[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 117th Congress]
[117th Congress]
[House Document 116-177]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 177-178]
[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.

  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 other to my knowledge, 
have taken away, or do at this present conceal a bill entitled,'' &c. 5 
Grey, 202.


  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.


[[Page 178]]

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).



  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