[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 118th Congress]
[118th Congress]
[House Document 117-161]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 177-179]
[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.


  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 priority of right to their attention in the 
general order of business.
* * * * *


  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 
(providing relief in the existing national emergency in banking), 
following a message from the President recommending its immediate 
passage (Mar. 9, 1933, pp. 75-84).


[[Page 179]]

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 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 



  In Jefferson's time the principles of this comment would have applied 
to both House and Senate; but in the House 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.