A MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE.docx

A MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE.docx

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AMANUALOFPARLIAMENTARYPRACTICE

AMANUALOFPARLIAMENTARYPRACTICE:

fortheUseoftheSenateoftheUnitedStates.

BYTHOMASJEFFERSON.

1812

SEC.

1.Rules,importanceof.

2.Legislature.

3.Privilege.

4.Elections.

5.Qualifications.

6.Quorum.

7.CalloftheHouse.

8.Absence.

9.Speaker.

10.Address.

11.Committees.

12.Committeeofthewhole.

13.ExaminationbeforeCommittees,&c.

14.Arrangementofbusiness.

15.Order.

16.Respectingpapers.

17.Indebate.

18.OrdersoftheHouse.

19.Petitions.

20.Motions.

21.Resolutions.

22.Bills,Readings.

23.Leavetobringin.

24.Firstreading.

25.Secondreading.

26.Commitment.

27.ReportofCommittee.

28.Recommitment.

29.Reporttakenup.

30.QuasiCommittee.

31.SecondreadingintheHouse.

32.Readingpapers.

33.Privilegedquestions.

34.Previousquestion.

35.Amendments.

36.Divisionofquestion.

37.Co-existingquestions.

38.Bills,Equivalentquestions.

39.TheQuestion.

40.Thirdreading.

41.DivisionoftheHouse.

42.Title.

43.Reconsideration.

44.BillssenttotheotherHouse.

45.AmendmentsbetweentheHouses.

46.Conferences.

47.Messages.

48.Assent.

49.Journals.

50.Adjournment.

51.Session.

52.Treaties.

53.Impeachment.

Preface

THEConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesestablishingalegislaturefortheUnion,undercertainforms,authoriseseachbranchofit"todeterminetherulesofitsownproceedings."TheSenatehaveaccordinglyformedsomerulesforitsowngovernment:

butthesegoingonlytofewcases,theyhavereferredtothedecisionoftheirPresident,withoutdebateandwithoutappeal,allquestionsoforderarisingeitherundertheirownrules,orwheretheyhaveprovidednone.ThisplacesunderthediscretionofthePresidentaveryextensivefieldofdecision,andonewhich,irregularlyexercised,wouldhaveapowerfuleffectontheproceedingsanddeterminationsoftheHouse.ThePresidentmustfeelweightilyandseriouslythisconfidenceinhisdiscretion;andthenecessityofrecurring,foritsgovernment,tosomeknownsystemofrules,thathemayneitherleavehimselffreetoindulgecapriceorpassion,noropentotheimputationofthem.Buttowhatsystemofrulesishetorecur,assupplementarytothoseoftheSenate?

Tothistherecanbebutoneanswer;tothesystemofregulationsadoptedforthegovernmentofsomeoneoftheParliamentarybodieswithinthesestates,orofthatwhichhasservedasaprototypetomostofthem.Thislastisthemodelwhichwehaveallstudied,whilewearelittleacquaintedwiththemodificationsofitinourseveralstates.Itisdepositedtooinpublicationspossessedbymanyandopentoall.Itsrulesareprobablyaswiselyconstructedforgoverningthedebatesofadeliberativebody,andobtainingitstruesense,asanywhichcanbecomeknowntous;andtheacquiescenceoftheSenate,hitherto,underthereferencestothem,hasgiventhemthesanctionoftheirapprobation.

ConsideringthereforethelawofproceedingsintheSenateascomposedofthepreceptsoftheConstitution,theregulationsoftheSenate,and,wherethesearesilent,oftherulesofParliament,Ihavehereendeavoredtocollectanddigestsomuchoftheseasiscalledforinordinarypractice,collatingtheParliamentarywiththeSenatorialrules,bothwheretheyagreeandwheretheyvary.Ihavedonethis,aswelltohavethemathandformyowngovernment,astodepositwiththeSenatethestandardbywhichIjudgeandamwillingtobejudged.Icouldnotdoubtthenecessityofquotingthesourcesofmyinformation;amongwhichMr.Hatsell'smostvaluablebookispreeminent;butashehasonlytreatedsomegeneralheads,Ihavebeenobligedtorecurtootherauthoritiesinsupportofanumberofcommonrulesofpracticetowhichhisplandidnotdescend.Sometimeseachauthoritycitedsupportsthewholepassage.Sometimesitrestsonalltakentogether.Sometimestheauthoritygoesonlytoapartofthetext,theresiduebeinginferredfromknownrulesandprinciples.Forsomeofthemostfamiliarforms,nowrittenauthorityis,orcanbequoted;nowriterhavingsupposeditnecessarytorepeatwhatallwerepresumedtoknow.Thestatementofthesemustrestontheirnotoriety.

IamawarethatauthoritiescanoftenbeproducedinoppositiontotheruleswhichIlaydownasParliamentary.Anattentiontodateswillgenerallyremovetheirweight.TheproceedingsofParliamentinantienttimes,andforalongwhile,werecrude,multiformandembarrassing.Theyhavebeen,however,constantlyadvancingtowardsuniformityandaccuracy;andhavenowattainedadegreeofaptitudetotheirobject,beyondwhich,littleistobedesiredorexpected.

