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STANDING RULES FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN THE

SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

RULE I.

APPOINTMENT OF A SENATOR TO THE CHAIR.*

I. In the absence of the Vice-President, the Senate shall choose a President pro tempore. [Jefferson's Manual, Sec. IX.

2. In the absence of the Vice-President, and pending the election of a President pro tempore, the Secretary of the Senate, or in his absence the Chief Clerk, shall perform the duties of the Chair. [Jefferson's Manual, Sec. IX.

3. The President pro tempore shall have the right to name in open Senate, or, if absent, in writing, a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair; but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment, except by unanimous consent.

[Jefferson's Manual, Sec. IX.

4. In event of a vacancy in the office of the Vice-President, the President pro tempore shall have the right to name, in writing, a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair during his absence; and the Senator so named shall have the right to

* On motion by Mr. Evarts, the Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution relative to the tenure of office of the President pro tempore; and having been amended on the motion of Mr. Turpie to read as follows: Resolved, That it is competent for the Senate to elect a President pro tempore, who shall hold the office during the pleasure of the Senate until another is elected, and shall execute the duties thereof during all future absences of the Vice-President until the Senate otherwise order.

After debate, the resolution as amended was agreed to.

[Senate Jour., March 12, 1890.

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name in open session, or in writing, if absent, a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair, but such substitution shall not extend beyond adjournment, except by unanimous consent.* [Jefferson's Manual, Sec. IX.

RULE II.

OATHS, ETC.

The oaths or affirmations required by the Constitution and prescribed by law shall be taken and subscribed by each Senator, in open Senate, before entering upon his duties. [See page 37.

RULE III.

COMMENCEMENT OF DAILY SESSIONS.

1. The Presiding Officer having taken the chair, and a quorum being present, the Journal of the preceding day shall be read, and any mistake made in the entries corrected. The reading of the Journal shall not be suspended unless by unanimous consent; and when any motion shall be made to amend or correct the same, it shall be deemed a privileged question, and proceeded with until disposed of. [Jefferson's Manual, Secs. VI, XLIX. 2. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. [Jefferson's Manual, Sec. VI.

* Mr. Platt, of Connecticut, submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent and agreed to:

Resolved, That whenever a Senator shall be designated by the President pro tempore to perform the duties of the Chair during his temporary absence he shall be empowered to sign, as acting President pro tempore, the enrolled bills and joint resolutions coming from the House of Representatives for presentation to the President of the United States.

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RULE IV.

JOURNAL.

1. The proceedings of the Senate shall be briefly and accurately stated on the Journal. Messages of the President in full; titles of bills and joint resolutions, and such parts as shall be affected by proposed amendments; every vote, and a brief statement of the contents of each petition, memorial, or paper presented to the Senate, shall be entered.

[Jefferson's Manual, Sec. XLIX.

2. The legislative, the executive, the confidential legislative proceedings, and the proceedings when sitting as a Court of Impeachment, shall each be recorded in a separate book.

RULE V.

[Jefferson's Manual, Sec. XLIX.

QUORUM ABSENT SENATORS MAY BE SENT FOR.

1. No Senator shall absent himself from the service of the Senate without leave.

[Jefferson's Manual, Sec. VIII.

2. If, at any time during the daily sessions of the Senate, a question shall be raised by any Senator as to the presence of a quorum, the Presiding Officer shall forthwith direct the Secretary to call the roll and shall announce the result, and these proceedings shall be without debate. [Jefferson's Manual, Sec. VII.

3. Whenever upon such roll call it shall be ascertained that a quorum is not present, a majority of the Senators present may direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to request, and, when necessary, to compel the attendance of the absent Senators, which order shall be determined without debate; and pending its execution, and until a quorum shall be present, no debate nor motion, except to adjourn, shall be in order.

[Jefferson's Manual, Secs. VII, VIII.

RULE VI.

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS.

1. The presentation of the credentials of Senators elect and other questions of privilege shall always be in order, except during the reading and correction of the Journal, while a question of order or a motion to adjourn is pending, or while the Senate is dividing; and all questions and motions arising or made upon the presentation of such credentials shall be proceeded with until disposed of.

2. The Secretary shall keep a record of the certificates of election of Senators by entering in a well-bound book kept for that purpose the date of the election, the name of the person elected and the vote given at the election, the date of the certificate, the name of the governor and the secretary of state signing and countersigning the same, and the State from which such Senator is elected.

RULE VII.

MORNING BUSINESS.

1. After the Journal is read, the Presiding Officer shall lay before the Senate messages from the President, reports and communications from the heads of Departments, and other communications addressed to the Senate, and such bills, joint resolutions, and other messages from the House of Representatives as may remain upon his table from any previous day's session undisposed of. The Presiding Officer shall then call for, in the following order:

The presentation of petitions and memorials.
Reports of standing and select committees.
The introduction of bills and joint resolutions.

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