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 the 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 the others having 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 on, 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 12 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 dispatched, 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.]
[The arrangement of the business of the Senate is now as follows:]
[1. Motions previously submitted.]
[2. Reports of Committees previously made.]
[3. Bills from the House of Representatives, and those introduced on
leave, which have been read the first time, are read the second time;
and if not referred to a committee, are considered in Committee of the
Whole, and proceeded with as in other cases.]
[4. After twelve o’clock, engrossed bills of the Senate, and bills of
the House of Representatives, on third reading, are put on their
passage.]
[5. If the above are finished before one o’clock, the general file of
bills, consisting of those reported from committees on the second
reading, and those reported from committees after having been referred,
are taken up in the order in which they were reported to the Senate by
the respective committees.]
[6. At one o’clock, if no business be pending, or if no motion be called
to proceed to other business, the special orders are called, at the head
of which stands the unfinished business of the preceding day.]
[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.]