of unfinished business may be referred; leave of absence and leave to withdraw petitions and documents, may be asked; and motions to appoint additional members of committees may be made. 3d. Reports of committees may be made : 1st, from standing committees.

2nd, from select committees. 4th. Bills on a third reading.

5th. Reports and resolutions may on motion be considered.

6th. And motions to re-consider may be made. 7th. Of bills.

1st, those in which the house has made progress on a second reading.

2nd, those reported by a committee of the whole.

3d, those in which the committee of the whole has made progress and has leave to sit again.

4th, bills not yet considered in committee of the whole, shall be taken up.

9. Petitions and documents shall be presented only on Mondays and Thursdays.

10. 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.*

11. 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.†

* Adopted 29th January, 1834.
Adopted 13th January, 1834.

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

Of Business and Debate.

13. 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.

14. 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 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.

15. No member shall speak more than twice to the same question, without leave of the house.

Of Debate.

16. No member, when speaking, shall be interrupted, except by a call to order by the speak. er, or by a member through the speaker, or by a member to explain, or by a motion for the previ ous 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.

17. A member presenting a petition, or other paper, to the chair, shall state only 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.

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

"As many as are of opinion, (as the question may be) say Aye."

And after the affirmative is expressed, many as are of the contrary opinion, say "No."

as

But the speaker, or any member, may call for a division of the house, when the speaker shall again put the question distinctly, and in the following manner, viz.

As many as are in the affirmative will rise; and when he has announced the number in the affirmative, he shall put the opposite side of the question.

As many as are in the negative will rise.

19. If the speaker or any two members require it, a motion shall be written.

It may be withdrawn by the mover and seconder before amendment or decision, and, if withdrawn, the proceedings had thereon shall be expunged from the journal.

20. Any member may call for the division of a question, which shall be divided, if it comprehends questions so distinct, that one being taken away, the rest may stand entire for the decision of the house; a motion to strike out and insert

shall be deemed indivisible. But a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither amendment nor a motion to strike out or insert.*

No motion can be received to postpone for the purpose of introducing a substitute.

21. A motion to concur, and a decision of that motion, by the house, shall preclude a motion to non-concur; and a motion to non-concur, and a decision of the motion in the negative, shall

amount to a concurrence.

Of Privileged Questions.

22. No business regularly before the house shall be interrupted except by a motion

For adjournment,

For the previous question, namely: "shall the main question be now put?"

For postponement,

For commitment

Or for amendment.

23. A motion for adjournment shall always be in order, and shall be decided without debate, except that it cannot be received when the house is voting on another question, nor while a member is addressing the house.

A motion for the previous question shall preclude amendment and discussion of the original subject; but the previous question shall not be moved by less than twelve members rising for

* A motion to amend, by inserting first January, seveneen hundred and seventy, cannot be divided to end with seventeen hundred. [Journal, 1819-20, page 777.] E

that purpose, and shall be decided without debate.*

A motion for postponement shall preclude commitment. A motion for commitment shall preclude amendment or decision on the original subject.

24. No motion for reconsideration shall be permitted, unless made and seconded by members who were in the majority on the vote on the original question, and within six days, exclusive of Sundays, after the decision.

25. When a blank is to be filled, the question shall be first taken on the largest sum, greatest number, and remotest day.

26. In all cases of elections, except for speaker, there shall be a previous nomination of the candidates at least one day before the election, and a majority of the members present shall be necessary to a choice.

Every resolution, order, or vote, to which the concurrence of the senate is necessary, and a motion to alter the rules of the house, or for infor mation from the executive or departments, shall lie on the table one day.

No motion or proposition for a tax or charge on the people shall be discussed the day on which it is made or offered.

Of Committees.

27. Committees may be of three kinds, viz.

In the House of Representatives of the United States, one member may demand the previous question, but a majority must second the call or motion before the question can be put.