[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 116th Congress]
[116th Congress]
[House Document 115-177]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 174-175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    sec. xvi--order respecting papers



Sec. 352. Safekeeping of papers and integrity of 
bills.

  The  Clerk is to let no journals, records, accounts, or papers be 
taken from the table or out of his custody. 2 Hats., 193, 194.


  Mr. Prynne, having at a Committee of the Whole amended a mistake in a 
bill without order or knowledge of the committee, was reprimanded. 1 
Chand., 77.


[[Page 175]]

other to my knowledge, 
have taken away, or do at this present conceal a bill entitled,'' &c. 5 
Grey, 202.
  A bill being missing, the House resolved that a protestation should be 
made and subscribed by the members ``before Almighty God, and this 
honorable House, that neither myself, nor any 


  After a bill is engrossed, it is put into the Speaker's hands, and he 
is not to let any one have it to look into. Town, col. 209.




  In the House an alleged improper alteration of a bill was presented as 
a question of privilege and examined by a select committee. It being 
ascertained that the alteration was made to correct a clerical error, 
the committee reported that it was ``highly censurable in any Member or 
officer of the House to make any change, even the most unimportant, in 
any bill or resolution which has received the sanction of this body'' 
(III, 2598). Alleged abuse of power in the processing and enrollment of 
bills has formed the basis of questions of privilege (Feb. 16, 2006, p. 
1948; May 22, 2008, p. 10522). Although engrossing papers must be at the 
desk, additional copies of a pending measure are not required (June 26, 
2009, pp. 16698-700). The Clerk signs engrossments; the Speaker signs enrollments (1 
U.S.C. 106).