DIGEST

OF THE

RULES AND PRACTICE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES.

SECOND SESSION, FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.

ABSENT MEMBERS.

Every Member shall be present within the Hall of the House during its sittings, unless excused or necessarily prevented.Rule VIII, clause 1.

TO COMPEL ATTENDANCE.

In the absence of a quorum, fifteen members, including the Speaker, if there is one, shall be authorized to compel the attendance of absent Members, and in all calls of the House the doors shall be closed, the names of the Members shall be called by the Clerk, and the absentees noted; and those for whom no sufficient excuse is made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found, by officers to be appointed by the Sergeant-at-Arms for that purpose, and their attendance secured and retained; and the House shall determine upon what condition they shall be discharged. Members who voluntarily appear shall, unless the House otherwise direct, be immediately admitted to the Hall of the House, and they shall report their names to the Clerk to be entered upon the Journal as present.-Rule XV, clause 2.

Whenever a quorum fails to vote on any question, and a quorum is not present and objection is made for that cause, unless the House shall adjourn, there shall be a call of the House, and the Sergeant-at-Arms shall forthwith proceed to bring in absent Members, and the yeas and nays on the pending question shall at the

same time be considered as ordered. The Clerk shall call the roll, and each Member as he answers to his name may vote on the pending question, and, after the roll call is completed, each Member arrested shall be brought by the Sergeant-at-Arms before the House, whereupon he shall be noted as present, discharged from arrest, and giren an opportunity to vote and his vote shall be recorded. Rule XV, clause 4.

A smaller number than a quorum may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent Members, in such manner and under such penalties as the House may provide.—Const., 1, 5.

MEMBERS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY-ARRESTS.

An adjournment terminates proceedings under a call of the House unless otherwise ordered by the House. The House may, however, by resolution, continue in force beyond an adjourn ment the order that the Sergeant-at-Arms take into custody and bring to the bar absent Members, and may make such order returnable to a day subsequent to the day of adjournment.Journal, 1, 30, pp. 1034, 1035; (Journal, 1, 52, pp. 166, 167).

The rule does not require that absentees, or those not voting on a roll call, shall be noted in the Journal, or that their names be read to the House.-Journal, 1, 51, p. 1028.

REVOKE LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

A motion to revoke leave of absence previously granted is in order pending a call of the House, and may be determined by less than a quorum, being a proceeding to secure the attend ance of absent Members.-Journal, 1, 48, p. 621; 1, 50, p. 1571; 2, 53, p. 141.

Leave of absence can not be granted by the House when less than a quorum is present. But less than a quorum may excuse a Member who fails to answer on a call.--Record, 2, 50, p. 512; Journal, 2, 53, pp. 327, 328.

DEDUCTION OF COMPENSATION FOR ABSENCE.

The failure of a quorum being disclosed, a resolution directing the Sergeant-at-Arms to enforce the provisions of section. 40 of the Revised Statutes, relative to deduction from compensation of Members on account of absence, was held not in order as a proceeding to compel attendance of absent Members.Congressional Record, 1, 51, p. 9922.

ACCOUNTS, COMMITTEE ON.

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The following-named committees shall have leave to report at any time on matters herein stated, viz : The Committee on Accounts on all matters of expenditure of the contingent fund of the House.-Rule XI, clause 57.

No person shall be an officer of the House or continue in its employment who shall be an agent for the prosecution of any claim against the Government, or be interested in such claim otherwise than as an original claimant; and it shall be the duty of the Committee on Accounts to inquire into and report to the House any violation of this rule.-Rule XLIII.

A resolution reported from the Committee on Accounts for the payment of money out of the contingent fund of the House is not subject to the point of order that its first consideration. must be in Committee of the Whole.-Journal, 2, 51, p. 216.

The privilege of reporting on expenditures out of the contingent fund does not give the Committee on Accounts the right to report upon nonprivileged matters as privileged.—Journal, 1,54, p. 216.

Reports from this committee touching payment from the contingent fund of the House are privileged. (See also Committees.)

ACCOUNTS, TEMPORARY COMMITTEE ON.

That the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Fifty-third Congress shall, before the expiration of his term of service, appoint from among the Representatives-elect to the Fifty-fourth Congress a temporary committee on accounts of three members, which said committee on accounts shall have the same powers and perform the same duties in reference to payments made from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives of the Fifty-fourth Congress as are now authorized by law and the rules of the present House of Representatives; and which said temporary committee on accounts shall begin to exercise its powers immediately upon the termination of this Congress, and shall continue to exercise and discharge said duties until after the meeting and organization of the House of Representatives of the Fifty-fourth Congress, and until the appointment of the regular Committee on Accounts. And all payments made out of the contingent fund of the House of Representatives upon vouchers approved by said temporary committee on accounts shall be deemed, held, and H. Doc. 137-17