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3d.-Reports of committees, standing committees having precedence to select committees.

4th.-No more than one hour in each day shall be devoted to the foregoing objects, after which, the Speaker shall dispose of the bills, messages, and communications on his table, and then proceed to the orders of the day.

5th.-Bills and resolutions ready for a second reading.

6th.-Bills on their passage.

7th.-Bills or other matter before the House, and unfinished the preceding day.

8th. These matters being despatched for expediting business, the general file of bills and other papers are then taken up, agreeably to their first introduction to the House.

STANDING RULES.

I. The House of Representatives shall choose by ballot one of their own members to occupy the chair. He shall be styled Speaker of the House of Representatives. He shall hold his office during one session of the Legislative Assembly. He shall take the chair at the hour to which the House is adjourned, and call the members to order; and, if a quorum be present, he shall direct the minutes of the preceding day to be read, and mistakes, if any, corrected. He shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide questions of order subject to an appeal to the House. In committee of the whole, he shall call some member to the chair, and may debate upon any question before the committee; but such a substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. He shall, unless otherwise directed by the House, appoint all committees. He shall vote on a call of the yeas and nays. In the absence of the Speaker, the House shall appoint a Speaker, pro tem.

II. Any member may have a call of the House, and have absent members sent for in case a quorum shall not be present.

III. All questions shall be put in this form. the opinion, (as the case may be) say aye. opinion, say no ;" and in doubtful cases any division.

"You, who are of Those of the contrary member may call for a

IV. When a motion is made and seconded it shall be stated by the member, or read by the clerk previous to debate. If any member require it, all motions (except to adjourn, postpone or commit,) shall be reduced to writing. Any motion may be withdrawn by consent of the House, before decision or amendment.

V. Every member present, when a question is put, shall vote, unless the House shall, for a special cause, excuse him.

VI. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, and be decided without debate.

VII. 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 personality.

VIII. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the Speaker shall name the member who is first to speak.

IX. Whilst the Speaker is putting any question, or addressing the House, none shall walk out or across the House, nor in such case, or when a member is speaking, shall pass between him and the chair. X. No member shall speak more than twice on any question without leave of the House.

XI. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received, unless to postpone, to lay on the table, to amend, to take the previous question, or commit, or adjourn.

XII. The previous question shall be put in these words: "Shall the main question be now put?" and it shall be admitted on the demand of any member, and until decided shall preclude all amendments under debate, of the main question.

XIII. Any member may call for a division of the question, when the same shall admit thereof.

XIV. No committee shall absent themselves by reason of their appointment, during the sitting of the House, without special leave.

XV. Every bill shall be introduced by motion for leave, or by order of the House on the report of a committee. In cases of a general nature, one day's notice at least shall be given, of the motion to bring in a bill.

XVI. Every bill shall receive three several readings previous to

its passage; but no bill shall have its second and third readings on the same day, without special order of the House.

XVII. The first reading of the bill shall be for information, and if objections be made to it, the question shall be, "Shall the bill be rejected?" If no objection be made, or the question to reject be lost, the bill shall go to its second reading without further question.

XVIII. All bills, resolutions, memorials, &c., requiring the ap proval of the Governor, shall, on the second reading, be considered by the House in committee of the whole, before it shall be taken up and considered by the House. The final question upon every bill or resolution that requires three readings, previous to being passed, shall be, "Whether it shall be engrossed and read a third time ?” And the final question upon every bill or resolution of the Council, that requires three readings, shall be, previous to being passed, "Whether it shall be ordered to a third reading?" No bill or resolution that requires three readings, shall be committed or amended until it shall have been twice read.

XIX. Amendments, made in committee of the whole, shall not be read by the Speaker on his resuming the chair, unless requested by one or more of the members.

XX. When a question is lost on engrossing a bill for a third reading, on a particular day, it shall not preclude a question to engross it for a third reading on a different day; nor shall any subject be a second time reconsidered without the consent of the House. On the third reading of a bill or resolution, no amendment (except to fill blanks,) shall be received, except by unanimous consent of the members present.

XXI. When a bill is engrossed, the Speaker shall, at the time previously appointed by the House, announce it as ready for the third reading, without a question.

XXII. A bill or resolution may be committed at any time previous to its passage; if any amendment be reported upon such commitment, by any other than a committee of the whole, the bill shall again be read a second time and considered as in committee of the whole, and the question for its engrossment and third reading again put.

XXIII. In filling blanks, the largest sum and longest time shall be first put.

XXIV. When the House is equally divided, in such case the question shall be lost.

XXV. When a motion or question has been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member of the majority to move for a reconsideration thereof, on the same or succeeding day.

XXVI. All acts, addresses, and resolutions shall be signed by the Speaker, and all writs, warrants, and subpœnas, issued by order of the House, shall be under his hand and seal, attested by the clerk.

XXVII. Petitions, memorials, and other papers; addressed to the House, shall be presented by any member in his place, a brief statement of the contents thereof shall be made verbally by the member introducing the same, and shall not be debated or decided on the day of their being first read, unless where the House shall direct otherwise; but shall lie on the table (to be taken up in the order they were read) or referred, on motion, to a committee.

XXVIII. It shall be in order for the committee on enrolled bills to report at any time.

XXIX. After examination and report, each bill shall be certified by the Clerk, and by him transmitted to the Council; the day of transmission shall be entered on the journal,

XXX. When a message shall be sent from the Governor to the House, it shall be communicated to the chair, by the person by whom it may be sent.

XXXI. No member or officer of the House shall be permitted to read the newspapers within the bar of the House, while the House is in session.

XXXII. The Speaker of the House is authorized and required to administer all oaths prescribed by law to the officers of the House. XXXIII. Every resolution read (by the Clerk) by direction of a member shall be considered to be before the House. And the question to adopt or reject, may be immediately put on such resolution, unless upon motion of a member, the same may be laid on the table.

XXXIV. It shall be competent for any member, when a question

is taken, to call for the yeas and nays which shall be recorded by

the Clerk if required.

XXXV. No standing rule or order of the House shall be rescinded or changed without one day's notice being given, of the motion therefor. Nor shall any rule be suspended except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. Nor shall the order of business, as established by the rules of the House, be postponed or changed, except by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members present.

XXXVI. All bills brought into the House by any member or committee, shall be endorsed with the name of the member or committee, bringing in the same.

XXXVII. When a member be called to order, he shall sit down until the Speaker shall have determined whether he is in order or not, and every question of order shall be decided by the Speaker, subject to an appeal to the House by any two members; and if a member be called to order for words spoken, the exceptionable words shall be immediately taken down in writing, that the Speaker and House may be better enabled to judge.

XXXVIII. The standing committees of the House shall consist of five members each, and shall be as follows:

On the Judiciary;

On Internal Improvements;

On Schools;

On Territorial Affairs;

On the Militia;

On the Finances of the Territory;

On Corporations;

On Elections;

On Agriculture and Manufactures;

On Mining and Smelting;

On Public Expenditures;

On Engrossed Bills;

On Enrolled Bills ;

On Roads.

XXXIX. All appropriations of money for any purpose shall

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