Who reports

"The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration bill No.-. A., entitled, and have instructed me to report the same to the House with amendment," [or as the case may be.]

When the general flle has been under consideration, the report is as follows: "The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration the general file of bills, have gone through the same, and have directed me to report to the House the bills contained therein, with sundry amendments and recommendations, as follows, to wit:" [Here follows the title of bills considered, with action taken upon them.]

In case the file has been left unfinished, the report is

"The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration the general ille of bills, and have made some progress therein. I am directed to report back the following bills, with the amendments and recommendations hereinafter specifled, and ask leave for the committee to sit again." [Here follows the report of amendments, etc., as above.]

When, upon a count, it is ascertained that a quorum is not present, the report is

and

"The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration after some progress therein, find there is no quorum present; that fact I herewith report to you."

In case of confusion or disorder, the Speaker, of his own accord, resumes the Chair temporarily, and without any formality, for the purpose of suppressing it. When order is restored, the Chairman resumes the Chair and the business proceeds.

Upon the coming in of a report, the recommendations are at once acted on by the Assembly.

When, in Committee of the Whole, any member desires to offer an amendment, it must be reduced to writing and sent to the Chairman, who reads it, and asks

"Is the committee ready for the question upon the amendment?"

And if no further amendment or debate offer, he puts the question in the usual manner.

After a section is once passed, with an unsuccessful effort to amend it, no further amendments are in order. The strictness of this rule is, however, not always adhered to-an amendment once made, may, however, be reconsidered. Such a motion is

"That the amendment offered by the gentlemen from

section, be reconsidered:"

And is stated as follows:

"The gentleman from

to the th

moves that the amendment offered by the

gentleman from, to the-th section be reconsidered. "Is the Committee ready for the question?

"Those who are of the opinion that said amendment be reconsidered, say aye; those of a contrary opinion, say no."

In case the amendment is reconsidered, the Speaker, says:

"The motion is carried. The amendment is reconsidered. The question now recurs upon the adoption of the amendment. Is the Committee ready for the question," etc.?

Forms.

OF TITLES:

No., a bill to

Amending bill:

A bill relating to —, and amendatory of section

, of the

of chapter

relating to

A bill to repeal section —, of chapter (filling the blanks with the peoper section and chapter of the revised statutes or general laws, designating the same, and also the subject, object or purpose of the section of the chapter repealed; and in the body of every bill, the full title of the act repealed, shall be recited at length.) [See Joint Rule 13.]

Appropriation Bill:

"To appropriate to

the sum of

-dollars."

Titles should be written inside the bill, and indorsed upon the outside, as follows:

No., A.,

A Bill to change the name of Andrew Jack

son to James Monroe.

MR. GORDON.

RESOLUTIONS should not be entitled, but should have the name of the mover indorsed upon them. The same rule applies to amendments.

Resolutions are of no special form; the following may serve as a general guide in such matters:

Res. No., A.

"Resolved, That three thousand copies of the Governor's message be furnished by the public printer to the Sergeant-at-Arms, for the use of the Assembly.

FOR REPORTS the following form is used

"MR. TUCKER."

"The committee on. to whom was referred bill No. —, A., a bill to — respectfully report the same back to the House with an amendment;

and recommend its passage when emended;" or, i

"and recommend that it do pass;

or,

and recommend that it be indefinitely postponed; " or,

"and recommend that it be referred to the delegation from "to a select committee."

Or, if the committee report by bill:

"The committee on, to whom was referred by bill No., A., a bill to

And recommend its passage."

or,

, respectfully report

AN ENACTING CLAUSE must precede the body of the bill

It must invariably be in the following form:

The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:-Const., Art. IV., Sec. 17.

Investigations.

When an investigation is required into any matter. the person most interested in having the inquiry made, should move the appointment of a committee to take the subject in charge. This is done by resolution. The resolution should be so drawn as to state the precise subject to be investigated, and to give the committee all the power which the mover may deem necessary to a thorough examination into the subject matter to be laid before them; this should be done to prevent any misapprehension as to the intention and extent of the inquiry to be made. In case of the adoption of the resolution, the mover, together with other members, will be appointed a committee. They have power to send for persons and papers. The form of a subpoena is as follows:

"THE SATTE OF WISCONSIN,

"To: You are hereby commanded, that, laying aside all business and excuse, you personally appear and attend before Messrs.

