p. 126. Re. 8, Sen. A less number than a quorum may send for any or all the absent members. This rule applies to the first and every subsequent meeting. Mode Elec House Reps. U. S. THE PRESIDING OFFICER.* § 1. The speaker of the House of Representating Speak' tives of the United States is usually elected in the following way: On the day appointed for the meeting of Congress, the representatives assemble in their hall at 12 M. The clerk of the last House opens the session by calling the names of the members by states and territories. Con. U.S. § 2. A quorum being present, the clerk names, Art. 1. See with the permission of the House, two or more members to act as tellers, making the selection 5, page 12. Tellers. *The presiding officer of the Upper House of Legislatures, of Literary Societies, of Bank Directors, of Colleges, and of Rail-Road Companies, and in fact all other corporations, is usually styled the PRESIDENT; of a Religious Convention, or a town meeting, a MODERATOR; of the Lower House of Legislatures, a SPEAKER; of a called meeting or of a Committee, CHAIRMAN; of a Medical Faculty, DEAN. By giving the following form for electing Presiding officers, it is not proposed to change their title in any way, but only to secure uniformity in electing them by ballot, throughout the country. It should also be understood that the rule laid down above has reference solely to presiding officers who are elective, and does not apply to corporations and societies which provide for a chairman without election; in some associations, and especially in ecclesiastical conventions, provision is made that the senior member shall be the President, i. e. the one who has been longest a member of the association; not the one who has attained the greatest age, unless he also happens to be the oldest member. The Rules, however, which follow should be binding, alike, on all Presiding officers. They are based on those of Congress, and unless they are, in the main, complied with, all hope of uniformity and regularity in conducting Legislative business throughout the Union must be abandoned. For President of the Senate see Art. I. Sec. 3, page 9 Const. U. S. from each of the prominent political parties. Then the members present proceed to elect, by ballot, their Speaker. § 3. It is the duty of the tellers to announce distinctly the names of each of the members receiving votes, so that all may count the ballots for the several candidates, and thereby the better guard against any oversight or error. Speaker. § 4. The Speaker* is required to have a majority Majority. of all the votes given, and is seldom elected on the first balloting, unless the dominant party has previously held a caucus,† and even then the nominated candidate is liable to be defeated by the running of other members, or by the coalition of minorities. * In case of a removal, death, resignation, or inability both of the President and Vice-President of the United States, the President of the Senate pro tempore, and, in case there shall be no President of the Senate, then the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, for the time being, shall act as President of the United States until the disability be removed or a President shall be elected. Act of Congress, March 1st, 1792. See also Art. II. Const. U. S., Sec. 1. The Speaker receives sixteen dollars per day, appoints all committees not elected by ballot; he has power to call any member to the chair, and many other minor prerogatives which enable him to hold a commanding position and gain the courtesy of his associates. The Speaker of the House of Commons receives a salary and other perquisites equivalent to about forty thousand dollars per year. † A meeting to agree on a party candidate. † The XXXI. Congress convened on Monday the 3u day of Dec. 1849. The members proceeded at once to vote for their Speaker. After sixtytwo ineffectual ballotings, the Rule requiring the Speaker to receive a majority of all the votes polled was suspended and a plurality only required. The Hon. Howell Cobb was elected Speaker on the sixty-third trial, Dec. 23d, 1849. The whole number of votes polled was 222, and distributed among ten members in the following order: for Howell Cobb, 102; R. C. Winthrop, 100; David Wilmot, 8; C. S. Morehead, 4; Speaker elected, Ho. Reps. U. S. § 5. When a member has received a majority of all the votes given, or in case the rule is suspended, a plurality, the clerk proclaims him SPEAKER. Then he is customarily conducted to Const. his seat by two of the most venerable members, takes the oath of office* and delivers a brief inaugural address. The remaining members are then qualified, and the clerk, sergeant-at-arms, door-keeper, and other officers elected. S., Art. 6, Sec. 1, p. 38. Officers elected. Congress organized. § 6. When the House is duly organized a message is sent to the Senate announcing the same. The first business of each house is usually to appoint a joint committee to wait on the President of the U. S. and inform him that Congress is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make. FORM OF ORGANIZATION IN A STATE LEGISLATURE.† By the House of Representatives, 185-. Gentlemen of the Senate: Jan. The House of Representatives is ready to proceed with the business of the session. We have chosen Speaker, and Clerk. Clerk. Wm. Strong, 3; A. H. Stephens, 1; Wm. F. Colcock, 1; Chas. Durkee, 1; E. D. Potter, 1; Linn Boyd, 1. By an act of Congress, June 1, 1798, the oath of office may be administered by any member of the House of Representatives to the SPEAKER who, after taking the oath, is required to administer the prescribed oaths to all the other members who have not taken them, and the rest of the officers of the House. A state legislature should be organized on the plan of Congress given in the preceding pages. By the House of Representatives, Jan. 185-. } Gentlemen of the Senate: We propose, with your concurrence, to appoint a joint committee of the two Houses to wait upon his Excellency the Governor, and inform him that the legislature is organized for the dispatch of public business, and ready to receive any communication he may think proper to make. Messrs. are appointed on the part of this House. By order, J. N., Clerk. By the Senate, Jan., 185-. Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: The Senate has organized and elected the Hon. President, and -, Secretary. We are prepared to proceed with the business of the session, and propose to sit from 10 o'clock, A. M. until- o'clock, P. M. By order, C. B., Secretary. By the Senate, Jan., 185-. The Senate has appointed Messrs.—, a committee to join the committee you have appointed* to inform his Excellency the Governor, of the organi * Or the Senate may organize first, and use the preceding form of the House of Representatives. Re. 22 Ho. Reps. p. 72. zation of the legislature, and that we are ready to receive any communication he may desire to make. By order, C. B., Secretary. The Clerk of the House of Representatives should, within the first week of a session, place in the hands of the Speaker, a correct list of the bills, resolutions, reports, and other unfinished business of the House, referred from the preceding to the succeeding session. FORM OF MESSAGES. Gentlemen of the Senate: We respectfully request your Hon. Body to return to this House the bill entitled an act to Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: We hereby return to your Hon. Body, a bill entitled an act FORM PRECEDING A BILL. First Form. The people of the State of -, represented in House of Representatives and Senate, do enact as follows: Second Form. Be it enacted by the Legislature of that, &c. *This rule also applies to the Senate and should be observed by the Secretary thereof. |