[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress]
[111st Congress]
[House Document 110-162]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 255-256]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

<>   The question is to be put 
first on the affirmative, and then on the
negative side.

                        sec. xxxix--the question



[[Page 256]]


  Clause 6 of rule I provides more fully for putting the question.




Sec. 490. Effect of putting the question in ending 
debate.

  After the  Speaker has put the affirmative part of the question, any 
Member who has not spoken before to the question may rise and speak 
before the negative be put; because it is no full question till the 
negative part be put. Scob., 23; 2 Hats., 73.



  After the Chair has put the affirmative part of the question, any 
Member who seeks to debate the matter or offer a motion may be 
recognized (V, 5925; June 22, 2006, p. _), and such recognition is not 
subject to appeal (June 22, 2006, p. _). On one occasion, the Chair 
refused to entertain a motion to lay on the table after putting the 
affirmative part of the pending question where the Chair had affirmed 
the admissibility of that motion before putting the main question, and 
that motion nevertheless was not then offered (Sept. 20, 1979, p. 
25512). Where not pertinent to the pending parliamentary situation, a 
parliamentary inquiry regarding whether the Chair heard the ayes on a 
prematurely-commenced vote by voice was not entertained (June 22, 2006, 
p. _).






Sec. 491. Informal putting of the question.

  But in  small 
matters, and which are of course, such as receiving petitions, reports, 
withdrawing motions, reading papers, &c., the Speaker most commonly 
supposes the consent of the House where no objection is expressed, and 
does not give them the trouble of putting the question formally. Scob., 
22; 2 Hats., 79, 2, 87; 5 Grey, 129; 9 Grey, 301.