    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 109th Congress]
    [109th Congress]
    [House Document 108-241]
    [Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
    [Pages 170-172]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                        sec. xiv--arrangement of business

    Sec. 349. Advantages of an order of business.

      The  Speaker is
    not precisely bound to any rules as to what bills or other matter shall
    be first taken up; but it is left to his own discretion, unless the
    House on a question decide to take up a particular subject. Hakew., 136.

    [[Page 171]]

    priority of right to their attention in the general order of business.
    * * * * *
      A settled order of business is, however, necessary for the government
    of the presiding person, and to restrain individual Members from calling
    up favorite measures, or matters under their special patronage, out of
    their just turn. It is useful also for directing the discretion of the
    House, when they are moved to take up a particular matter, to the
    prejudice of others, having

      In this way we do not waste our time in debating what shall be taken
    up. We do one thing at a time; follow up a subject while it is fresh,
    and till it is done with; clear the House of business gradatim as it is
    brought on, and prevent, to a certain degree, its immense accumulation
    toward the close of the session.

      Jefferson gave as a part of his comment on the law of Parliament the
    order of business in the Senate in his time. Both in the House and
    Senate the order of business has been changed to meet the needs of the
    times. The order of business now followed in the House is established by
    rule XIV; and this rule, with the rules supplemental thereto, take away
    to a very large extent the discretion exercised by the Speaker under the
    parliamentary law.

      In the House before committees are appointed it is in order to offer a
    bill or resolution for consideration not previously considered by a
    committee (VII, 2103). In the 73d Congress, the House-passed before the
    adoption of rules and election of committees a bill of major importance
    (H.R. 1491, providing relief in the existing national emergency in
    banking), following a message from President Roosevelt recommending its
    immediate passage (Mar. 9, 1933, pp. 75-84). After committees are
    appointed, bills and resolutions not otherwise in order must be referred
    (VII, 2104).

    [[Page 172]]

    amendments to bills are taken up as soon as the House is clear of a
    question, unless they require to be printed, for better consideration.
    Orders of the day may be called for, even when another question is
    before the House.

    Sec. 350. Conditions of the old and the modern
    orders of business.

      Arrangement,  however, can only take hold of matters in
    possession of the House. New matter may be moved at any time when no
    question is before the House. Such are original motions and reports on
    bills. Such are bills from the other House, which are received at all
    times, and receive their first reading as soon as the question then
    before the House is disposed of; and bills brought in on leave, which
    are read first whenever presented. So messages from the other House
    respecting

      In Jefferson's time the principles of this comment would have applied
    to both House and Senate; but in the House the pressure of business has
    become so great that the order of business may be interrupted at the
    will of the majority only by certain specified matters (see annotations
    following rule XIV). For matters not thus specified, interruption of the
    order takes place only by unanimous consent. For a discussion of the
    Speaker's policy of conferring recognition for such unanimous-consent
    requests, see Sec. 956, infra.