OF DECORUM AND DEBATE.

21. 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.

22. If any member, in speaking or otherwise, transgress the rules of the House, the Speaker shall, or any member may, call to order; in which case, the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain; and the House shall, if appealed to, decide on the case, but without debate: if there be no appeal, the decision of the Chair shall be submitted to. If the decision be in favour of the member called to order, he shall be at liberty to proceed; if otherwise, he shall not be permitted to proceed in case any member object, without leave of the House; and, if the case require it, he shall be liable to the censure of the House.

23. If a member be called to order for words spoken in debate, the person calling him to order shall repeat the words excepted to, and they shall be taken down in writing at the Clerk's table; and no member shall be held to answer, or be subject to the censure of the House, for words spoken in debate, if any other member has spoken, or other business has intervened, after the words spoken, and before exception to them shall have been taken.

24. When two or more members happen to rise at once, the Speaker shall name the member who is first to speak. 25. No member shall speak more than twice to the same question, without leave of the House, nor more than once until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken.

26. If a question depending be lost by adjournment of the House, and revived on the succeeding day, no member, who shall have spoken twice on the preceding day, shall be permitted again to speak without leave.

27. Whilst the Speaker is putting any question, or addressing the House, none shall walk out of or across the House; ase, or when a member is speaking, shall enterliscourse; nor, whilst a member is speaking, ween him and the Chair. Every member shall vered during the sessions of the House. No her person shall visit or remain by the Clerk's 3 ayes or noes are calling, or ballots are counting. mber shall vote on any question in the event of nmediately and particularly interested, or in any e was not within the bar of the House when the put. And when any member shall ask leave to aker shall propound to him the question-" Were e bar when your name was called?"

a division and count of the House on any quesber without the bar shall be counted.

member who shall be in the House when the ut, shall give his vote, unless the House, for speshall excuse him. All motions to excuse a meming, shall be made before the House divides, or all of the yeas and nays is commenced; and any uesting to be excused from voting, may make a statement of the reasons for making such request, stion shall then be taken without further debate. ■ a motion is made and seconded, it shall be e Speaker; or, being in writing, it shall be handair, and read aloud by the Clerk, before debated. y motion shall be reduced to writing, if the any member desire it.

a motion is stated by the Speaker, or read by shall be deemed to be in the possession of the may be withdrawn at any time before a decision

ent.

n a question is under debate, no motion shall be t to adjourn, to lie on the table, for the previous postpone to a day certain, to commit or amend, e indefinitely; which several motions shall have in the order in which they are arranged; and to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or to postpone indefinitely, being decided, shall be again allowed on the same day, and at the same stage of the bill or proposition. A motion to strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to amend, and, if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection.

35. When a resolution shall be offered, or a motion made, to refer any subject, and different committees shall be proposed, the question shall be taken in the following order:

The Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; the Committee of the Whole House; a Standing Committee; a Select Committee.

36. A motion to adjourn shall be always in order; that, and the motion to lie on the table, shall be decided without debate. 37. The hour at which every motion to adjourn is made, shall be entered on the Journal.-(Oct. 9th, 1837.)

38. The previous question shall be in this form: "Shall the main question be now put?" It shall be only admitted when demanded by a majority of the members present; and, until it is decided, shall prelude all amendment, and further debate of the main question. On a motion for the previous question, and prior to the seconding of the same, a call of the House shall be in order; but, after a majority shall have seconded such motion, no call shall be in order prior to a decision of the main question.

39. On a previous question there shall be no debate. All incidental questions of order arising after a motion is made for the previous question, and pending such motion, shall be decided, whether on appeal or otherwise, without debate.

40. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon again during the session.

41. Any member may call for the division of a question, which shall be divided if it comprehend propositions in substance so distinct, that one being taken away, a substantive proposition shall remain for the decision of the House. A motion to strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible; but a motion to strike out being lost, shall preclude neither amendment, nor a motion to strike out and insert.

ال

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Infinished business in which the House was en- last preceding adjournment shall have the preThe orders of the day; and no motion on any ss shall be received, without special leave of the - the former is disposed of.

y order, resolution, or vote, to which the concure Senate shall be necessary, shall be read to the laid on the table, on a day preceding that in ame shall be moved, unless the House shall otherssly allow.

ions, memorials, and other papers addressed to the Il be presented by the Speaker, or by a member in a brief statement of the contents thereof shall be ally by the introducer; they shall not be debated of their being presented; nor on any day assignHouse for the receipt of petitions after the first of the session, unless where the House shall direct but shall lie on the table, to be taken up in the hich they were presented.

roposition requesting information from the President

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of the United States, or directing it to be furnished by the head of either of the Executive Departments, or by the Postmaster General, or to print an extra number of any document or other matter, excepting messages of the President to both Houses at the commencement of each session of Congress, and the reports and documents connected with or referred to in it, shall lie on the table one day for consideration, unless ( otherwise ordered by the unanimous consent of the House; and all such propositions shall be taken up for consideration in the order they were presented, immediately after reports are called for from select committees; and, when adopted, the Clerk shall cause the same to be delivered.

50. Any fifteen members (including the Speaker, if there be one) shall be authorised to compel the attendance of absent members.

51. Upon calls of the House, or in taking the yeas and nays on any question, the names of the members shall be called alphabetically.

52. Any member may excuse himself from serving on any committee at the time of his appointment, if he is then a member of two other committees.

53. No member shall absent himself from the service of the House, unless he have leave, or be sick and unable to attend.

54. Upon the call of the House, the names of the members shall be called over by the Clerk, and the absentees noted; after which, the names of the absentees shall again be called over, the doors shall then be shut, and those for whom no excuse, or insufficient excuses are made, may, by order of those present, if fifteen in number, be taken into custody as they appear, or may be sent for and taken into custody, wherever to be found, by special messengers to be appointed for that purpose.

55. When a member shall be discharged from custody, and admitted to his seat, the House shall determine whether such discharge shall be with or without paying fees; and, in like