RULES AND ORDE

OF THE

ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF

1876.

Powers and Duties of Speak

RULE 1. To take the chair, call to order, present, proceed to business.

RULE 2. To preserve order, decide question appeal, appoint committees, except where substitute any member to perform duties of of bills, and designate reporters.

Order of Business.

RULE 3. Reading and correction of journa not to be departed from, except, etc.; mess or Senate, communications from State officer certain committees, may be received at any t

Rights and Duties of Member RULE 4. Petitions, memorials, etc.; how pr RULE 5. Duties of, when presenting petitio of bill.

RULE 6. When to vote; what deemed bar o

Order and Decorum.

RULE 7. Member to address speaker, and be before proceeding in debate, etc.

RULE 8. Private discourse forbidden while

RULE 9. Member not to speak or leave his place while question is being put.

RULE 10. Members to keep seats until speaker declares house adjourned.

Order in Debate.

RULE 11. No member to speak more than once, etc., without leave.

RULE 12. When member may be called to order; to take his seat, except, etc.

RULE 13. Priority of business to be decided without debate.

Of Committees and their Duties.

RULE 14. Standing committees, list of, to be appointed.
RULE 15. To inquire into matters and report.

RULE 16. Ways and means; to examine into departments of government with a view to retrenchment.

RULE 17. On two-thirds and three-fifths bills; to examine and report before final vote is taken.

RULE 18. On general laws; to consider and report all matters referred, and to report original general laws and amendments to general laws.

RULE 19. On engrossed bills; to examine and report all bills before final vote is taken.

RULE 20. On public printing; to examine and report on all questions relating to public printing.

RULE 21. On expenditures of house and executive department; to inquire as to proper application of moneys, vouchers, etc. RULE 22. On claims; petitions, etc., for canal damages to be referred to, when not to be considered.

RULE 23. Certain papers on files of house not to be taken therefrom, unless, etc.

General Orders and Special Orders.

RULE 24. General orders; of what to consist; titles to be recorded in calendar.

RULE 25. General orders: business of, how taken up.

RULE 26. General orders; Tuesdays and Thursdays to be set apart for consideration of.

RULE 27. General orders; members to be furnished daily with printed list of.

RULE 28. Special order; assent of two-thirds. necessary; no more than three bills may be made, for the same day; may not De postponed or rescinded, except, etc.

RULE 29. Rules to be observed in.

RULE 30. Motion to rise and report progr to be decided without debate.

RULE 31. Bills; how considered in; amend RULE 32. Proceedings in absence of quoru

RULE 33. How introduced.

Bills.

RULE 34. Private, how introduced.
RULE 35. Title, what to state.

RULE 36. From senate, with accompanyin referred.

RULE 37. After second reading to be ref committee may report without amendmen ceedings after report; when not to go upon RULE 38. When reported by committee of ments; when considered as rejected.

RULE 39. To receive three separate readin RULE 40. Sub-committee of the whole, ment of.

RULE 41. No bill, except reported by sul whole, to be ordered to third reading unless mittee of the whole.

RULE 42. Not to be put on final reading grossed and printed, unless, etc.

RULE 43. Third reading; order of; questio when to be taken.

RULE 44. Reconsideration; what vote nece
RULE 45. Clerk to keep register of bills.

Motions and their Preceden

RULE 46. When question is under consid may be received, except, etc.

RULE 47. Motion to adjourn to be decided
RULE 48. Motions to be first stated by sp

reduced to writing.

RULE 49. When motion deemed in posses when may be withdrawn.

RULE 50. Motion to adjourn or take a reces
RULE 51. Reconsideration.

Resolutions.

RULE 52. Certain, to lay over one day.

RULE 53. Referring to printing extra copies, etc., to be referred to committee on public printing.

RULE 54. Calling for or leading to expenditures, to be referred.

Previnus Question.

RULE 55. How put; to preclude amendments or debates; "main question;" amendments.

Of the Assembly Chamber, and the Privileges of Admission to the Floor thereof.

RULE 56. Use of, may be granted to State agricultural and other societies; application not to be entertained without unanimous consent.

RULE 57. Who may be admitted to floor of the house.

Miscellaneous Provisions.

RULE 58. Proceeding in absence of quorum.

RULE 59. When questions deemed lost.

RULE 60. When questions to be divided.

RULE 61. Where a bill, motion, etc., is entered on journal, name of member also to be entered.

RULE 62. Yeas and nays, when may be taken.

RULE 63. Journal to be printed and laid on table within two days after approval.

RULE 64. Reporters; clerk not to issue orders to reporters who are also reporters for senate.

RULE 65. Standing rules may not be suspended or rescinded, except on notice; notice of suspension, what to contain.

RULE 66. Speaker to appoint clerks for certain committees ; compensation of clerks.

RULE 67. Persons privileged to use clerk's desk during sessions of house.

RULE 68. Proceedings before bar of the house for adjudged breach of its privileges.

RULE 69. Pages; but sixteen allowed upon the floor at any one time; to be furnished with numbered badge.

RULE 70. Stenographer; duties of.

RULE 71. Questions of order; decisions upon, to be printed at close of journal.

RULE 72. Member asking to be excused from voting may have two minutes to explain.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SPEAKER. RULE 1. The speaker shall take the chair each day at the hour to which the house shall have adjourned. He shall call to order, and, except in the absence of a quorum, shall proceed to business in the manner prescribed by these rules.

RULE 2. He shall possess the powers and perform the duties herein prescribed, viz.:

1. He shall preserve order and decorum.

2. He shall decide all questions of order, subject to appeal to the house. On every appeal he shall have the right, in his place, to assign his reason for his decision.

3. He shall appoint all committees, except where the house shall otherwise order.

4. He may substitute any member to perform the duties of the chair for a period not exceeding two consecutive legislative days, but for no longer period, except by special consent of the house. 5. When the house shall be ready to go into committee of the whole, he shall name a chairman to preside therein.

6. He shall certify the passage of all bills by the house, with the date thereof, together with the fact whether passed as a majority, three-fifths or two-thirds bills, as required either by the constitution or laws of this State.

7. He shall designate the persons who shall act as reporters for the public press, not exceeding twenty-three in number; but no reporter shall be admitted to the floor who is not an authorized representative of a daily paper. Such reporters, so appointed, shall be entitled to such seats as the speaker shall designate, and shall have the right to pass to and from such seats in entering and leaving the assembly chamber.

8. In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct in the galleries or lobby, the speaker shall have power to order the same to be cleared.

CHAPTER II.

OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.

RULE 3. The first business of each day's session shall be the reading of the journal of the preceding day, and the correction of any errors that may be found to exist therein. After which, except on days and at times set apart for the consideration of general or special orders, the order of