Rules of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania.

OF DUTIES OF THE SPEAKER.

Taking the Chair.

1. He shall take the chair at the hour to which the House shall have been adjourned, and immediately call the members to order, and on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the preceding day to be read, which may then be corrected by the House.

Order and Decorum.

2. He shall preserve order and decorum, and, in debate, shall prevent personal reflections, and confine members to the question under discussion. When two or more members rise at the same time, he shall name the one entitled to the floor.

Of Questions of Order---Questions of Order to be Reported. 3. He shall decide all questions of order. An appeal from his decision shall be made by two members, or the Speaker may, in the first instance, submit the question to the House. All questions of order involving the determination of constitutional law, shall be submitted to the House on the request of five members. On questions of order, there shall be no debate, except on an appeal from the decision of the Speaker, or on reference of a question by him to the House, when no member shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the House. All decisions upon the questions of order shall be noted by the Clerk, and placed at the end of the Journal of

each session, with reference to the decisions as stated in the Journal.

Behavior of Members.

4. While the Speaker is putting the question, or addressing the House, none shall walk out of or across the House; nor in such case, or when a member is speaking, shall entertain private discourse, nor while a member is speaking, shall pass between him and the chair.

Appointment of Committees.

5. The Speaker shall appoint the members of standing and select committees, unless otherwise ordered by the House.

Signature of Speaker.

6. All acts, addresses, and joint resolutions shall be signed by the Speaker in the presence of the House, after their titles have been publicly read immediately before signing, and the fact of signing shall be entered upon the Journal; and writs, warrants, and subpoenas, issued by the House, shall be signed by him, and attested by the Clerk.

Care of the Hall---Substitution.

7. He shall have a general direction of the Hall. He may name a member to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment, except when the Speaker obtains leave of absence, in which case he may depute a member as Speaker pro tempore, during such leave, which shall not exceed ten days.

OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.

8. After the reading of the Journal each day, the order of business shall be as follows:

1st. Letters, petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and accompanying documents may be presented and referred.

Reports of Committees.

2d. Reports of standing and select committees may be made. [List is here called over.]

Bills.

3d. Bills may be read in place. Counties in alphabetical order to be called over.

4th. Leave of absence may be asked.

After the foregoing orders have been finished the following shall be the orders of the day:

For Mondays.-1st. Motions to recommit may be made.

2d. Original resolutions may be offered.

3d. Unfinished business (other than bills) may be considered.

4th. Bills on first reading.

For Tuesdays.-Bills on third reading and final passage.

For Wednesdays.-Bills on second reading.

For Thursdays.-Bills on second reading.

For Fridays.-1st. Motions to recommit may be made.

2d. Original resolutions may be offered.

3d. Unfinished business (other than bills) may be considered.

4th. Bills on first reading.

When the regular orders prescribed for any day

shall be gone through, the following shall be the order of business:

1st. Bills on third reading and final passage.

2d. Bills on second reading.

3d. Bills on first reading.

Manner of Presenting Petitions.

9. If a member shall have several petitions or documents to present on the same day, he may present them together; provided, he shall present a written list of them to the Speaker.

Alphabetical Order.

10. Bills in place shall be read, and petitions and remonstrances shall be presented to the House in the alphabetical order of the names of the several counties of the Commonwealth, as announced by the Speaker. But if all the names of the counties are not severally called, those omitted shall be first announced in alphabetical order, when said rules shall be next resumed on any subsequent day.

OF BUSINESS AND DEBATES.

Of Motions, &c.

11. No member shall be permitted to make a motion, or address the Speaker, unless such member be at his own desk.

Manner of Addressing the House.

12. When a member is about to speak in debate, or to communicate any matter to the House, he shall rise, and respectfully address himself to "Mr. Speaker," confining his remarks to the subject before the House, and avoiding personal reflections.

Transgression of the Rules of the House.

13. If any member in debate transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker shall, or any member may, through the Speaker, call him to order; the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted by the House to explain; the House shall, if appealed to, decide on the case, but without debate; if there be no appeal, the decision of the Speaker shall be submitted to, and if the case require it, the member so called to order shall be liable to the censure of the House.

Order of Speaking.

14. No member shall speak more than twice on the same subject, without leave of the House.

Not to be Interrupted---Nor Named.

15. No member, when speaking, shall be interrupted, except by a call to order by the Speaker, or by a member through the Speaker, or by a member to explain, or by a motion for the previous question; nor shall any member be referred to by name, in debate, unless for a transgression of the rules of the House, and then by the Speaker only.

Presenting Petitions---Name to be entered on Journal. 16. A member presenting a petition, or other paper to the Chair, shall state the general purport of it. The name of every member presenting a petition or other paper, or making a motion, shall be entered on the Journal.

OF MOTIONS.

Form of Putting Questions.

17. All motions made and seconded shall be repeated by the Speaker, who shall put the question, distinctly, in the following form, viz: