He shall sign the checks of members for compensa. Shall sign checks of members. tion, the same having been previously prepared by the Sergeant-at-arms.-Rule 25. pensation of certified by. to be conclusive. The compensation which shall be due the members of Amount of comeach house shall be certified to by the presiding officers members to be thereof, respectively; and the same shall be passed as public accounts and paid out of the public Treasury.Stat. at Large, Vol. III, p. 404. And all certificates Certificates of, which may have been or may be granted by the presiding officers of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, of the amount due to the members of their several houses, are and ought to be deemed, held, and taken, and are hereby declared to be, conclusive upon all the Departments and officers of the Government of the United States.-Stat. at Large, Vol. IX, p. 523. to be certified by. and approve sure ty of Sergeant-at arms' bond. By the act of July 28, 1866, (Sess. Laws, p. 333,) it is Mileage accounts provided that mileage accounts of Representatives and Delegates shall be certified by the Speaker. By Rule 26 it is provided that the bond of the Ser- Shall fix amount geant-at-arms shall be in a sum not less than five nor more than ten thousand dollars, at the discretion of the Speaker, and with surety to be approved by the Speaker. "No person shall be permitted to perform, divine service in the chamber occupied by the House of Representa- with his consent. tives, unless with the consent of the Speaker.”—Rule 6. "The unappropriated rooms in that part of the Capitol assigned to the House shall be subject to the order and disposal of the Speaker until further orders of the House."-Rule 5. Divine service in the hall only Shall have disposal of rooms in Capitol. ident of Senate, rules in regard to pied by either By the act of May 2, 1828, the Speaker is authorized, With the Presjointly with the President of the Senate, to prescribe may prescribe rules and regulations "for the care, preservation, orderly Capitol not occu keeping, and police of all such portions of the Capitol, house exclusive. its appurtenances, and the inclosures about it, and the ly public buildings and property in its immediate vicinity, as are not in the exclusive use and occupation of either house of Congress," which rules, &c., shall be obeyed by the Commissioner of Public Buildings.-Stat. at Large, Vol. IV, p. 266. Shall prescribe rules in regard to use of House. It shall also be the duty of said Commissioner "to part of Capitol in obey such rules and regulations as may be, from time to time, prescribed by the presiding officer of either house of Congress, for the care, preservation, orderly keeping, and police of those portions of the Capitol and its appurtenances which are in the exclusive use and occupation of either house of Congress, respectively."Stat. at Large, Vol. IV, p. 266. With the Pres ident of Senate, police. The 66 necessary assistants " of said Commissioner shall fix pay of "shall receive a reasonable compensation for their services, to be allowed by the presiding officers of the two houses of Congress;" one moiety of said sums to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House.—Ibid. Duty of, on report that witness fails to testify. Pending the election of, Clerk shall preside. Speaker may By the act of January 24, 1857, it is provided that where a witness, summoned by the authority of the House to testify before the House or any of its committees, "shall willfully make default, or who, appearing, shall refuse to answer any question pertinent to the matter of inquiry in consideration, and the facts shall be reported to the House, it shall be the duty of the Speaker of the House to certify the facts under the seal of the House to the District Attorney for the District of Columbia."-Stat. at Large, Vol. XI, p. 156. (See WITNESS.) Pending the election of a Speaker, the Clerk shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide all questions of order that may arise, subject to appeal to the House.-Rule 146. SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE. "The Speaker shall have a right to name any member name, for the day. to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment."-Rule 5. "Where the Speaker has been ill, other Speakers pro tempore have been appointed."-Manual, p. 64; Journals, 1, 5, pp. 266, 316; 1, 30, p. 923. Or where he is removed by the House.-Manual, p. 69. Appointed, where Speaker is ill or removed. SPEAKER'S TABLE. (See BUSINESS ON SPEAKER'S TABLE.) SPECIAL ORDERS. suspension of the Special orders are made under a suspension of the Made under a rules.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 1176. [And, of course, (unless rules. unanimous consent is given for the purpose—Journal, 1, 30, p. 580)—can only be made except in the case of appropriation bills when a motion to suspend the rules is in order.] make general ap Form of resolu tion for making. The House may, at any time, by a vote of a majority A majority may of the members present, make any of the general appro- propriation bills. priations bills a special order-Rule 119; but in all other It requires twocases it requires a two-thirds vote to make a special thirds to make, in order, it being a change of the established order of busi- other cases. ness.-Journals, 1, 23, p. 785; 3, 27, p. 355; 1, 31, p. 1096. The usual form of resolution for making a special order is, "that the (here describe the bill or whatever else it may be) be made the special order for the day of, and from day to day until the same is disposed of."