RULES AND ORDERS.

Duties and Powers of the Speaker.

1. The speaker shall take the chair at the hour to which the house shall have adjourned; shall call the members to order; and on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the journal of the preceding day to be read.

2. He shall preserve decorum and order; may speak to points of order in preference to other members; shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the house, on motion regularly seconded; and may vote in all cases.

3. He shall declare all votes; but if any member doubt the vote, the speaker shall order a return of the house, with the number voting for and against the ques tion, and declare the result.

4. He shall rise to put a question, or to address the house, but may read sitting.

5.

When the house shall determine to go into a committee of the whole house, the speaker shall appoint the member who shall take the chair.

6. He shall propound all questions in the order they were moved, unless the subsequent motion be previous in its nature; except that in filling blanks and in assign

ing times for the consideration of business, the largest sum and longest time shall be put first.

7. He shall consider a motion to adjourn as always first in order, and it shall be decided without debate.

8. He shall put the previous question in the following form: Shall the main question be now put? and all further debate on the subject shall be suspended unless the motion for the previous question shall not be sustained. And a call for the yeas and nays, or for a division of the question, shall be in order after the main question has been ordered to be put. While a motion for the previous question is pending, a motion to lay on the table shall be decided without debate. After the adoption of the previous question, the vote shall forthwith be taken upon amendments reported by a committee, upon pending amendments, and then upon the main question.

9. When two or more members rise at the same time, the speaker shall name the person to speak; but in all cases the member who shall first rise and address the chair shall speak first.

10. All committees, except such as the house shall from time to time determine to select by ballot, shall be nominated by the speaker, unless a majority of members shall be in favor of a nomination by the house, in which case the nomination shall be made by the house.

11. Every question of order, which shall be decided on appeal, shall be entered on the journal of the house, with the decision thereon.

12. The speaker shall have a right to name a member to perform the duties of the chair during his absence, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment.

Duties of the Clerk.

13. All messages from the house to the senate, and to the governor, or governor and council, shall be carried by the clerk, unless when the house shall otherwise decide.

14. All papers shall be transmitted to the governor and council, and to the senate, by the clerk, or the assistant clerk.

15. In case the speaker shall be absent at the hour to which the house was adjourned, the clerk shall preside until a speaker pro. tem. shall be chosen.

Of the Chaplain.

16. A chaplain or chaplains, shall be appointed at the commencement of the session, in such manner as the house may direct, who shall perform religious services. every morning immediately after the reading of the journal. They may exchange with the chaplain or chaplains of the senate, when it may be convenient to themselves.

Duties, Rights, and Decorum of Members.

17. Every seat which shall be drawn by any member, in person, at the beginning of any session, shall be his seat during the session, unless he shall have leave of the speaker to change it.

18. No person shall sit at the desk of the speaker or clerk, except by permission of the speaker.

19. No member shall speak out of his place without leave from the chair, nor without first rising and addressing the speaker; and he shall sit down as soon as he has done speaking.

20. No member shall interrupt another while speak. ing, except to call to order, or to correct a mistake.

21. No member shall speak more than twice to the same question, without first obtaining leave of the house, unless he be the mover, proposer or introducer of the matter pending; in which case he shall be permitted to speak in reply, but not until every member choosing to speak, shall have spoken.

22. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be received and considered by the house, and not otherwise; and no member shall be permitted to lay a motion in writing on the table, until he shall have read the same in his place, and the same shall have been seconded; and no new bill or resolve of a public nature, shall be received, except it be reported by a committee, unless the house otherwise order; and all bills and resolves, not reported by a committee, shall be referred to the appropriate committees, or shall be laid upon the table for one day, before further action thereon.*

23. No member shall nominate more than one person for one committee, provided the person nominated by him be chosen.

24. When a motion has been once made and carried in the affirmative, or negative, it shall not be in order for any member who voted in the minority, to move for a reconsideration thereof; but any member who voted with the majority, may move to reconsider on the same or the succeeding day. A motion to reconsider shall not be postponed nor laid on the table without a time certain assigned for its further consideration. When a motion for reconsideration has been decided, the vote shall not be reconsidered. A motion to reconsider shall not be in order, more than once on the same question.

25. Bills, resolves, and other papers, in reference to

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which any member having a right to move a reconsideration, shall give notice of a motion to that effect, to be made within the time allowed for that purpose, shall remain in the possession of the clerk, until the question of reconsideration is determined, or the right to move that question is lost; but the operation of this rule shall be suspended during the last week of the session.

26. No member shall be obliged to be on more than two committees at the same time, nor chairman of more than one. No member of this house shall act as counsel for any party, before a joint committee of the legislature, or a committee of this house.

27. No member shall be permitted to stand up to the interruption of another, while any member is speaking, or pass unnecessarily between the speaker of the house and the person speaking. Nor shall any member or other person be permitted to stand in the alleys, or sit or stand covered, during the session of the house.

28. Every member shall keep an account of his own attendance and travel, and deliver the same to the clerk, or to the committee appointed to make up the pay roll; and on failure thereof shall not be made up in the roll.

29. When the galleries shall be ordered to be cleared. or shut, the matter which may occasion such order, shall be kept secret by each member, until the house shall order such injunction of secresy to be taken off.

30. Every member who shall neglect to give his attendance in the house for more than six days after the session commences, shall, on making his appearance therein, be held to render the reason for such neglect; and in case the reason assigned shall be deemed by the house sufficient, such member shall be entitled to receive pay for his travel, and not otherwise; and no member shall be absent more than two days without leave of the