought for, or where it is desirable to refer it to a select committee.-Barclay.]

For information in regard to bills reported from a committee, see COMMITTEES.

"Every bill shall receive three several readings in the House, previous to its passage; and bills shall be dispatched in order as they were introduced, unless where the House shall direct otherwise; but no bill shall be twice read on the same day without special order of the House."-Rule 116, p. 131. [The "special order" here referred to is generally assumed to have been given, for unless objection is made, immediately after the bill is read a first time, the Speaker announces the second reading of the bill," and it thereupon receives its second reading.]

The first reading of a bill shall be for information, and if opposition be made to it, the question shall be: "Shall this bill be rejected ?"-Rule 117, p. 131. And this question is debatable.Journal, 2, 32, p. 152. But "if no opposition be made, or if the question to reject be negatived, the bill shall go to its second reading without a question."- Rule 117, p. 131.

[The three readings of a bill are usually by the title, the readings throughout usually taking place in Committee of the Whole; but where there is no commitment, it then takes place whenever it is proposed to put the bill on its passage. It is the undoubted right, however, of any member to have a bill read through at every stage of its progress through the House.-Barclay. (See READING OF PAPERS.)]

After second reading.-Rule 118, p. 131.

[The settled practice of the House upon the second reading of a bill, unless it be an APPROPRIATION BILL (which see), is to consider it as open to debate, when, under the 42d Rule, it is in a condition for a motion 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 take precedence in the order in which they are arranged. "But a motion to strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to amend; and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection."-Rule 123, p. 132. (See all of said motions respectively.)]

[The question of engrossment is put in this form, viz: "Shall the bill be engrossed and read a third time?" If it be negatived, the bill is rejected; but if it be decided in the affirmative, and the bill is actually engrossed, or no question is made on its failure to be engrossed, the Speaker immediately directs the "third reading of the bill." But if the question is made, and it be not actually engrossed, the bill goes to the Speaker's table. In the case of a Senate bill, the engrossment having already been made before it came to the House, the question which arises is, "Shall the bill be read a third time?" which being decided negatively the bill is rejected, but being decided affirmatively the bill is immediately read a third time.] [Where the bill has a preamble, although there is no rule, and until lately no settled practice, defining the stage at which it is to be considered, it would seem to be most appropriate that its consideration should take place after the bill has been ordered to be engrossed

and read a third time, and before the third reading takes place. By this course, the bill can be engrossed either with or without the preamble, as the House shall have determined.]

[After the third reading of a bill, the question which next arises in course is, "Shall the bill pass?" At this stage the bill is again open to debate, but is not amendable; it may, however, under the 124th Rule, be recommitted at any time before passage.-(See RECOMMIT, MOTION TO.)]

[The bill having passed, and the title having been read, the Speaker states, "If there be no objection, this will remain the title of the bill." The title, however, is subject to amendment, and, unless the previous question is ordered on it, it is also debatable.]

[After the title is disposed of, it is usual for the member having charge of the bill to move "that the vote last taken be reconsidered, and that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table;" which latter motion having been decided in the affirmative, no reconsideration can take place, and the transmission of the bill to the Senate cannot be delayed. Indeed it is not uncommon to make the motion "to reconsider and lie" at every stage of the bill.-Barclay.]

The bill is then, as required by Rule 127, "certified by the Clerk, notifying the day of its passage at the foot thereof," and conveyed by him to the Senate, "together with all the papers on which it is founded," as required by Joint Rule 14. But "no bill that shall have passed one House shall be sent for concurrence to the other on either of the last three days of the session." Joint Rule 16. [This rule is almost invariably suspended by the two houses near the close of a session.]

"While bills are on their passage between the two houses, they shall be on paper and under the signature of the Secretary or Clerk of each house respectively."—Joint Rule 5.

{After the bill has been acted on by the Senate, it is brought back to the House by the Secretary of the Senate, together with a report of their action thereon. If it has passed with amendment, it is placed on the Speaker's table to be taken up in its order under the 54th Rule (which see, p. 114).

When taken up, the amendment of the Senate may be either agreed to, disagreed to, or agreed to with amendment; in case of an appropriation of money being involved in the amendment, however, it must be first considered in a Committee of the Whole.

If the amendment of the Senate is agreed to, that body is noti fied of the fact by message through the Clerk, and the bill is enrolled.]

In case of disagreement by the House to, or amendment of, the Senate's amendment, see AMENDMENTS BETWEEN THE HOUSES and CONFERENCE COMMITTEES.

After passage by both houses to be enrolled on parchment and examined. (See Joint Rules 6 and 7, p. 145.)

(See ENROLLED BILLS, COMMITTEE ON.)

After being signed by presiding officers, to be presented to the President.-Joint Rule 9, p. 146.

But not on last day of session.-Joint Rule 17, p. 145.

[This last rule, like the 16th (which see, same page), is usually suspended near the close of the session.]

After a bill is presented to the President, "if he approve he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated."-Const., 1, 7, p. 10. [When the President approves a bill, it is the practice for him to notify the house where the bill originated of the fact, and the date of his approval, which is entered on the Journal. This message is informally handed in at the clerk's desk, and appears in the Journal of that day's proceedings.]

(See also Rules 157, 158, p. 142.)

In case of a bill returned with the objections of the President, see VETO.

"If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.”—Const., 1, 7, p. 10. Where a bill is allowed to become a law by reason of the failure of the President to return the same, it is usual for him to notify the House of that fact, as in the case of approval.-Journals, 2, 36, pp. 424, 480; 2, 39, p. 479. And where he is prevented by an adjournment from returning a bill, it is usual for him to communicate his reasons at the next session for not approving it.-Journals, 3, 12, p. 544; 1, 30, p. 82; 2, 35, p. 151.

Whenever a bill, order, resolution, or vote of the Senate and House of Representatives, having been approved by the President,

or not having been returned by him with his objections, becomes a law or takes effect, it shall forthwith be received by the Secretary of State from the President; and whenever a bill, order, resolution, or vote is returned by the President with his objections, and, on being reconsidered, is agreed to be passed, and is approved by twothirds of both houses of Congress, and thereby becomes a law or takes effect, it shall be received by the Secretary of State from the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives, in whichsoever house it shall last have been so approved, and he shall carefully preserve the originals.-Laws 2d Sess. 43d Congress, p. 294.

"When a bill or resolution which shall have passed in one house is rejected in the other, notice thereof shall be given to the house. in which the same shall have passed."-Joint Rule 12, p. 146. And, when so rejected, "it shall not be brought in during the same session, without a notice of ten days and leave of two-thirds of that house in which it shall be renewed."-Joint Rule 13, p. 146.

In regard to bills left undisposed of at the end of a session, see UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

In regard to the printing of bills, see PRINTING, PUBLIC.

BINDING.

Of session documents.-Rule 18, p. 106.

To be done at the Government Printing Office, see R. S., 3785, 3786. The act of December 10, 1877, 1st Session 45th Congress, provides that the Public Printer be authorized to bind at the Government Printing Office any books, maps, charts, or documents published by authority of Congress, upon application of any member of the Senate or House of Representatives, upon payment of the actual cost of such binding.

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Constitution of the United States of America, with the Amendments Thereto ...