-Journal, 1, 31, p. 1176. [In which case, after the arrival of the time fixed, or the disposal of a special order previously made, it takes precedence of all other business until it is disposed of.] Sometimes the words " Fridays and Saturdays excepted" Other forms. are inserted.-Journal, 1, 30, p. 692. [In which case the proceeded with on consideration of private bills may be A special order may be postponed by a majority May be postponed. vote.-Journal, 1, 29, p. 1170; Cong. Globe, 1, 31, p. 1318. [And according to the usage, whenever the time arrives for the consideration of a special order in Committee of the Whole, the same may be postponed by a vote in the House.] same day. Where two special orders are made for the same time, where two, on the one first made takes precedence.-Cong. Globe, 1, 26, p. 325. [The other according to the practice, if made for Motion to sus pend rules not in that day, and "from day to day," will come up as soon as the one first made is disposed of.] Pending a special order, it is not in order to move a order pending. suspension of the rules, the special order having, been made under a suspension of the rule-Cong. Globe, 2, 29, be confined to p. 439-unless said motion be with reference to the pending special order. Debate on, to In Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union all debate on special orders shall be confined strictly to the measure under consideration.-Rule 114. measure. by contract. tise for proposals. STATE LEGISLATURES, RESOLUTIONS OF. (See JOINT RESOLUTIONS.) STATIONERY. To be procured By the act of August 26, 1842, it is provided that all stationery, of every name and nature, for the use of the House of Representatives, shall be furnished by contract Clerk to adver- by the lowest bidder. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall advertise, once a week for at least four weeks, in one or more of the principal papers published in the city of Washington, for sealed proposals for furnishing such articles, or the whole of any particular class of articles, specifying in such advertisement the amount, quantity, and description of each kind of articles to be furnished; and all such proposals shall be kept sealed until the day specified in such advertisement When proposals for opening the same, when they shall be opened by or to be opened. under the direction of the Clerk, in the presence of at To whom con- least two persons; and the person offering to furnish any class of such articles, and giving satisfactory security for the performance thereof, under a forfeiture not exceeding twice the contract price in case of failure, shall receive a contract thereof; and in case the lowest bidder shall fail to enter into such contract, and give such security within a reasonable time, to be fixed in such advertisement, then the contract shall be given to the next lowest bidder, who shall enter into such contract and give such Liability of con- security. And in case of a failure to supply the articles tractor failing to by the person entering into such contract, he and his tract to be award ed. supply. sureties shall be liable for the forfeiture specified in such contract, as liquidated damages, to be sued for in the name of the United States in any court having jurisdiction thereof.-Stat. at Large, Vol. V, pp. 526, 527. chase. given to Ameri and invoices of, By a resolution of the House of the 24th of July, 1868, Clerk to pur(Journal, 2, 40, p. 1173,) it is provided that the Clerk be authorized as the agent of the House to purchase, in the manner provided by law, on the best terms he may find practicable, such stationery as may be requisite for the use of the House and Clerk's office, giving preference in all cases to American manufacture, Preference to be provided it be equally cheap and of as good quality; can manufacture. that he cause to be recorded in a well-bound book, suited Records of bills to that purpose, the bills and invoices of all the station- to be kept. ery he may so purchase from time to time; that he deliver to the members of Congress and officers hereinafter named the amounts of stationery hereinafter specified, keeping an accurate account of the same, and also of the quantity and value of that used in the Clerk's office, and that hereafter, in the annual reports now required by law to be made by the Clerk, showing the amount of expenditure from the contingent fund of the House, he be required to state, accurately and distinctly, the quantity and cost of all the stationery delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, and that used in the Clerk's office; also the amount remaining on hand at the time of making such statement, and the amount of unexpended appropriation for stationery: Provided, That the amount furnished to members of Congress may be embraced in a single item. Report of, to be made annually. to members. And he is required to deliver to every member of the Clerk to deliver House the usual articles of stationery now furnished to members, to an amount not exceeding in value that authorized by law, at the cost price, in the stationery room, or, at the option of the members, to pay them the proper commutation in money; that he keep a true and accurate account of all stationery which he may so deliver to the several members of the House; and if in any case a member shall receive a greater amount of sta- In case member tionery during any session than is above provided, the than his allow receives moro ance. |