vious question had been made. The House may also, at any time, on motion seconded by a majority of the member present, close all debate upon a pending amendment, or a amendment thereto, and cause the question to be put thereon and this shall not preclude any further amendment or debat upon the bill. A call of the House* shall not be in orde after the previous question is seconded, unless it shall ap pear, upon an actual count by the Speaker, that no quorum is present.-March 16, 1860.

133. On a previous question there shall be no debate.December 17, 1805. All incidental questions of order aris ing after a motion is made for the previous question and pending such motion, shall be decided, whether on appea or otherwise, without debate.-September 15, 1837.

OF ADMISSION ON THE FLOOR.

134. No person except members of the Senate, their sec retary, heads of departments, the President's private secre tary, foreign ministers, the governor for the time being o any State, senators and representatives elect, and judges o the Supreme Court of the United States and of the Cour of Claims, shall be admitted within the Hall of the House of Representatives.-March 19, 1860. †

For the mode of proceeding in the case of a call of the House, see rules 3 and 37.

†The first rule for the admission within the Hall of other than members wa adopted on the 7th January, 1802, and was confined to "Senators, officers o the general and State governments, foreign ministers, and such persons a members might introduce." On the 11th January, 1802, an attempt was made to amend so as to exclude persons "introduced by members," which failed. On the 8th November, 1801, a proposition was made to confine the privilege to Senators, which also failed. On the 17th December, 1805, officer of State governments were excluded. On the 1st February, 1808, a proposition was made to admit ex-members of Congress and the judges of the Suprem Court. After a good deal of debate it was rejected. On the 11th February 1809, the rule was enlarged so as to admit judicial officers of the United States, as also ex-members of Congress On the 25th February, 1814, those who had

OF REPORTERS.

135. Stenographers and reporters, other than the official reporters of the House, wishing to take down the debates, may be admitted by the Speaker to the reporters' gallery over the Speaker's chair, but not on the floor of the House; but no person shall be allowed the privilege of said gallery under the character of stenographer or reporter without a written permission of the Speaker, specifying the part of said gallery assigned to him; nor shall said stenographer or reporter be admitted to said gallery unless he shall state in writing for what paper or papers he is employed to report; nor shall he be so admitted, or, if admitted, be suffered to retain his seat, if he shall be or become an agent to prosecute any claim pending before Congress; and the Speaker shall give his written permission with this condition.-December 23, 1857.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.

136. After six days from the commencement of a second or subsequent session of any Congress, all bills, resolutions,* and reports which originated in the House, and at the close of the next preceding session remained undetermined, shall been heads of departments were admitted. On the 10th February, 1815, officers who had received the thanks of Congress were included. On the 12th January, 1816, the navy commissioners. On the 21st February, 1816, governors of States and Territories. March 13, 1822, the President's secretary. On the 26th January, 1833, the rule was further enlarged by admitting "such persons as the Speaker or a member might introduce;", and on the 10th December, 1833, the House, by a vote almost unanimous, rescinded that amendment. On the 23d of December, 1857, soon after removing into the new Hall in the south wing of the Capitol Extension, the privilege of admission was restricted to "members of the Senate, their secretary, heads of departments, President's private secretary, the governor for the time being of any State, and judges of the Supreme Court of the United States." On the 19th of March, 1860, it was adopted in its present form—a proposition to admit ex-members having been rejected.

The word "resolutions," as here used, has been construed to apply to joint resolutions only.

be resumed and acted on in the same manner as if an ad journment had not taken place.-March 17, 1848. And al business before committees of the House at the end of on session shall be resumed at the commencement of the nex session of the same Congress as if no adjournment had taken place.-March 16, 1860.*

MISCELLANEOUS.

