be received and read at the table, whether the same shall be introduced by the President or a Senator, a brief statement of the contents of the petition or the memorial shall verbally be made by the introducer. 23. Every bill shall receive three readings previous to its being passed; and the President shall give notice at each, whether it be the first, second, or third; which readings shall be on three different days. And no bill shall become a law until it shall have been referred to a committee and returned therefrom, and upon its final passage read at length, and the vote be taken by yeas and nays, and the names of the Senators voting for and against the same be entered on the journal. And the President shall, in the presence of the Senate, sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the General Assembly after the titles have been publicly read immediately before signing; and the fact of signing shall be entered on the journal. And all resolutions proposing amendments to the Constitution, or to which, the approbation or signature of the President may be requisite, or which may grant money out of the contingent fund, shall be treated, in all respects, in the introduction and form of proceedings thereon in the Senate, in a similar manner with bills. 24. Bills on first reading may be amended or committed, and shall be read a second time when returned from the committee on any subsequent day. 25. The final question, upon the second reading of every bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or motion originating in the Senate, and requiring three readings previous to its being passed, shall be, "whether it shall be engrossed and read a third time?" and no amendment shall be received for discussion, at the third reading of any bill, resolution, amendment or motion, unless by unanimous consent of the members present; but it shall at all times be in order, before the final passage of any such bill, resolution, constitutional amendment or motion, to move its commitment, and if such commitment take place, and any amendment be reported by the committee, the said bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or motion, shall be again read a second time, and then the aforesaid question shall be again put. 26. The special orders of the day shall not be called by the Chair before 12 o'clock, unless otherwise directed by the Senate. 27. The titles of bills, and such parts thereof only as shall be affected by proposed amendments; shall be inserted on the journals. 28. The proceedings of the Senate, when not in committee of the whole, shall be entered on the journal as concisely as possible, care being taken to detail a true and accurate account of its proceedings; but every vote of the Senate shall be entered on the journal, and a brief statement of the contents of each petition, memorial, or paper, presented to the Senate, shall also be inserted on the journal. 29. The President of the Senate shall appoint the chairman and members of the standing committees. 30. When motions are made for reference of the same subject to a select committee, and to a standing committee, the question on reference to the standing committee, shall be first put. 31. When acting on confidential or executive business, the Senate shall be cleared of all persons except the Secretary, the assistant Secretary and Door-keeper. The executive and confidential legislative proceedings shall be kept in a separate book from the public legislative proceedings of the Senate. 32. When an amendment to be proposed to the Constitution is under consideration, the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the Senate shall be requisite. 33. When any question may have been decided by the Senate, in which two-thirds of the Senators present are necessary to carry the affirmative, any Senator who votes on that side which prevailed in the question, may be at liberty to move for a reconsideration, and a motion for a reconsideration shall be decided by a majority of votes. 34. Messages shall be sent to the House of Representatlves by the Secretary, who shall previously endorse the final determination of the Senate thereon. 35. Messages may be introduced in any stage of business, except while a question is being put, while the yeas and nays are being called, or while the ballots are being counted. 36. The reporters shall be placed on the floor of the Senate by the Secretary, or under his direction. 37. The presiding officer of the Senate shall have the reg. ulation and control of such parts of the capitol, and of its passages, as are or may be set apart for the use of the Senate and its officers. 38. Persons admitted on the floor of the Senate Cham. ber while the Senate is in session: 1. Executive officers of the State and of the United States. 2. Judges of the State and of the United States Courts, members of Congress and members of the General Assembly. 3. Ex-members of Congress and ex-Senators of Alabama. 4. Editors and reporters, at such tables as may be assigned on the floor or in the bar. All other persons are excluded therefrom, and all persons are to be excluded from the bar, and the chairs and seats of the Senators, and from the closets of the Senate Chamber, and from being near the fire-places. No smoking shall be allowed in the Senate Chamber. 