ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS.
The Speaker is not precisely bound to any rules as to what bills or other
matter shall be first taken up, but is left to his own discretion, unless
the House on a question decide to take up a particular subject.--_Hakew._
136.
A settled order of business is, however, necessary for the government of
the presiding person, and to restrain individual members from calling
up favorite measures, or matters under their special patronage, out
of their just turn. It is useful also for directing the discretion of
the House, when they are moved to take up a particular matter, to the
prejudice of others having a priority of right to their attention in
the general order of business.
$In Senate, the bills and other papers which are in possession of the
House, and in a state to be acted upon, are arranged every morning, and
brought on in the following order:
1. Bills ready for a second reading are read, that they may be referred
to committees, and so be put under way. But if, on their being read, no
motion is made for commitment, they are then laid on the table in the
general file, to be taken up in their just turn.
2. After twelve o'clock, bills ready for it are put on their passage.
3. Reports in possession of the House which offer grounds for a bill,
are to be taken up, that the bill may be ordered in.
4. Bills or other matters before the House, and unfinished on the
preceding day, whether taken up in turn, or on special order, are entitled
to be resumed and passed on through their present stage.
5. These matters being despatched, for preparing and expediting business,
the general file of bills and other papers is then taken up, and each
article of it is brought on according to its seniority, reckoned by the
date of its first introduction to the House. Reports on bills belong to
the dates of their bills.
In this way we do not waste our time in debating what shall be taken
up: we do one thing at a time, follow up a subject while it is fresh,
and till it is done with; clear the House of business, gradatim as it is
brought on, and prevent, to a certain degree, its immense accumulation
towards the close of the session.
Arrangement, however, can only take hold of matters in possession of the
House. New matter may be moved at any time, when no question is before
the House. Such are original motions, and reports on bills. Such are,
bills from the other House, which are received at all times, and receive
their first reading as soon as the question then before the House is
disposed of; and bills brought in on leave, which are read first whenever
presented. So, messages from the other House respecting amendments to
bills, are taken up as soon as the House is clear of a question, unless
they require to be printed for better consideration. Orders of the day
may be called for, even when another question is before the House.$