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or other proper business, shall be announced, always commencing with the unfinished business of the last sitting. The first hour of the afternoon's sitting may be occupied in the receiving and disposing of reports of committees, and in completing the business of the morning hour; at the expiration of which, the Senate will again take up the orders of the day. 14. Reports of committees may be signed by any member in behalf of the committee, and shall be by him presented to the Senate, when a call for reports is made. The signer of each report shall be held responsible for the accuracy of its statements and the propriety of its language, and when the same shall be under consideration, he shall be further liable to give additional statements of facts, or other explanations, in answer to the call of any Senator.

15. The proceedings of the Senate, except when acting as in Committee of the Whole, embracing the titles of bills, and such parts thereof as may be affected by proposed amendments, and also the names of Senators, and the votes which they give on every question decided by yeas and nays, shall be by the Secretary accurately and concisely inserted in the journals. 16. The Senate shall, annually, within the first four days of actual sitting, elect by ballot (and a majority of all present shall be necessary to a choice,) a Secretary and an Assistant Secretary, who shall be ex-officio Engrossing Clerk, who shall severally be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties, and shall hold said offices until superceded by a new election. The Senate shall, also, within the same time, elect the following Standing Committees, to consist of three members each, to wit: On Finance,—on the Judiciary, on Claims,-on Education,-on Agriculture,-on Manufactures,-on Elections,-on Rules,-on Military Affairs,-on Roads and Canals,-on Banks, and on Land Taxes.

17. In the appointment of standing committees, (except the one mentioned in rule 1,) the Senate will proceed, by ballot, severally to appoint the chairman of each, and then, by one ballot, the other members necessary to complete the same. In the election of a chairman, a majority of the votes given shall be necessary, but for the others, a plurality shall be sufficient. All select committees shall be appointed by the President, unless otherwise ordered by the Senate.

18. All bills, after the second reading, and all petitions, memorials, remonstrances, resolutions, and other papers calling for legislative action, (except such as have been reported by a committee,) no objection being made, shall be referred by the President to appropriate committees.

19. Before any resolution, any petition, or other paper addressed to the Senate, shall be received and read, whether the same shall be introduced by the President or a Senator, the title shall be fairly endorsed thereon; and a brief statement of its object or contents shall be made by the introducer.

20. Every motion shall be reduced to writing by the mover, if required thereto by the President or a Senator, and a motion to lay another motion, the latter not being in writing, on the table, or otherwise to dispose of it, shall not be in order.

21. Every bill shall receive three readings before it is passed; the President shall give notice at each reading whether it be the first, second, or third; the last of which readings of public bills shall be at least twentyfour hours after the first reading, unless the Senate unanimously direct otherwise. Provided, That private bills shall be read the second time by their title. Resolutions, requiring the approbation and signature of the Governor, shall be treated in all respects as bills.

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22. On the demand of a Senator, public bills, after a second reading, shall be considered by the Senate as in committee of the whole.

23. The final question, upon the second reading of every bill which originated in the Senate, shall be, "Shall this bill be engrossed and read a third time?" No amendment shall be received at the third reading, but it may be committed for amendment at any time before its final passage. 24. Motions on bills and resolutions shall be sustained in the following order: 1. To postpone indefinitely. 2. To lay upon the table. 3. To commit. 4. To amend.

25. A call for the previous question shall not at any time be in order. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, and shall be decided without debate.

26. If the question in debate contain several points, the same shall be divided, on the demand of a Senator. A motion to strike out and insert shall not be divided, but the rejection of a motion to strike out and insert one proposition shall not preclude a motion to strike out and insert a different one, or a motion simply to strike out; nor shall the rejection of a motion simply to strike out, prevent a subsequent one to strike out and insert. 27. In filling blanks, the largest sum and the longest time shall be first in order.

28. When the reading of a paper is called for, and the same is objected to by a Senator, the question shall be determined by a vote of the Senate. 29. The yeas and nays shall be taken, on the call of a Senator, and every Senator present shall vote, unless excused by the Senate; but no Senator shall be compelled to vote, who was absent when the question was stated by the President, nor shall any one be permitted to vote, who was absent when his name was called, nor after the decision of the question has been announced from the chair.

30. No Senator in the minority, nor one who did not vote on the decision of a question, shall have a right to move a reconsideration thereof; nor shall any motion for reconsideration be in order, unless made before the close of the next day of actual sitting of the Senate after that in which the vote was taken, and before the bill, resolution, report, amendment, address, or motion, upon which the vote was taken, shall, in the regular progress of business, have gone out of the possession of the Senate.

31. On all questions, in the decision of which a simple majority is required, when the Senate is equally divided, the Secretary shall take the casting vote of the President. In all such cases, a motion for reconsideration, if made in time, shall be in order from any Senator who voted on the question.

32. The President shall have the right to call upon any Senator to discharge the duties of the chair, whenever he shall find it necessary, temporarily, to retire; but such substitution shall not extend beyond more than one adjournment.

33. The Senate, having taken a final vote on any question, the same shall not again be in order during the same session, in any form whatever, except by way of reconsideration; and when a motion for reconsideration has been decided, that decision shall not be reconsidered.

34. No proposition to amend the rules of the Senate, or the joint rules of both houses, shall be acted on, until the same shall have been before the Senate at least twenty-four hours.

35. Messages shall be sent to the House of Representatives by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary.

36. Reporters may be placed on the floor of the Senate, under the direction of the Secretary, with the approbation of the President.

