RULES OF THE HOUSE

REGULAR SESSION, 1905.

Order of Business.

RULE 1. Business shall be disposed of in the following order:

First. Calling the roll and reading the journal of the preceding day.

Second. Presentation of petitions, memorials and remonstrances addressed to the legislature.

Third. Propositions, motions and resolutions.

Fourth. Reports of standing committees.

Fifth. Reports of special committees.

Sixth.

Messages from the senate.

Seventh. Introduction and first reading of bills.

Eighth. Second reading of bills.

Ninth. Third reading of bills.

Tenth. Orders of the day.

Eleventh. Other business to be considered.

Twelfth.

Announcement of committee meetings.

RULE 2. The Committee on Rules and Orders shall have charge of the daily calendar of the House, and direct the Clerk the order in which the business of the House shall be transacted.

RULE 3. The speaker shall on each day announce to the house the business in order, agreeably to the preceding rule, and no business shall be taken up or considered until the class to which it belongs shall be declared in order, but messages from the governor or senate, or any communication from any state officer may be read at any time.

RULE 4. The unfinished business at which the house was engaged preceding adjournment shall not be taken up until reached in regular order, and shall then have precedence under such order from day to day until finally disposed of.

SPEAKER.

RULE 5. The speaker shall take the chair every day precisely at the hour to which the house shall have adjourned on the preceding day. He shall immediately call the members to order, and on the appearance of a majority of the members, shall cause the journal of the preceding day to be read.

RULE 6. The speaker shall preserve order and decorum, may speak to points or order in preference to other members, rising from his chair for that purpose, and shall decide questions of order subject to an appeal to the house.

RULE 7. The speaker shall rise to put a question, but may state it sitting.

RULE 8. The speaker shall have a general direction of the house of representatives' room; he shall have the right to name any member to perform the duties of the chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. He shall have the right to appoint all committees, subject to additional members to be named on motion.

RULE 9. In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct in the lobby, the speaker (or chairman of the whole house) shall have the power to order the same to be cleared.

APPEAL FROM THE CHAIR.

RULE 10. The decision of the chair may be appealed from by any two members, on which appeal no member shall speak more than once, unless by leave of the house.

QUORUM.

RULE 11. Seven members with the speaker, or eight members in his absence, having chosen a speaker pro tempore,

shall be authorized to call the house, and compel the attendance of absent members, making order for their fine and censure, and may adjourn. For the purpose of determining whether a quorum be present, the speaker, or chairman, shall count all members present, whether voting or not.

RULE 12. The time of meeting of the house shall be at 10 o'clock a. m., and the time of meeting after the noon recess shall be 2 o'clock p. m., unless otherwise ordered by the house.

RULE 13. Questions shall be put in this form, to-wit: "As many as are in favor of (as the question may be) say 'aye';" and after the affirmative vote is expressed, "As many as are opposed say 'no'." If the speaker is in doubt, or if division is called for, the house shall divide. Those in the affirmative on the question shall rise in their seats, and the number being announced, those in the negative shall rise.

RULE 14. When any member is about to speak in debate, or deliver any matter to the house, he shall rise from his seat and respectfully address himself to Mr. Speaker, and shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personalities; and no member shall impeach the motive of any member's vote or argument.

RULE 15. If any member in speaking, or otherwise, transgress the rules of the house, the speaker shall, or any member may, call him to order, in which case the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain; and the house shall, if appealed to, decide the case without debate; if there be no appeal, then the decision of the chair shall be submitted to. If the decision be in favor of the member called to order, he shall be at liberty to proceed; if otherwise, and the case require it, he shall be liable to the censure of the house.

RULE 16. If any member be called to order for words spoken in debate, the person calling him to order shall repeat the words excepted to and they shall be taken down in writing at the clerk's table and no member shall be held to answer, or be subject to the censure of the house for words spoken in debate if any other member has spoken, or other

business has intervened after the words are spoken, and before exception to them shall have been taken.

RULE 17. When two or more members rise at once, the speaker shall name who is first to speak.

RULE 18. No member shall speak more than twice on the same question without leave of the house, except the chairman of the committee, or the mover of the question, who may close the debate: Provided, That no member shall speak longer than fifteen minutes without unanimous consent.

RULE 19. When a motion is made and seconded it shall be stated by the speaker, or, being in writing, it shall be handed to the chair and read aloud before debate.

RULE 20. Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if the speaker or a member desire it.

RULE 21. After a motion is stated by the speaker, or bill, memorial, resolution, petition or remonstrance is read by the clerk, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the house, but may be withdrawn at any time by consent of the house, before decision or amendment.

RULE 22. When a question is under debate, no motions shall be received but the following, in the rank named:

First Rank-Question of consideration.

Second Rank-To lay on the table.

Third Rank-To postpone to a day certain.

To commit or recommit.

To postpone indefinitely.

For the previous question.

Fourth Rank-To amend.

RULE 23. When a reading of a paper is called for it shall be decided by a vote of the house.

RULE 24. All questions, whether in committee or in the house, shall be propounded in the order in which they are named, except that in filling blanks the largest sum and the longest time shall be first put.

Indefinite Postponement.

RULE 25. No motion to postpone indefinitely, having been decided in the negative, shall again be allowed on the same day, and at the same stage of the bill or proposition. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon again during the session.

RULE 26. When a motion has once been made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member of the prevailing side to move for reconsideration thereof, on the same day or the next working day thereafter.

PREVIOUS QUESTION AND RECONSIDERATION.

RULE 27. The previous question shall be put in this form: "Mr. demands the previous question. As many as are in favor of ordering the previous question will say 'aye';" as many as are opposed will say 'no.'" This question is not debatable and can not be amended. The results of the motion are as follows: If determined in the negative, the consideration goes on as if the motion had never been made; if decided in the affirmative, then the presiding officer at once and without debate, proceeds to put, first, the amendments pending and then the main question as amended. If an adjournment is had after the previous question is ordered the subject comes up the first thing after the reading of the journal the next day, and the previous question still operates, making the main question privileged over all other business, whether new or unfinished. It shall only be admitted when demanded by two-thirds of the members present, and until it is decided shall preclude all amendments and further debate on the main question. On motion for the previous question, and prior to the seconding of the same, a call of the house shall be in order, but after a majority shall have seconded such motion, no call shall be in order prior to the decision of the main question.

DIVISION OF QUESTIONS.

RULE 28. A division cannot be demanded as a right by any member. It must be made pursuant to a motion stating