[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 23. Motions]
[D. Motions for the Previous Question]
[Â§ 24. Effect of Adjournment]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 4635-4636]
 
                               CHAPTER 23
 
                                Motions
 
                  D. MOTIONS FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION
 
Sec. 24. Effect of Adjournment

Adjournment After Motion for Previous Question

Sec. 24.1 Where a quorum failed on ordering the previous question on a 
    bill under consideration on a Calendar Wednesday, and the House 
    adjourned, the vote went over until the next Calendar Wednesday.

    On Mar. 7, 1935,(8) the following occurred on the floor 
of the House:
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 8. 79 Cong. Rec. 3121, 74th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Mr. [Frederick R.] Lehlbach [of New Jersey]: Mr. Speaker, a 
    parliamentary inquiry.
        The Speaker: (9) The gentleman will state it.
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 9. Joseph W. Byrns (Tenn.).
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        Mr. Lehlbach: Yesterday the previous question was moved on a 
    bill then pending, and upon a division the vote was 36 to 16, 
    whereupon a point of no quorum was made. Under the rules of the 
    House there would follow an automatic roll call on the question of 
    ordering the previous question, but before proceedings could be had 
    the gentleman from New York [Mr. O'Connor] moved that the House 
    adjourn, and the House accordingly adjourned. My inquiry is, Is the 
    motion for the previous question still pending?
        The Speaker: The motion is pending and the vote will again be 
    taken the next time the committee is called under the Calendar 
    Wednesday rule; that will be the first business in order when the 
    Judiciary Committee is again called on Calendar Wednesday.

Sec. 24.2 If the previous question is ordered on a bill and amendments 
    thereto, and the House adjourns, the bill becomes the unfinished 
    business the following day and separate votes may be demanded on 
    the amendments at that time.

[[Page 4636]]

    On May 17, 1939,(10) the House was considering H.R. 
6264, relating to public works on rivers and harbors. The following 
then occurred:
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10. 84 Cong. Rec. 5682, 76th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Mr. [Joseph J.] Mansfield [of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, I move the 
    previous question on the bill and all amendments to final passage.
        The previous question was ordered.
        Mr. [Sam] Rayburn [of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, a parliamentary 
    inquiry.
        The Speaker: (11) The gentleman will state it.
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11. William B. Bankhead (Ala.).
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        Mr. Rayburn: Were the House to adjourn at this time, would the 
    present bill be pending business tomorrow?
        The Speaker: Answering the parliamentary inquiry of the 
    gentleman from Texas, the Chair will state that the previous 
    question having been ordered on the bill and all amendments to 
    final passage, it would be the unfinished and privileged order of 
    business tomorrow morning.
        Mr. Rankin: Mr. Speaker, a parliamentary inquiry.
        The Speaker: The gentleman will state it.
        Mr. Rankin: Can these individual amendments then be voted on?
        The Speaker: A separate vote can be demanded on them when that 
    question is reached.(12))
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12. See also 72 Cong. Rec. 8964, 71st Cong. 2d Sess., May 14, 1930; and 
        72 Cong. Rec. 7774, 71st Cong. 2d Sess., Apr. 25, 1930.
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