Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

be called for, tlie houfe ihall divide, thofe in the affirmative going to the right, and thofe in the negative to the left of the chair : If the Speaker ftill doubt, or a count be required, the Spea- ker lliall name two members, one from each fide, to tell the numbers in the affirmative, which being reported, he ihall then name two others, one from each fide, to tell thofe in the negative ; which being alfo reported, he fnall rife and flate the decifion to the houfe. The Speaker iliall appoint cou^.mittces ; unlefs it be de- termined by the houfe that the comujitte fliall confift of more than three members, in which cafe the appointment: ihall be by ballot of the honfe. In all cafes of ballot by the houfe, the Speaker fiiall vote j in other cafes he fliall not vote, unlefs the houfe be equal- ly divided, or unlefs his vote, if given to the minority, v.'iil make the diviiion equal, and in cafe of iach equal di- vifion, the queflion friall be loft. When the houfe adjourns, the members fliall keep their feats until the Speaker go forth ; and then the members- ihall follow. Secondly, Of Decorum and Debate. When any member is about to fpeak in debate, or deli- ver any matter to the houfe, he ihall rife from his feat and rcfpeclfully addrefs hiuiftlf to Mr. Speaker. If any member, in fpeaking or otherwife, tranfgrefs the rules of the houfe, the Speaker Ihall, or any member may call to order, in which cafe the member called to order, fliall iirimediately fit down, unlels permitted to explain,^ and the houfe fhall, if appealed to, decide on the cafe, but without debate If there be no appeal, the decifion of the : chair fuall be fubmitted to If the deciilon be in I'avour of : the member called to order, lie Ihall be at liberty to pro- ceed ; If otherwife, andthecaie require it, he fhall be li- able to the cenfure of thchouiie. When two or more members hannen to rife at once, the Speaker fliall name the member who is firft to fpeak. No member fliall fpeak more than twice to the fame quefdon without leave of the houfe nor more than once ; Until every nier.iber chccfing to fpcak^ fiull have ipoken. « DEBATES A. 1789." Whilft rhe fpeaker is putting any queltion, oraddreffing the houfe, none fnall walk out of, or acrofs the houfe ; nor either in fuch cafe, or when a member is fpeaking, fliall entertain private difcourfe, or read any printed book or paper ; nor whilft a meniber is fpeaking, Ihall pals be- tween him and the chair. No member Ihall vote on any queftion, in the event of which, he is immediately and particularly interefted or ; in any other cafe where he was not prefent when the quef- tion was put. Every member whofliajlbe in the houfe, when a quef- tion is put, fhall vote on the one hde or the other, unlefs the houfe, for fpeclal reafons, Ihall excufe him. When a motion is made and feconded, it ihall be flated by the Speaker, or being in writing, it fhall be handed to the chair, and read aloud by the clerk before debated. Every motion ihall be reduced to v/riting, if the Speaker or any member defire it. After a motion is ftared by the Speaker, or read by the clerk, it ftail be deemed to be in the polfefhon of the houfe, but may be withdrawn at any time beiore deciiion or amend- ment. When a queftion is under debate, no motion ihall be received, unlefs to amend it, to commit it^ for theprevi- ous queftion, or to adjourn. Amotion to adjourn fliall be always in order, and fliall be decided without debate. The previous queftion fliall be in this form '' Shall the : main queftion be now put." It Ihall only be admitted when demanded by five members and until it is decided fhall ; preclude all amendment and further debate of the main 'qucfti<)n. On a previous queftion no member fliall fpeak more than once without leave. Any member may call for the divifion of a queftion, where the fenfe will admit of it. A motion for commitment until it is decided, fhall pre- clude all amendment of the main queftion. Motions and reports may be committed at the pleafure of the houfe. No nev/ motion or propofition fliall be admitted under colour of amendment, as afubfHtute for the motion or pro- pofition under debate. Committees confiifing of more than three members, ihall be ballotted for by the houle ; if upon fuch ballot the num- A. 1789. Of CONGRESS. 9 ber required lliall not be elected by a majority of the votes given, the houle fliall proceed to a fecond ballot, in which a plurality of votes fiiall prevail, and in cafe a greater number than are reqnired to compofe or coinplete the com- mittee (liall have an equal number of votes, tlie houi'e fiiall proceed to farther ballot or ballots. In all other cafes of ballot than for committees, a majo- rity of the votes given Ihall be necefiary to an election, and v/hen there Ihall not be fuch majorty on the iirft ballot, the ballet Ihall be repeated until a majority be obtained. In all cafes where others than members of the hofe may be eligible, there ihall be a previous nomination. Ifaqueftion depending be loll by adjournment of the houfe, and revived on the fucceeding day, uo member who has fpoken twice on the day preceding Ihall be permitted again to fpeak without leave. Every order, refolution or vote to which the