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RULES AND ORDERS

OF THE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

RULES AND ORDERS.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE SPEAKER.

1. The speaker shall take the chair every day at the hour to which the house shall have adjourned; shall call the members to order; and on the appearance of a quorum shall cause the journal of the preceding day to be read.

2. He shall preserve decorum and order; may speak to points of order in preference to other members; shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the house, on motion regularly seconded; and may vote in all cases.

3. He shall declare all votes; but if any member doubt the vote, the speaker shall order a return of the house, with the number voting for and against the question, and declare the result.

4. He shall rise to put a question, or to address the house, but may read sitting.

5. When the house shall determine to go into a committee of the whole house, the speaker shall appoint the member who shall take the chair.

6. When any member shall demand a question to be determined by yeas and nays, the speaker shall

take the sense of the house in that manner, provided, one fifth of the members present are in favor of it.

7. He shall propound all questions in the order they were moved, unless the subsequent motion be previous in its nature; except that in naming sums, and fixing times, the largest sum and longest time shall be put first.

8. He shall consider a motion to adjourn as always first in order, and it shall be decided without debate.

9. He shall put the previous question in the following form: "Shall the main question be now put?" and all amendment or further debate of the main question shall be suspended until the previous question shall be decided, and the previous question shall not be put unless one third of the members present are in favor of it.

10. When two or more members rise at the same time, the speaker shall name the person to speak; but in all cases the member who shall first rise and address the chair shall speak first.

11. All committees, except such as the house shall from time to time determine to select by ballot, shall be nominated by the speaker, unless a majority of members shall be in favor of a nomination by the house, in which case the nomination shall be made by the house.

12. The speaker shall have a right to name a member to perform the duties of the chair during his absence, but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment.

DUTIES OF THE CLERK.

13. All messages from the house to the senate, and to the governor, or governor and council, shall be carried by the clerk, unless when the house shall otherwise decide.

14. All papers shall be transmitted to the governor and council, and to the senate, by the clerk, or the assistant clerk.

15. In case the speaker shall be absent, the clerk shall preside until a speaker pro tem. be chosen.

OF THE CHAPLAIN.

16. A chaplain or chaplains, shall be appointed at the commencement of the session, in such manner as the house may direct, who shall perform religious services every morning immediately after the reading of the journal. They may exchange with the chaplain or chaplains of the senate, when it may be convenient to themselves.

DECORUM OF MEMBERS.

17. Every seat which shall be drawn by any member, in person, at the beginning of any session, shall be his seat during that session, unless he shall have leave of the speaker to change it.

18. No person shall sit at the desk of the speaker or clerk, except by permission of the speaker.

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