RECONSIDER, MOTION TO.

301

no record made of each member's vote, it is the well-settled practice to permit any member to move a reconsideration.

It is in order at any time, even when a member is on the floor, or the highest privileged question is pending, on the same or succeeding day, to move a reconsideration and have it entered, but it cannot be taken up and considered while another question is before the House.-Journal, 1, 34, pp. 1476, 1477.

A motion to reconsider, if made in time, may be entertained, notwithstanding the papers connected with the original proposition have gone out of the possession of the House.-Journals, 1, 26, p. 1033; 1, 28, pp. 1125, 1131; 1, 29, p. 657; 1, 33, pp. 336, 1199. And pending a motion to reconsider the vote on the passage of a bill, the Speaker should decline to sign the said bill if reported by the Committee on Enrolled Bills.-Journal, 1, 26, p. 1033. [When the papers have been sent to the Senate, it is usual, in case of a motion to reconsider, to send a message to that body requesting their return.]

[It is not in order on a private bill day to call up and consider a motion to reconsider a vote on a public bill, if objected to, except after a postponement by a majority vote of the private business.]

[The effect of the pendency of a motion to reconsider, according to the universal usage, is to suspend the original proposition;] but "where the term of the members expires without acting on the motion to reconsider for the want of time or inclination, the motion of course fails, and leaves the original proposition operative.”(Opinion of Mr. Speaker Orr, and also of Mr. Speaker Banks, in the case of resolutions directing the payment of money out of the contingent fund of the House, where Congress adjourned sine die pending motions to reconsider the vote by which they were adopted.)

It is not in order to move a reconsideration of a vote sustaining a decision of the Chair, after subsequent action has resulted from such decision which it is impossible for the House to reverse.Journal, 1, 31, pp. 860, 861. Nor on the recommitment of a resolution after the same has been reported back.-Journal, 1, 44, p. 973. Nor upon a bill introduced and referred during the first hour after the reading of the Journal on Mondays, nor upon bills introduced and referred by unanimous consent.-Rule 130, p. 134.

[Under the practice, if a motion to reconsider is pending when

the previous question is ordered, such order applies to the motion to reconsider only.]

Where a motion to reconsider has been once put and decided, it is not in order to repeat the motion.-Journal, 2, 27, p. 1022. But it is otherwise where an amendment has been adopted since the first reconsideration.-Journal, 1, 31, pp. 1404, 1406, 1407.

An order that a vote be taken by yeas and nays may be reconsidered, but the question immediately recurs, subject to be decided affirmatively by one-fifth of the members present.-Journals, 1, 19, p. 796; 1, 30, p. 405.

A negative vote on a motion to lie on the table may be reconsidered.-Journal, 2, 32, p. 234.

[It is a very common practice for the member having charge of a measure, as soon as a vote is taken upon it, "to move to reconsider the vote last taken, and also to move that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table"; and if the latter motion prevails, it is deemed a finality, so far as the vote proposed to be reconsidered is concerned. A vote to lay the motion to reconsider on the table does not carry with it the pending measure.]

A motion to reconsider a vote laying a motion to reconsider on the table is not in order; if entertained, it would lead to inextricable confusion, by piling up motion upon motion to reconsiderJournals, 3, 27, p. 334; 1, 33, p. 357.

[After a bill has been ordered to be engrossed, it is not in order to move a reconsideration of a vote on an amendment until the order of engrossment has been reconsidered; and if the motion to reconsider the engrossment is laid on the table no reconsideration of the amendment can then be entertained.]

It is in order, even pending the demand of the previous question on the passage of a bill, to move a reconsideration of the order of engrossment.-Journal, 2, 27, p. 1175. [But, of course, if moved at such a time it is not debatable.]

According to the uniform practice, where a motion to reconsider has been passed in the affirmative, the question immediately recurs upon the question reconsidered.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 847. [And the House proceeds with the consideration of the subject without regard to the fact of its having been on the Speaker's table when the motion to reconsider was submitted.]

red.-Journal, 1, 28, pp. 1093, 1097. Nor can to suspend the rules be reconsidered.-Journal. motion to reconsider is not debatable, if the qu be reconsidered was not debatable.-Journals, 2, 135, 136. But the fact of a question having bee e operation of the previous question does not pr e motion to reconsider, if the original question batable.-Journal, 1, 33, p. 127. A motion to re a resolution passed on resolution day, under the revious question, like the resolution, cannot be d ay, but must lie over.-Journal, 2, 30, pp. 135, 136

RECORD, CONGRESSIONAL.