concur- rence of the Senate ihall be neceOTary, fiiall be read to the houfe, and laid on the table, on a dc*y preceding that in which the fame fliall be moved, unlefs the houfe fliall other' wife exprelily allow. Petitions, memorials, and other papers addreffed to the houfe Ihall be prefented through the Speaker, or by a member in his place, and fliall not be debated or decided on the day of their being firft read, unlefs where the houfe fliall direct othervvife ; but fliall lie on the table to be taken up in the order they were read. Any fifteen members (including the Speaker, if there is one) ihall be authorifed to compel the attendance of abfent menibers, Upon calls of the houfe, or in taking the ayes and noes on any queftion, the names of the members Ihall be called alphabetically. Thirdly, Of Bills. Every bill fhall be introduced by motion for leave, or by an order of the houfe on the report of a com.niittee, and in either cafe a committee to prepare the fame fliall be ap- pointed. In cafes of a o-eneral nature one days notice at leaft fliall be given of the motion to bring in a bill ; and eve- ry fuch motion may be committed. Every bill fliall receive three feveral readings in ths houfe previous to its paffage ; and all bills fliall be dif- patched in order as they were introduced^ unlefs whers S  a fd DEBATES A. ^789; the houfe iiiall diretl otherwife, but no bill fhall be twice read on the fame day without Ipecia) order of the houfe. The firlt reading of a bill fhall be for information, and if oppofition be.njade to it, the queftion (liall be, ''Shall the bill be rejected?" If no oppofition be made, or the quef- tion to rcje<St it be negatived, the bill Ihall go to its fecond reading without a queition-. Upon the fecond reading of abill, the Speaker fliall flatc it as ready for coramitihent or engroflment, and if commit- ted, then a queftion jTiall be whether to a feled commit- tee, or to a committee of the whole houfe ; if to a com- jiiittee of the whole houfe, the houfe fhall determine c-n \vhaC day. But if the bill be ordered to be engrolTed, the houfe Ihall appoint the day when itfliall be read the third t4rae. After commitment, and a report thereof to the houfe, a bill may be.recommittcd, or at any time before its pafTage. All bills ordered to be erigroffffd ihall be executed in- fair round haiid. The enacting ftyle of bills fiiall be, '' Be it enafted by the Senators and Reprefentatives of the United States ia Congrefs alFembled-" V/hen a bill ihall pafs it fhall be certified by the clerk, noting the day of its pafiing at the foot thereof. No bill amended by the Senate fliall be committed. Fourthly, Of CoMxMiTTEES of the Whole House. It ihall be a {landing order of the day, throughout the felFion, for the houfe to refolve itfe'f into a commi-ttee of the whole houfe on the itate of the union. In forming a committee of the whole houfe, the Speaker iliall leave his chair, and a cliairman to preiidc in commit- tee Ihall be appointed. Upon bills committed to a committee of the whole houf«, the bill Ihall be firit read throughout by the clerk, and then again read and debated by claufes, leaving the preamble i-j be lali confidered ; the body of the bill Ihall not be de.- faced or interlined ^ but all amendments, noting the page and line, ihall be duly entered by the clerk on a feparaie paper as the fame fhall be agreed to by the committee, and fo reported to the houfe. After report the bill ihull again be fubjecl tobe deb:ited anda^nended by claufes before a quelHoa to engrcfs it be taken. All amendments made to an original motion in connnittee be incorporated with the motion and fo reported. iiiall All amendment-s mads to a report committed to a com- A. lytg. Of congress. fi niittec of the whole iliall bs noted and reported as in the cafe of bills. All queftions, whether in committee or iii the houfe, ihall be propounded in the order they were moved, except that in filling up the blanks largeft fuin and longed day ihall 43e firft put. The rules of proceeding in the houfe Ihall be obferved in commitee fo far as they may be applicable, except that limiting the times of fpcaking. On motion, Ordered, That the Chief Juflice of the {late of New- York be requeued to attend this houfe at the hour of its meeting to-morrow, for the purpofe of adminiifcring to the Speaker and other members of the hcufc, the oath re- quired by the coniticution in the form agreed toyeilerday. And then the houfe adjourned until to-morrow. ^/r// 8. ^ The Chief Juftjce of the ftate of New-York attended a- greeably to the order of yederday, and adminiftered the oath required by the conllitution in the form agreed to on IVIondav laft. Firll", to Mr. Speaker in his place, and then to the following other members of the houfe prefent, to •wit. Fiflier Ames, reprefentative from MaiTachufetts. Theodo-rick Bland, Virginia. Elias Boudinot, New-Jerfey. Lambert Cadwalladcr, do. Daniel Carroll, Maryland. George Clymer, Pennfylvania. Thomas Fitzlimons, do. George Gale, Maryland. Elbridge Gerry, Maflachufetts. Nicholas Gilman, New - Ha m p ih vSc i Benjamin Goodhue, Malfachufetts. Samuel Griffin, Virginia. Thomas Hartley, Pennfylvania. Daniel Heifter, do. Benjamin Huntington, Conne^flicut. John Lawrance, New-York, Richard Bland Lee,