If it is a bill appropriating money, the Clerk reads the bill at length; if not, by its title only; when the Speaker announces :

"Second reading of the bill."

And refers the same to some standing committee, suggested by the member, or, if desired, to a select committee; or to the general file, or, as is usual, the Speaker, of his own motion, makes the reference to such committee as seems to him appropriate.

The bill is, in due course, reported back to the Assembly by the committee, when it is placed in what is called the General File.

Bills in the General File are considered in Committee of the Whole in the exact order in which they are placed upon the file. Proceedings in Committee of the Whole will be else. where considered.

After a Committee of the Whole has completed its action upon any bill, and reported the same back to the Assembly, and any recommendation made by the committee passed upon, it is taken up in its order, when the Speaker puts the following question:

"Shall this bill be engrossed and read a third time?"

If decided affirmatively, the bill is sent by the Chief Clerk to the Engrossing Clerk for engrossment. Upon its return engrossed, the original and engrossed bills are placed in the hands of the Committee on Engrossed Bills, who compare them and correct any errors which they may find. When found correct, or made so, the Committee report them to the House as correctly engrossed, when the original is filed by the Chief Clerk, and the engrossed bill goes into the order of "bills ready for a third reading."

When, under the order of business, the bill is reached, the bill (unless it appropriates money) is read by its title, when the Speaker says as follows:

"This bill having been read three several times, the question is, shall the bill pass?" If the bill passes it is taken to the Senate, with a message announcing its passage by the Assembly, and asking the concurrence of the Senate therein.

Going through with a similar process in the Senate, it is returned with a message announcing the action there had upon it.

If the Senate concurs, the bill is sent to the Enrolling Clerk, who makes a copy thereof, as is elsewhere described. When enrolled it goes to the Committee on Enrolled Bills, who compare it with the engrossed bill; when found or made correct, they report the bill to the Assembly as correctly enrolled; the engrossed bill is filed by the Chief Clerk; the enrolled bill is then indorsed by the Chief Clerk as having originated in the Assembly (for the information of the Governor in case he vetoes it); then it is signed by the Speaker, and sent by the Chief Clerk to the President of the Senate, desiring the signature of the President of the Senate thereto. The Committee on Enrolled Bills of the two Houses, acting jointly, then present the bill, duly signed, to the Governor, for his approval, and report that fact to the House. The Governor, if he approves the bill, informs the House in which it originated, of the fact, and that he has deposited it with the Secretary of State.

This is the ordinary process of a bill through all its stages until it becomes a law. A bill of great interest or importance, or one which is warmly contested, may, by reason of majority and minority reports, special orders, recommitment, amendments, substitutes, committees of conference, and various other parliamentary appliances, pass through a vast variety of stages not before enumerated.

Senate bills coming into the Assembly, after passing the Senate, are read twice by title (unless they appropriate money, when they must be read at length) and then referred to the appropriate committee.

After consideration in Committee of the Whole, the recommendation of the Committee is acted upon in the Assembly - the question being after recommendations are disposed of. "Shall this bill be ordered to a third reading?"

If it is decided affirmatively, the bill passes into the order of "bills on third reading," and when reached in that order the question is,

"Shall this bill be concurred in? "

If concurred in, the bill is returned to the Senate, with the message informing it of that fact.

If it is desired to hasten the passage of the bill, it is done by motion as follows:

"I move to suspend all rules which will interfere with the immediate passage of bill No. Assembly, entitled 'a bill to ———.” '

If this motion prevails, which requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present, the question will be put on the passage of the bill, and if passed it will go at once to the Senate.

Committee of the Whole.*

The Committee of the Whole is an expedient to simplify the business of legislative bodies. No record is made of its proceedings, and it has no officers except of its own creation, for temporary purposes. It is liable to instant dissolution, in case of disorder, when the Speaker takes the Chair to suppress it, in case of lack of quorum, when the Speaker takes the Chair for a Call of the House or an adjournment, and in case of a message from the Senate or Governor, when the Speaker takes the chair to receive it.

The Assembly may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, on some particular bill, resolution or subject, or it may go into Committee of the Whole upon the general file of bills. In the first case the motion is,

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That the Assembly do now resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole upon [bill No. -, A., a bill] or [joint resolution No. -, A., providing, etc.] or [upon all bills relating to as the case may be."]

In the second case it is,

"That the Assembly do now resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole upon the gen eral file of bills."

Bills, resolutions and general matters which have been once considered in Committee of the Whole, in which progress has been made and leave granted for further consideration, have the preference. The motion of the Committee of the Whole for their further consideration, must be made under the head of "bills in which the Committee of the Whole have made progress and obtained leave to sit again;" and in which case the member who presided when the same matter was previously considered in Committee of the Whole, resumes the chair, unless the Speaker names a different member.