(See CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.)

REFER, MOTION TO.

(See COMMIT, MOTION TO.)

REPORTERS.

Admitted to gallery with permission of Speaker what paper; and must not be claim-agents.-Rule By a resolution of the House (Journal, 1, 32, p. 70) was directed to provide chairs for the reporters of th

Globe, to be placed in front of the Clerk's desk. And by resolution of May 7, 1866, it is directed that the said reporters be furnished with three copies each of all bills and resolutions printed by order of the House.-Journal, 1, 39, p. 675.

By resolution of the House of January 5, 1865, the Speaker is directed to appoint a stenographic reporter, to continue in office until otherwise ordered by the House, whose duty it shall be to report in short-hand, on the order of any of the standing or special committees of the House, such proceedings as they may deem necessary, and, when ordered to be printed, properly index and supervise the publication of the same.-Journal, 2, 38, pp. 79, 80.

By resolution of the House of January 18, 1866, the foregoing resolution was modified so as to read, "that the Speaker appoint a competent stenographic reporter, to continue in office until otherwise ordered by the House, whose duty it shall be to report in shorthand, on the order of any of the standing or special committees of the House, such proceedings as they may deem necessary, and, when ordered to be printed, properly index and supervise the publication of the same; and who shall receive therefor an annual compensation at the rate now allowed by regulation for reporting court-martial proceedings: Provided, That all such reporting ordered by committees of the House, and all such as he shall be required to do for joint committees, shall be done by said reporter or person employed by him without extra compensation or additional expense; and the reports so taken shall be under the entire control of the committees, respectively, by which such testimony shall be taken, or of the House."-Journal, 1, 39, p. 162.

By resolution of the House of July 25, 1866, the Speaker was authorized to appoint a competent stenographer as assistant official reporter to the committees of the House, to be paid the same compensation as the official reporter, and whose term of service shall expire March 4, 1867.-Journal, 1, 39, p. 1117. And by resolution of the House of March 6, 1867, it was provided that the assistant stenographer of the last House be continued as such until otherwise ordered. Journal, 1, 40, p. 13.

By resolution of the House of February 26, 1866, it was provided that a desk on the floor of the House be assigned to the reporter of the associated press.-Journal, 1, 39, p. 330.

By resolution of the House of January 11, 1867, it was provided that the reporters of the associated press, and reports made by them, should be under the same rules and regulations as the reporters and reports of the Globe.-Journal, 2, 39, p. 154.

No person shall be employed as reporter of the House without the approval of the Speaker.-R. S., sec. 54.

By resolution of the House of March 3, 1873, it is provided that the reports of the House proceedings and debates shall be furnished to the Congressional Printer by the present corps of Globe reporters, who shall hereafter, until otherwise ordered, be officers of the House, under direction of the Speaker, and shall receive the same compensation now allowed to the official reporters of committees.-Journal, 3, 42, pp. 582, 583. (See also CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.)

The appointment and removal of the official reporters of the House, including the stenographers of committees, shall be vested in the Speaker; and, in addition to their other duties, the reporters of the House proceedings and debates shall prepare and furnish for publication a list of the memorials, petitions, and other papers with their reference, each day presented under the rule.-Rule 165, p. 143.

Referring to the foregoing rule, Mr. Speaker Blaine said that on the 3d of March last (1873) the House adopted a resolution "that the report of the House proceedings and debates shall be furnished by the present corps of Globe reporters, who shall hereafter, until otherwise ordered, be officers of the House, under the direction of the Speaker." The rule just adopted vests in the Chair the appointment and removal of these reporters. Whenever there is any point of doubt as to what the rule may be supposed to be, it is the duty of the Chair to give his own construction of it. The Chair, therefore, now announces that he will appoint the existing reporters, and will consider that the power of removal is only vested in him for cause, which he will have entered upon the Journal. When the appointment of reporters is announced, it will be for this Congress and for subsequent Congresses until action removing them for cause may be taken by the then Speaker. The reporters, as now ap pointed, are to continue in office until removed for cause.-Cong. Record, 1, 43, p. 681.