———, in the city of day of -- A. D. one thouin the

on the part of the Senate, and Messrs. ―― on the part of the Assembly, a joint committee appointed under a resolution of the Senate and Assembly, to investigate - at the room of said committee Madison, the capital of the State, on the sand eight hundred and - at the hour of -and there, and from time to time, as required by said committee, to testify and give evidence upon the matters of inquiry before said committee. "Hercof fail not, under penalty in such case made and provided.

noon, then

"Given at the Assembly Chamber, in the city of Madison aforesaid, this day of

"Attest:

A. D. 18-.

In case of a refusal to appear, or a refusal to testify, the following form of certificate may be used:

"To Hon.

"I,

-, Speaker of the Assembly:

chairman of the joint committee appointed to investigate has been duly suppoenaed to appear before said committee, as will fully appear by the writ served, and

do hereby certify that

affidavit of service accompanying the same, on file with the Chief Clerk of the Assembly.

"I further certify that said

has failed to appear before said

committee according to the exigency or mandate of said writ or subpœna. "Dated Madison, -, 18, at o'clock P. M.

Upon which a warrant, in the following form may be used:

command

, on the

The State of Wisconsin, to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly: "It appearing that a writ of subpoena, directed to ing him to personally appear and attend before Messrs. part of the Senate, and Messrs. ——, on the part of the Assembly, a joint committee appointed under a resolution of the Senate and Assembly, to investigate -, at the room of said committee, in the city of Madison, the capital of the State, the day of, A. D. 18, at the hour of — in the noon, then and there, and from time to time, as required by said committee, to testify and give evidence upon the matter of inquiry before said committee, has been issued, and that the said writ of subpoena was duly personally served upon the said-, on the day of ——,

A. D. 18, and returned as provided in section one of an act entitled 'an act concerning evidence and witnesses,' approved February 3, 1857; and it further appearing by the certificate of the chairman of the said joint committee, that the said has failed or neglected to appear before the said committee in obedience to the mandate of the said subpæna: therefore, you are hereby commanded, in the name of the State of Wisconsin, to take the body of him, the said and bring him before the Assembly,

so that he may testify and give evidence before the said committee, and answer for his contempt of the Assembly in not obeying the mandate of said subpœna. Hereof fail not.

"Given at the Assembly Chamber, in the city of Madison aforesaid, this -day of —, A. D. 18-.

"By virtue of the within process, I did, on the day of―, 18-, arrest the body ofand took him before the committee within named, having refused to answer interrogatories propounded

and the said

by said committee, I have him, by direction of said committee, now before the Assembly.

A resolution, declaring the defaulter to be in contempt, is the next proceeding.

The following form for such resolution was used at the session of 1858: "Resolved, That the neglect or failure of

to appear before the

of the

joint investigating committee, composed of Messrs. Senate, and Messrs. of the Assembly, in compliance with the mandate of the writ of subpoena of this Assembly, served upon him on the instant, as fully appears by the said writ and the affidavit of the service thereof endorsed thereon, now on flle with the Chief Clerk of this House, be and the said neglect and failure is hereby declared a contempt of this House."

This is followed by an interrogatory, as follows

"Int. 1.-Why did you not appear before the joint investigating committee, as required by the mandate of the subpoena served upon you the inst?" To which the defaulter pleads before judgment is inflicted.

Another form is as follows:

"Resolved, That the refusal of

to answer the questions put to him by a member of the joint investigating committee, on the - instant, and which questions were certifled to the House by

Chairman

of said committee; and are now in writing, on file with the Chief Clerk of the House, be, and the same is hereby declared a contempt of this House." Followed by the corresponding interrogatory:

"Why did you not answer the question put or propounded to you on the instant, by a member of the joint investigating committee, of which is Chairman ?"

In case the answer is satisfactory, the offender is discharged; if otherwise, he is punished by reprimand, fine or imprisonment, or both; but such imprisonment cannot extend beyond the session of the Legislature.

The report of a Committee on Investigation should consist of three parts: 1. The testimony taken;

2. A statement of the facts proven thereby, or conclusions derived there. from;

3. Resolutions, or a bill providing for the action which the committee deem proper to be taken in the premises.

Quorums.

Whole number electable.

"Not less than 54 nor more than one hundred." Const., Art. IV., Sec. 2. "One from each Assembly District." Chapter 156, General Laws 1871(which provides for 100 Assembly Districts.)

To expel a member-67.

Two-thirds of all the members elected." Const., Art. IV., Sec. 8.

To do any business except to adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent members-51.

"A majority." Const., Art. IV., Sec. 7.

To cause the ayes and nays on any question to be entered on the journal"One-sixth of those present." Const., Art. IV., Sec. 20.

(See table on page 234.)