PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS. Privileged questions are those to which precedence is given over other questions by some rule or special order of the House, and are of different grades among themselves. See latest decision Journal, 2, 48, p. 476. Motions to reconsider take precedence of all other questions except the consideration of a conference report and a motion to adjourn.-RULE XVIII, clause 1. Motions for an adjournment of more than three days, with the concurrence of the Senate, are privileged.-Journal, 2, 37, pp. 718 to 720. And so, also, according to the usage, are motions to fix the day of final adjournment and for a call of the House. "Resolutions of inquiry directed to the heads of Executive Departments," under RULE XXII, clause 5, are "privileged questions" when reported from a committee, except on Friday, unless the resolution relates to a private bill or private busi ness. The following-named committees shall have leave to report at any time on the matters herein stated, viz: The Committee on Rules, joint rules, and order of business; the Committee on Elections, on the right of a member to his seat; the Committee on Ways and Means, on bills raising revenue; the committees having jurisdiction of appropriations, the general appropriation bills; the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, bills for the improvement of rivers and harbors; the Committee on the Public Lands, bills for the forfeiture of land grants to railroad and other corporations, bills preventing speculation in the publie lands, and bills for the reservation of the public lands for the benefit of actual and bona fide settlers; the Committee on the Territories, bills for the admission of new States; the Committee on Eurolled Bills, enrolled bills; the Committee on Invalid Pensions, general pension bills; the Committee on Printing, on all matters referred to them of printing for the use of the House or two houses; and the Committee on Accounts, on all matters of expenditure of the contingent fund of the House.-RULE XI, clause 51. Reports from committees under the rules above quoted are "privileged questions," subject, of course, to the "question of consideration," to clause 3, RULE XXIII, and "special orders." If a report from one of the above-named committees is subject to a "point of order" under clause 3, RULE XXIII, it is then in order to move that the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to consider the said report or bill. Otherwise the rule would be of no practical force, or effect. A motion to proceed to the consideration of a vetoed bill is a "privileged question " under the Constitution.-Congressional Globe, 11, p. 905; 2, 28, p. 396. (See also Journals, 1, 47, p. 1792; 1, 49, p. 2397.) A resolution relating to the convenience of members and the comfort of employés of the House is a "privileged question.”— Journal, 1, 47, p. 1469. A privileged question or motion can not be amended by adding thereto matter not privileged or germane to the original question.-Journal, 2, 48, p. 546. A matter reported as a privileged question remains so until disposed of subject to the question of consideration, a conferance report, and a contested-election case.-Journal, 1, 49, p. 2360. A privileged question is subordinate to the presentation and consideration of a conference report.-Journal, 1, 51 1082. PROCESSES OF THE HOUSE. See RULE I, clause 4; RULE III, clause 3; and RULE IV, clause 1. PROPOSITIONS. When any motion or proposition is made, the question, Will the House now consider it? shall not be put unless demanded by a member.-RULE XVI, clause 3. On the demand of any member, before the question is put, a question shall be divided if it include propositions so distinct in substance that one being taken away a substantive proposition shall remain.-RULE XVI, clause 6. Whenever any portion of a proposition submitted is out of order (either as an entirety or by way of amendment), it is sufficient ground for the rejection of the entire proposition.—Journal, 1, 47, p. 1704. 9504-33 The word "proposition " has been uniformly held to include bills, resolutions, memorials, messages, and motions PROTEST. It is not a matter of right and parliamentary privilege to have received and entered upon the Journal a protest of members against the action of the House.-Cong. Globě, 1, 31, pp. 1579, 1588. See also Journal, 2, 45, pp. 921-927. Protest against the passage of the "river and harbor bill" under suspension of the rules. PROVISO. When a bill is under consideration by sections, and an amendment is submitted to a particular section, and a further amend. ment by way of a proviso is offered and adopted to that amendment, the question is then upon agreeing to the first amendment as amended. If it fail the proviso is not thereby lost, as it attaches to the section and not specifically to an amendment thereto.-Journal, 1, 44, p. 1297. PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, COMMITTEE ON. When appointed, and number of members of.-RULE, X. Duties of.-RULE XI, clause 21. This committee was created on the 10th of March, 1871 (1st sess. 42d Congress), and given the jurisdiction formerly possessed by the Committee on Ways and Means. The House restaurant shall be placed in charge of said committee, with the same powers heretofore possessed by the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business.-Journals, 2, 40, p. 111; 1, 41, p. 201. PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. By the act of June 23, 1874, the term "public document" is defined to be all publications printed by order of Congress, or either house thereof.-Sess. Laws, 1, 43, p. 237. (See POSTAGE.) "The Clerk shall have preserved for each member of the House an extra copy, in good binding, of all the documents printed by order of either house."-RULE III, clause 3. In addition thereto, there is deposited, as soon as printed, in the document-room, a copy of each document, subject to the order of each member; and where extra copies of a document are ordered, they are sent, as soon as Įrinted, to the folding room, from whence they are distributed pro rata among the members. PUBLIC DOCUMENTS-DISTRIBUTION OF. The usual number of documents, being 1,607, and the number of bills and joint resolutions, being 750 of Senate bills, and 600 House public bills, and 135 House private bills, are printed and distributed as follows: (See also PRINTING, PUBLIC; WASTE PAPER, and FRANK ING PRIVILEGE.) PUBLIC LANDS, COMMITTEE ON THE. When appointed, and number of members of.—RULE X. Duties of.-RULE XI, clause 15. This committee was created on the 17th of December, 1805 (2d sess. 8th Congress), a proposition for its creation having been rejected in the preceding session. Prior to its creation all business relating to the public lands was either sent to the Committee on Claims or to a select committee, and frequently to both. PUBLIC PRINTING AND PUBLIC PRINTER. (See PRINTING, PUBLIC, and PRINTING, COMMITTEE ON.) QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS. (See VOTERS, QUALIFICATIONS OF.) QUESTIONS. (See RULE I, clause 5.) While the Speaker is putting a question or addressing the House, no member shall walk out of or across the hall.-RULE XIV, clause 7. (See DIVISION OF QUESTIONS.) (See QUESTIONS OF ORDER.) (See MOTIONS.) In case of an equal division on a question, the question shall be lost.-RULE I, clause 6. (See also TIE VOTE.) QUESTIONS OF ORDER. Under the practice of the House, a "question of order" has been treated substantially as a "privileged question." It has been and is still subject to abuse, as under the guise of a "question of order" a member would interject an argument for or against the pending proposition. There has never been a rule of the House in this respect, and of necessity it has been left to the discretion of the Chair to regulate the matter. It may be said, however, that, so far as it is possible to ascertain, the ruling has been that the "question of order" must relate to the business and proceedings of the House, and must directly and immediately connect itself with the pending matter. The following résumé of the practice in the English Parliament, and which may be said to have become a part of the |