RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE IN THE SENATE WHEN SITTING FOR THE TRIAL OF IMPEACHMENTS. PRINTED FOR THE USE OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. STANDING RULES FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 1.. COMMENCEMENT OF DAILY SESSIONS. -The Presiding Officer having taken the chair, and a quorum being present, the journal of the preceding day shall be read, to the end that any mistake may be corrected that shall be made in the entries. [16 April, 1789-March 25, 1868. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. [4 May, 1864-March 25, 1868. BUSINESS NOT TO BE INTERRUPTED. 2.--No Senator shall speak to another, or otherwise interrupt the business of the Senate, or read any newspaper, while the journals or public papers are reading, or when any Senator is speaking in any debate. [16 April, 1789-14 Feb., 1828-March 25, 1868. RULES IN SPEAKING OR DEBATE. 3.Every Senator, when he speaks, shall address the Chair, standing in his place, and when he has finished shall sit down. [16 April, 1789-March 25, 1868. 4.No Senator shall speak more than twice, in any one debate, on the same day, without leave of the Senate, which question shall be decided without debate. [16 April, 1789-March 25, 1868. 5.--When two Senators rise at the same time, the Presiding Officer shall name the person to speak; but in all cases the Senator who shall rise first and address the Chair shall speak first. [16 April, 1789-14 Feb., 1828-March 25, 1868. CALLS TO ORDER AND APPEALS. 6.—— -If any Senator, in speaking or otherwise, transgress the rules of the Senate, the Presiding Officer shall, or any Senator may, call to order; and when a Senator shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer, or a Senator, he shall sit down, and shall not proceed without leave of the Senate. And every question of order shall be decided by the Presiding Officer, without debate, subject to an appeal to the Senate; and the Presiding Officer may call for the sense of the Senate on any question of order. But when an appeal shall be taken from the decision of the Presiding Officer, any subsequent question of order, which may arise before the decision of such appeal by the Senate, shall be decided by the Presiding Officer without debate, and every appeal therefrom shall also be decided at once, and without debate. [16 April, 1789-14 Feb., 1828-26 June, 1856-March 25, 1868. EXCEPTIONABLE WORDS. 7.——If a Senator be called to order by another for words spoken, the exceptionable words shall immediately be taken down in writing, that the Presiding Officer may be better able to judge of the matter. [16 April, 1789-March 25, 1868. ABSENT SENATORS MAY BE SENT FOR. 8. -No Senator shall absent himself from the service of the Senate, without leave of the Senate first obtained. And in case a less number than a quorum of the Senate shall convene, they are hereby authorized to send the Sergeant-at-arms, or any other person or persons by them anthorized, for any or all absent Senators, as the majority of such Senators present shall agree, at the expense of such absent Senators, respectively, unless such excuse for non-attendance shall be made as the Senate, when a quorum is convened, shall judge sufficient, and in that case the expense shall be paid out of the contingent fund. And this rule. shall apply as well to the first convention of the Senate, at the legal time of meeting, as to each day of the session, after the hour has arrived to which the Senate stood adjourned. [16 April, 1789-25 June, 1798-4 Feb., 1828-March 25, 1868. RULE FOR DEBATE. 9. No motion shall be debated until the same shall be seconded. [16 April, 1789-March 25, 1868. 10. RULE FOR MOTIONS, DEBATE, AND WITHDRAWAL. When a motion shall be made and seconded, it shall be reduced to writing, if desired by the Presiding Officer, or any Senator, delivered in at the table, and read, before the same shall be debated; and any motion may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before a decision, amendment, or ordering of the yeas and nays, except a motion to reconsider, which shall not be withdrawn without leave of the Senate. [16 April, 1789-14 Feb., 1828-21 Jan., 1851-March 25, 1868. |