[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 104th Congress]
[104th Congress]
[House Document 103-342]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 189-190]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 

                 SEC. XXIII.--BILLS, LEAVE TO BRING IN.



[[Page 190]]



Sec. 398. Obsolete provisions as to introduction of 
bills.

  When  a Member desires to bring in a bill on any subject, he states 
to the House in general terms the causes for doing it, and concludes by 
moving for leave to bring in a bill, entitled, &c. Leave being given, on 
the question, a committee is appointed to prepare and bring in the bill. 
The mover and seconder are always appointed of this committee, and one 
or more in addition. Hakew., 132; Scob., 40. It is to be presented 
fairly written, without any erasure or interlineation, or the Speaker 
may refuse it. Scob., 41; 1 Grey, 82, 84.





  This provision is obsolete, clauses 1-4 of rule XXII providing an 
entirely different method of introducing bills. The introduction of 
bills by leave was gradually dropped by the practice of the House, and 
after 1850 the present free system of permitting Members to introduce at 
will bills for printing and reference began to develop (IV, 3365).