YetIamfarfromthepresumptionofbelievingthatImaynothavemistakentheParliamentarypracticeinsomecases;andespeciallyinthoseminorforms,which,beingpractiseddaily,aresupposedknowntoeverybody,andthereforehavenotbeencommittedtowriting.Ourresources,inthisquarteroftheglobe,forobtaininginformationonthatpartofthesubject,arenotperfect.ButIhavebegunasketch,whichthosewhocomeaftermewillsuccessivelycorrectandfillup,tillacodeofrulesshallbeformedfortheuseoftheSenate,theeffectsofwhichmaybe,accuracyinbusiness,economyoftime,order,uniformity,andimpartiality.

NOTE.TherulesandpracticespeculiartotheSenateareprintedinItalic.ThoseofParliamentareintheRomanletter.

IMPORTANCEOFRULES.

SEC.I

THEIMPORTANCEOFADHERINGTORULES.

MR.ONSLOW,theablestamongtheSpeakersoftheHouseofCommons,usedtosay,'itwasamaximhehadoftenheard,whenhewasayoungman,fromoldandexperiencedmembers,thatnothingtendedmoretothrowpowerintothehandsofadministrationandthosewhoactedwiththemajorityoftheHouseofCommons,thananeglectof,ordeparturefrom,therulesofproceeding:

thattheseforms,asinstitutedbyourancestors,operatedasacheckandcontroulontheactionsofthemajority;andthattheywereinmanyinstances,ashelterandprotectiontotheminority,againsttheattemptsofpower.'Sofarthemaximiscertainlytrue,andisfoundedingoodsense,thatasitisalwaysinthepowerofthemajority,bytheirnumbers,tostopanyimpropermeasuresproposedonthepartoftheiropponents,theonlyweaponsbywhichtheminoritycandefendthemselvesagainstsimilarattemptsfromthoseinpower,aretheformsandrulesofproceedingwhichhavebeenadoptedastheywerefoundnecessaryfromtimetotime,andarebecomethelawoftheHouse;byastrictadherencetowhich,theweakerpartycanonlybeprotectedfromthoseirregularitiesandabuseswhichtheseformswereintendedtocheck,andwhichthewantonnessofpowerisbuttoooftenapttosuggesttolargeandsuccessfulmajorities.2Hats.171,172.

Andwhethertheseformsbeinallcasesthemostrationalornot,isreallynotofsogreatimportance.Itismuchmorematerialthatthereshouldbearuletogoby,thanwhatthatruleis;thattheremaybeanuniformityofproceedinginbusiness,notsubjecttothecapriceoftheSpeaker,orcaptiousnessofthemembers.Itisverymaterialthatorder,decencyandregularity,bepreservedinadignifiedpublicbody.2Hats.149.

Andin1698theLordssay,"thereasonablenessofwhatisdesiredisneverconsideredbyus,forweareboundtoconsidernothingbutwhatisusual.Mattersofformareessentialtogovernment,and'tisofconsequencetobeintheright.Allthereasonforformsiscustom,andthelawofformsispractice;andreasonisquiteoutofdoors.Someparticularcustomsmaynotbegroundedonreason,andnogoodaccountcanbegivenofthem;andyetmanynationsarezealousforthem;andEnglishmenareaszealousasanyotherstopursuetheiroldformsandmethods."4Hats.258.

SEC.II.

LEGISLATURE.

ALLLegislativepowershereingranted,shallbevestedinaCongressoftheUnitedStates,whichshallconsistofaSenateandHouseofRepresentatives.ConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,Art.1,Sec.1.

TheSenatorsandRepresentativesshallreceiveacompensationfortheirservices,tobeascertainedbylaw,andpaidoutoftheTreasuryoftheUnitedStates.ConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,Art.1.Sec.6.

ForthepowersofCongress,seethefollowingArticlesandSectionsoftheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.I.4.7.8.9.II.1.2.III.3.IV.1.3.5.andalltheamendments.

SEC.III.

PRIVILEGE.

THEprivilegesofthemembersofParliament,fromsmallandobscurebeginnings,havebeenadvancingforcenturies,withafirmandneveryieldingpace.Claimsseemtohavebeenbroughtforwardfromtimetotime,andrepeated,tillsomeexampleoftheiradmissionenabledthemtobuildlawonthatexample.Wecanonlythereforestatethepointofprogressionatwhichtheynoware.Itisnowacknowledged,1.Thattheyareatalltimesexemptedfromquestionelsewhereforanythingsaidintheirownhouse;thatduringthetimeofprivilege,2.Neitheramemberhimself,1hiswife,orhisservants,（familiaressui）foranymatteroftheirown,maybearrested,2onmesneprocess,inanycivilsuit:

3.Norbedetainedunderexecution,thoughleviedbeforetimeofprivilege:

4.Norimpleaded,cited,orsubpoenaedinanycourt:

5.Norsummonedasawitnessorjuror:

6.Normaytheirlandsorgoodsbedistrained:

7.Northeirpersonsassaulted,orcharacterstraduced.Andtheperiodoftimecoveredbyprivilege,beforeandafterthesession,withthepracticeofshortprorogationsundertheconnivanceofthecrown,amountsinfacttoaperpetualprotectionagainstthecourseofjustice.Inoneinstance,indeed,ithasbeenrelaxedbythe10.G.3.c.50,whichpermitsjudiciaryproceedingstogoon