37. No persons shall be admitted within the lobby of the Senate chamber, except the Governor, Treasurer of the State, Auditor of accounts, members of the other house, Judges of the Supreme Court, Senators and Representatives in Congress, Ex-Governors and Lieutenant Governors, Ex-Judges of the Supreme Court, Ex-Senators and Representatives in Congress, District Judge and Attorney of the United States, members of other State Legislatures, and such gentlemen and ladies as the President or a Senator may introduce.

38. When in session, the senators shall sit with their heads uncovered. 39. Upon any disorderly conduct in the gallery, the President may order the same to be cleared.

40. Whenever a bill or resolution is laid on the table, by order of the Senate, and shall have remained on the table twenty-four hours, it shall be subject to be taken up by the chair, and presented for the consideration of the Senate, without a call or order on the subject.

41. There shall be one door-keeper and one assistant door-keeper of the Senate; and the President may employ a boy to attend in the Senate chamber.

The following resolution from the House of Representatives was taken under consideration by the Senate:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, That both houses meet in joint assembly, on Tuesday next, at three o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of electing commissioners of the deaf and dumb, and a superintendant of the Vermont state prison, for the year ensuing. Mr. Clark moved to amend said resolution, by inserting the words "and blind," after the word "dumb," which amendment was concurred in. The said said resolution, as amended, was then read and passed.

A resolution from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, That both houses meet in joint assembly, on Saturday next, at three o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of electing judges of the supreme court for the year ensuing.

Mr. Miner moved to amend said resolution by striking out the words "Saturday next, at three o'clock in the afternoon," and inserting the words "Tuesday next, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon," which amendment was concurred in.

And the resolution, as amended, was read and passed.

A Resolution from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, That both houses meet in joint assembly, on Wednesday next, at ten o'clock, A. M., for the purpose of electing a Secretary of State for the year ensuing.

On motion of Mr. Eaton of Franklin,

Ordered, That said resolution be laid on the table.

On motion of Mr. Clark,

The Senate took under consideration a resolution introduced by him this morning, for a joint assembly to elect a reporter of the decisions of the supreme court.

Which was read and passed.

On motion of Mr. Miner,

Ordered, That when the Senate adjourn, it adjourn to meet on Monday next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon.

(S. 1.) Mr. Foster introduced a bill entitled "an act to authorize the business of banking;"

Which was read the first and second time and referred to the committee on banks.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Merrill, their clerk:

MR. PRESIDENT: The House, on their part, have appointed a committee to join the committee of the Senate, to canvass the votes for members of Congress.

The Senate adjourned.

MONDAY, OCT. 12, 1840.

Mr. Miner moved that the committee appointed to canvass votes for members of Congress have leave to sit during the session of the Senate. Which motion was agreed to.

Mr. Palmer introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Judiciary committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of enacting a law making town grand jurors informing officers, in the county where they reside, in all cases which exceed the jurisdiction of justices, to hear, try and determine.

Which resolution was read and passed.

Mr. Swift presented a petition from John M. Potter, for remuneration for military services, at the execution of A. L. Bates,

Which was referred to the committee on Finance.

Mr. Dana introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending the sixty-third section, twenty-eighth chapter of the Revised Statutes, as to allow the plaintiff to file the affidavit therein contemplated, when he has good reason to believe, and does believe, that the defendant has secreted about his person, or elsewhere, money or other property, although he may not believe that such defendant intends to abscond.

Which was read and passed.

Mr. Wooster presented the petition of Zaccheus Bass and others, praying for the enactment of a law to prevent shooting and spearing, and

catching by seine, fish in Otter Creek and its tributaries, in Addison county;

Which was referred, on motion of Mr. Wooster, to a committee of two Senators from Addison county.

The President appointed Mr. Wooster and Mr. Chipman as said committee.

Mr. Wooster introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Judiciary committee be instructed to enquire into the expediency of the passage of a law enacting, that when the goods, wares and merchandize of any merchant, or manufacturer, are attached by any creditor, he, the said attaching creditor, shall hold the same, subject to the claims of other creditors of such debtors.

Which resolution was read and passed.

Mr. Eaton of Franklin, introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That so much of His Excellency's message as relates to the subject of a geological survey of the state, be referred to the committee on Agriculture.

(S. 2.) Mr. Butler introduced a bill entitled "an act to prevent faudulent attachment;"

Which was read the first and second time, and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

(S. 4.) Mr. Butler also introduced a bill entitled "an act extending the jurisdiction of constables;"

Which was read the first and second time, and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Butler introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Judiciary committee be instructed to enquire into the expediency of altering the laws of this state, so as to require the several towns to hold their annual meetings for the election of town officers, in the month of November, and report by bill or otherwise. Which resolution was read and passed.

(S. 3.) Mr. Crawford introduced a bill entitled "an act to provide for surveying and ascertaining the boundary line between the counties of Bennington and Windham;"

Which was read the first and second time, and, on motion of Mr. Crawford, referred to a select committee consisting of one Senator from each of said counties.

The President appointed Mr. Crawford and Mr. Swift, as said commit

tee.

Mr. Crawford presented the petition of Phineas White and others, praying for an academy at Putney;

Which was referred to the committee on Education.

Mr. Morse introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That the committee on Education be instructed to enquire into the expediency of diviving among the several academies, seminaries and colleges in this state, the interest yearly accruing from the state school fund.

Which resolution was read and passed.

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