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secret, until the House shall remove the injunction of secrecy.

XII.

Every Member, who shall neglect to give his attendance in the House for more than six days after the session commences, shall, on making his appearance therein, be held to render the reason of such neglect; and in case the reason assigned shall be deemed by the House sufficient, such Member shall be entitled to receive pay for his travel, and not otherwise; and no Member shall be absent more than two days, without leave of the House; and a vote of leave of absence shall be inoperative, unless the Member obtaining it shall avail himself of it within five days.

XIII.

When any Member shall be guilty of a breach of either of the Rules and Orders of the House, he may be required by the House on motion, to make satisfaction therefor, and shall not be allowed to vote, or speak, except by way of excuse, till he has done so. XIV.

No Member shall be permitted to vote, or serve on any Committee, in any question where his private right is immediately concerned, distinct from the public interest.

XV.

Every Member, who shall be in the House when a question is put, where he is not excluded by interest, shall give his vote, unless the House, for special reasons, shall excuse him. Any Member desiring to be so excused on any question, shall make application to that effect before the House is divided, or before the calling of the yeas and nays; and such application shall be accompanied by a brief statement of reasons, and shall be decided without debate.

XVI.

Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if the Speaker shall so direct.

XVII.

Any Member may call for the division of a question when the sense will admit of it. A motion to strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible: but a motion to strike out being lost, shall neither preclude amendment, nor a motion to strike out and

insert.

XVIII.

Motions and Reports may be committed, or recommitted, at the pleasure of the House.

XIX.

No motion or proposition, of a subject different from that under consideration, shall be admitted under color of amendment.

XX.

The unfinished business, in which the House was engaged at the time of the last adjournment, shall have the preference in the orders of the day.

XXI.

No rule or order of the House shall be dispensed with, altered, or repealed, unless two thirds of the Members present shall consent thereto.

XXII.

When a vote is doubted, the Members for or against the question, when called on by the Speaker, shall rise and stand uncovered till they are counted.

XXIII.

All questions, relating to the priority of business to be acted upon, shall be decided without debate.

XXIV.

Every question of order shall be noted by the Clerk, with the decision thereon, and inscribed at large on the Journal.

XXV.

When a motion is made to refer any subject, and different Committees shall be proposed, the question shall be taken in the following order :-a Standing Committee of the House-a Select Committee of the House-a Joint Standing Committee-a Joint Select Committee.

XXVI.

It shall be the duty of each Member of the House, who moves that any Standing Committee be instructed to inquire into the expediency of amending an existing law or laws, to point out the amendment, which he deems expedient, in writing, to accompany his motion, or to furnish a written statement thereof to such Committee, if by them required.

XXVII.

No stranger shall be admitted to the seats of Members, or upon the floor of the House, without leave of the Speaker.

CHAPTER III.

Of the Duties of Monitors.

I.

Two Monitors shall be appointed for each division of the House, whose duty it shall be to see the due observance of the orders of the House, and, on demand of the Speaker, to return the number of votes and Members in their respective divisions.

II.

If any Member shall transgress any of the rules or orders of the House, and persist therein after being notified thereof by any Monitor, it shall be the duty of such Monitor to give information thereof to the House.

III.

In case the Speaker shall be absent at the hour to which the House was adjourned, one of the Monitors shall call the House to order, and the Clerk shall preside.

CHAPTER IV.

Of Petitions, Memorials, &c.

I.

All papers addressed to the House, except petitions, memorials and remonstrances, shall be presented by the Speaker, or by a Member in his place, and shall be read by the Speaker, Clerk, or such other person as the Speaker may request, and shall be taken up in the order in which they were presented, unless where the House shall otherwise direct.

II.

Every Member, presenting to the House a petition, memorial, or remonstrance, shall endorse his name thereon, with a brief statement of the nature, and object of the instrument, and the reading of the same from the Chair, shall in all instances be dispensed with, unless specially ordered by the House.

III.

All reports, petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and papers of a like nature, shall be presented dur ing the first hour of each session of the House, and at no other time, except by special leave of the

House and the Speaker shall call on the several Divisions, in regular succession, for such papers.

IV.

If any member of the House, shall so request, any order, which shall be proposed for adoption, shall be passed over for that day without question; and the same shall be considered and disposed of, on the succeeding day, in the same manner as it would have been, on the day on which it was offered, if no objection had been made.

V.

All applications for the use of the Representatives' Chamber shall be made to, and decided upon, by the Committee on Public Buildings; subject, however, to the control and order of the House.

CHAPTER V.

Of Bills, Resolves and Grants.

I.

The first reading of a bill shall be for information, and if opposition be made to it, the question shall be, "Shall this bill be rejected?" If no opposition be made, or if the question to reject be negatived, the bill shall go to its second reading without a question.

II.

No bill or resolve shall pass to be engrossed without being read on three several days.

III.

All bills and resolves shall be written in a fair round hand, without interlineations, on not less than one sheet of paper, with suitable margins, and spaces between the several sections or resolves.

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