A Manual of Parliamentary Practice SEC. XIV: Arrangement of Business
by Thomas Jefferson
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 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 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 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.
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.