The motion of the Committee of the Whole upon the general file must be made under the order of "bills not yet considered in Committee of the Whole."

When the Assembly resolves itself into Committee of the Whole, the Speaker selects a Chairman, as follows:

"The gentleman from —, Mr.

will take the Chair."

The appointed Chairman advances to the Speaker's desk, and having taken the Chair, receives from the Clerk the papers indicated by the motion for the committee when the Chairman announces:

"GENTLEMEN: -The committee have under consideration, bill No. —, entitled -, (read. ing the title from the back of the bill. Or in case of consideration of the general file,) the committee have under consideration the general file of bills; the first in order is bill No. entitled.

"The first section is as follows:"

The Chairman then reads the first section, and asks

"Are there any amendments proposed to the first section?"

If none are offered, the Chairman says:

"No amendments being offered to the first section, the second section will be read."

This process is continued through the whole bill, when at the close of the reading the Chairman says:

"Theth section and the whole bill have now been read, and are open to amendment." At this point, after the friends of the bill have perfected it, it is customary for the opponents of the bill to open their attack.

After the discussion of the bill to such an extent as may be desired, if no amendments are made, the final vote is generally upon a motion

"That the bill be reported back to the House without amendment."

If any other bills are before the committee, they are proceeded with in the same manner. If it is desired to have a further consideration of any matter before the committee, or if the general file has not been gone through with, the motion is,

"That the committee rise, report progress, and ask leave to sit again."

If the committee has completed its duties, the motion is,

"That the committee rise and report."

Which being analagous to a motion to adjourn, is not debatable. The Chairman states the matter as follows:

"It is moved that the committee do now rise and report [or otherwise as the case may be.] "Is the committee ready for the question?

GENTLEMEN: —Those who are of opinion that this committee do now rise and report (or as the case may be), say aye; those of contrary opinion, say no."

The Senate does no business in Committee of the Whole.

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In case of doubt, a division must be had, as the ayes and noes cannot be called in Committee of the Whole.

When the committee rises, the Speaker resumes his seat, and the Chairman, in his place on the floor, reports as follows:

"Mr. Speaker."

The Speaker answers

"Mr. Chairman."

"Who reports

The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration bill No. -, A., entitled

and have instructed me to report the same to the House with amendment," [or as the case may be.]

When the general file has been under consideration, the report is as follows:

"The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration the general file of bills, have gone through the same, and have directed me to report to the House the bills contained therein, with sundry amendments and recommendations, as follows, to wit:" [Here follows the title of bills considered, with action taken upon them.]

In case the file has been left unfinished, the report is

"The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration the general file of bills, and have made some progress therein. I am directed to report back the following bills, with the amendments and recommendations hereinafter specified, and ask leave for the committee to sit again. [Here follows the report of amendments, etc., as above.]

On the latter report the question is

"Shall leave be granted?"

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When, upon a count, it is ascertained that a quorum is not present, the report is "The Committee of the Whole have had under consideration and after some progress therein, find there is no quorum present; that fact I herewith report to you." In the case of confusion or disorder, the Speaker, of his own accord resumes the Chair temporarily and without any formality, for the purpose of suppressing it. When order is restored, the Chairman resumes the Chair and the business proceeds.

Upon the coming in of a report, the recommendations are at once acted on by the Assembly.

When, in Committee of the Whole, any member desires to offer an amendment, it must be reduced to writing and sent to the Chairman, who reads it, and asks —

"Is the committee ready for the question upon the amendment?"

And if no further amendment or debate, he puts the question in the usual manner. After a section is once passed, with an unsuccessful effort to amend it, no further amendments are in order. The strictness of this rule, is, however, not always adhered to- an amendment once made, may, however, be reconsidered. Such a motion is"That the amendment offered by the gentleman from

sidered;"

And is stated as follows:

to the -th section, be recon

"The gentleman from -, moves that the amendment offered by the gentleman from

to the -th section be reconsidered."

"Is the Committee ready for the question?

"Those who are of the opinion that said amendmet be reconsidered, say aye; those of a contrary opinion, say no."

In case the amendment is reconsidered, the Chairman, says:

"The motion is carried. The amendment is reconsidered. The question now recurs upon the adoption of the amendment. Is the Committee ready for the question," etc.?

OF TITLES:

No., a bill to Amending bill:

A bill relating to [See Joint Rule 12.]

Repealing bill:

1

of chapter

, of the

A bill to repeal section -, relating to statutes or general laws, designating the same, and also the subject, object or purpose of the section of the chapter repealed; and in the body of every bill, the full title of the act repealed, shall be recited at length. [See Joint Rule 13.]