137. Whenever confidential communications are received from the President of the United States, the House shall be cleared of all persons, except the members, Clerk, Sergeantat-arms, and Doorkeeper, † and so continue during the reading of such communications, and (unless otherwise directed by the House) during all debates and proceedings to be had thereon. And when the Speaker, or any other member, shall inform the House that he has communications to make which he conceives ought to be kept secret, the House shall, in like manner, be cleared till the communication be made; the House shall then determine whether the matter communicated requires secrecy or not, and take order accordingly.-February 17, 1792, and December 30, 1793.

138. The rule for paying witnesses summoned to appear before this House, or either of its committees, shall be as follows: For each day a witness shall attend, the sum of two

* Prior to this date it had been the practice for several years, near the close of the first session of a Congress, for the House to adopt a resolution making a similar provision. This amendment was adopted to save the necessity for the passage of a similar resolution at every Congress.

In the rule as originally established, on the 17th of February, 1792, it is provided that the House be cleared of all persons, except "the members and the Clerk." In the rules of the 13th of November, 1794, the language used is "the members of the House and its officers." In the edition of 7th January, 1802, the terms "members and Clerk" are again used, and on the 23d Decem ber, 1811, it was changed to its present form, so as to include the Sergeant-atarms and Doorkeeper. By rule 10 it is provided that the Clerk, Sergeant-at arms, Doorkeeper, and Postmaster, shall be sworn "to keep the secrets of the House."

dollars for each mile he shall travel in coming to or going from the place of examination, the sum of ten cents each way; but nothing shall be paid for travelling home when the witness has been summoned at the place of trial.-June 5, 1832.

139. Maps accompanying documents shall not be printed, under the general order to print, without the special direction of the House.-March 2, 1837; September 11, 1837.*

140. No extra compensation shall be allowed to any officer or messenger, page, laborer, or other person in the service of the House, or engaged in or about, the public grounds or buildings; and no person shall be an officer of the House, or continue in its employment, who shall be an agent for the prosecution of any claim against the government, or be interested in such claim otherwise than an original claimant ; and it shall be the duty of the Committee of Accounts to inquire into and report to the House any violation of this rule.-March 8, 1842.

141. When the reading of a paper is called for, and the same is objected to by any member, it shall be determined by a vote of the House.t-November 13, 1794.

142. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon again during the session.--December 17, 1805.

143. Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate shall be necessary, shall be read to the House, and laid on the table, on a day preceding that in which the same shall be moved, unless the House shall otherwise expressly allow.-April 7, 1789,

144. The rules of parliamentary practice, comprised in Jefferson's Manual, shall govern the House in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not incon

See rule 100.

As originally adopted, this rule contained, after the words "for," the words "which had before been read to the House." They were stricken out on the 14th December, 1795.

198

RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

sistent with the standing rules and orders of the House, and joint rules of the Senate and House of Representatives.September 15, 1837.

145. No standing rule or order of the House shall be rescinded or changed without one day's notice being given of the motion therefor-November 13, 1794; nor shall any rule be suspended, except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present*-March 13, 1822; nor shall the order of business, as established by the rules, be postponed or changed, except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present: nor shall the Speaker entertain a motion to suspend the rules, except during the last ten days of the session, and on Monday of every week at the expiration of one hour after the journal is read.†—April 26, 1828.

146. All elections of officers of the House, including the Speaker, shall be conducted in accordance with these rules, so far as the same are applicable; and, pending the election of a Speaker, the Clerk shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide all questions of order that may arise, subject to appeal to the House.-March 19, 1860.

147. These rules shall be the rules of the House of Rep resentatives of the present and succeeding Congresses unless otherwise ordered.-March 19, 1860.

By rule 104 a majority may, at any time, suspend the rules for the purpose o going into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and also fo closing debate therein; and by rule 119 to make any of the general appropriation bills a special order. These are exceptions to this rule.

+ The words "at the expiration of one hour after the journal is read ' were inserted March 16, 1860, so as to enable the House, on Mondays, to receive reports, bills on leave, and resolutions, as provided for in rules 51 and 130 without interruption.