For the House to

place at 12 oclock a. m. on Sunday, nor is it against order for a majority to continue in session after the said hour it being a question which must be left to be decided by the judgment and discretion of the House itself.-Journal, shall adjourn. 1, 24, pp 577, 582.

determine when it

cannot

adjourn of itself more than three days.

"Neither house during the session of Congress shall, House without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than for three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting."—Const., 1, 5,

9.

three days doesnot

Where the two houses adjourn for more than three For more than days, and not to, or beyond, the period fixed by the Con- terminate session. stitution or law for the next regular session, the session is not thereby terminated, but continues until an adjournment without day, or until the next regular session.See Journals, 1, 39, pp. 107, 108; 2, 39, p. 106; 1, 40, pp. 157, 158, 184. And it is competent by concurrent reso- Session may be lution to provide for an adjournment to a particular day, by failure of a and if upon that day a quorum is not present in each quorum in either house, that the session shall terminate.-Journal, 1, 40,

pp. 157, 158, 184.

made to terminate

house.

may adjourn two

"In case of disagreement between them (the two When President houses) with respect to the time of adjournment, the houses. President may adjourn the two houses to such time as he may think proper."-Const., 2, 3, 18.

ADJOURNMENT, SINE DIE.

The adjournment of a session (other than that which terminates with the expiration of the term of service of the members) is provided for by the joint vote of the two houses, and usually in the following form: "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives be authorized to close the present session by adjourning their respective houses on the day of

Form of resolution for.

tion.

at — o'clock — m." And such resolutions A privileged noare held to be privileged. And upon the arrival of the day and hour thus fixed, when takes or the hour of 12 o'clock m. of the 4th of March of each place. a'ternate 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.-Jour

8 AGENTS FOR CLAIMS—AGRICULTURE, COM. ON—AMENDMENT.

motion to amend.

nals, 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.

There shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress a Committee on Agriculture, to consist of nine members.-Rule 74.

[No duties are assigned to the Committee on Agriculture by the rules.]

AMENDMENT.

Precedence of 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.

Motion to strike

out words.

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

When in order to a bill.

Not cut off by

A bill cannot be amended on the first reading.-Manual, p. 87. [Indeed, it has 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 previous question. the previous question is made, it is not cut off by the order of the previous question.-Rule 132.

An amendment to, only in order.

An amendment may be moved to an amendment, but it is not admitted in another degree.-Manual, p. 104. [But it is the well-settled practice of the House that there may be pending at the same time with such amendBut there may ment to the amendment, an amendment in the nature of ment, (in nature of a substitute for part or the whole of the original text, amendment to it. and an amendment to that amendment.-(See Journal, 1

be also an amend

substitute) and

31, pp. 1074, 1075.) It was decided many years ago tha if the motion to amend the original matter was first su)mitted, 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.]

Senate's amend

An amendment of the House to a Senate amendment Amendment of is only in the first degree; for, as to the Senate, the first ment. amendment with which they passed the bill is a part of its text; it is the only text they have agreed to.-Manual, p. 127. (See AMENDMENTS BETWEEN THE HOUSES.)

posed to be in

"When it is proposed to amend by inserting a para- Paragraph prograph, or part of one, the friends of the paragraph may serted may be first make it as perfect as they can, by amendments, before amended." the question is put for inserting it. If it be received, it cannot be amended afterwards, in the same stage, because the House has, on a vote, agreed to it in that form."-Manual, p. 108. But an amendment which has But not afterbeen inserted may be added to.-Journal, 1, 19, p. 794. adding to. Although it is not in order to strike out by itself what or striking out part of original has been inserted, it may be moved to strike out a por- paragraph includ tion 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. 110.

wards, except by

ing it.

posed to be struck

If it is proposed to amend by striking out a paragraph, Paragraph prothe friends of the paragraph are first to make it as per-out may be first fect as they can, by amendments, before the question is amended. put for striking it out.-Manual, p. 109. But (contrary to the parliamentary practice) if on the question it be retained, neither amendment nor a motion to strike out Motion to strike and insert shall be precluded thereby, and a motion to strike out and insert is indivisible.-Rule 46.-(See STRIKE OUT, MOTION TO.)

out failing.

To strike ont and insert indivisi ble.

after.

After a proposition is amended it cannot be with No withdrawal drawn.-Rule 40. [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.

of, after previous

No modification A motion to amend cannot be modified after the prequestion seconded. Vious question 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.]

Member yielding loses floor.

for,

Proposing a gen

eral provision of

bill not in order.

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

Must be ger.

mane and not in

May contain sub

bill.

No motion or proposition on a subject different from corporate any oth- that under consideration shall be admitted under color er pending bill, 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. The latter clause of the 48th rule, as stance of pending 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. [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.

Where inconsist

der.

ent not out of or- 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. 108. On an amendment being moved, a member who has member who has spoken to the main question may speak again to the question may amendment.-Manual, p. 108.

Presents

new

question, and a

spoken to main

speak again.

To bills grant

ing lands for railroads.

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 of resolutions. 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.

An amendment to the rules cannot be proposed without one day's notice-Rule 145-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.

By way of rider to bill on third reading.

To the rules.

tee of the Whole

visible.

An amendment reported from the Committee of the From CommitWhole as an entire amendment is not divisible.-Jour- or Senate not dinals, 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.

Additional, after report from Committee of Whole.

mittee of Whole,

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 amendments reported.-Journal, 1, 29, p. 865. If, in Committee of the Whole, an amendment is adopted, and Where, in Comsubsequently the paragraph as amended is struck out, paragraph amend the amendment striking out is the only one to be out. 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.

ed and then struck

propriation bills.

No appropriation shall be reported in a general appro- To general ap priation 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, and for the contingencies for carrying on the several departments of the government.-Rule 120. [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.] (See APPROPRIATION BILLS.)

"The House may at any time, on motion seconded by Debate may be a majority of the members present, close all debate upon out precluding

closed on, with

further.