39. The time of meeting of the Senate eaeh day shall be 10:30 o'clock a. m.; and in all cases, upon the adjournment of the Senate, the Secretary shall enter on the journal the hour of adjournment, and the name of the member on whose motion the adjournment was had. 40. To aid in the dispatch of business, there shall be seventeen Standing Committees, upon the following subjects and to consist of the number hereinafter named: 1. On Judiciary, including rules and regulations, to consist of eleven members. 2. On Finance and Taxation including accounts and claims, fees and salaries, and contingent fund; to consist of nine members. On Federal Relations; to consist of seven members. 4. On Revision of Laws; to consist of seven members. 5. On Local Legislation; to consist of five members. 6. On Education; to consist of seven members. 7. On Internal Improvements, including highways and manufactures; to consist of seven members. 8. On Agriculture; to consist of seven members. 9. On Municipal and County Organizations and Corporations, to include poor laws and and charitable institutions; to consist of five members. 10. On Immigration, Industrial Resources and Public Buildings; to consist of seven members. 11. On Privileges and Elections, including grievances, disabilities, and registration; to consist of five members. 12. On Printing; to consist of three members. 13. On Penitentiary, Prisons and Punishment; to consist of eight members. 14. On Military; to consist of three members. 18. On Revision of the Journal; to consist of five mem- 41. Bills on third reading. postponed to a day certain, shall take precedence on such day, and from day to day thereafter until disposed of, of bills on third reading, and the precedence of such postponed bills shall be in the order of their postponement respectively, and no bill shall be made a special order except by vote of the Senate suspending the order of business. 42. No discussion or debate shall be allowed while a vote is being taken, except by unanimous consent of the Senate. 43. A motion to lay on the table any amendment or substitute shall not carry with it the original bill, resolution or proposition. 44. The Secretary of the Senate is required to furnish daily to the members of the Senate a printed calendar of all the bills and resolutions intended to have the force of laws on third reading, in the order in which they are entitled to consideration. 45. All bills reported adversely by any committee shall be retained by the chairman, until called for by any Senator. The chairman will then report the bill, which will be read a second time, and the adverse report will come up for consideration, when regularly reached on the calendar. 46. That no motion to suspend, modify or amend any rule, or any part thereof, shall be in order except on one day's notice in writing, specifying precisely the rule, or part thereof, proposed to be suspended, modified or amended and the purpose thereof. And before any vote shall be taken on such motion it shall be first referred to the committee on rules and the said committee must report thereon. But any rule may be suspended by unanimous consent of the Senate. JOINT RULES OF THE TWO HOUSES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ALABAMA. 1. Upon the reception of a message from either housenotifying the other of the originating and passage of bills, the secretary, or clerk, as the case may be, shall, immediately after the message is read, proceed to read the bills by their titles, unless the reading be called for by some member, in which event the bill shall be read at length, and it shall be ordered forthwith to a second reading, or referred to a committee. The House or Senate, as the case may be, shall then proceed with the business upon which it was engaged when the message was received. 2. When House or Senate bills are signed by the Speaker or President of the Senate, thereupon the clerk or secretary, as the case may be, shall notify the other house, and request the signature of the presiding officer to the same; and assoon as the message is read, the presiding officer shall immediately sign the bills in the presence of the House or Senate, as prescribed by the Constitution. 3. That no local or special bill shall be introduced into either house unless the member who introduces it discloses at the time the fact that the notice required by the Constitution and laws has been given, and submit the proof thereof with the bill. 4. Bills affecting individuals or private corporations are local or special bills within the meaning of the preceding: Rule 3, but said rule does not apply to bil's relating to public or educational institutions of, or in this State, or to in dustrial, mining, immigration, or manufacturing corporations, or interests, or to corporations for constructing canals, or improving navigable rivers and harbors of this State; nor to bills which apply to all persons within the territorial limits to be affected thereby, and general in their application to the class or locality. 5. All bills for amendment to any section or part of the Code, in which the subject matter is stated in the title by reference to the section or other sub-division of the Code, must contain on the back of the bill, immediately below the title, a brief statement of the general subject to which such section or sub-division relates. |