    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 119th Congress]
    [119th Congress]
    [House Document 118-187]
    [Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
    [Pages 178-180]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                        sec. xiv--arrangement of business

    [[Page 179]]

    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 180]]

    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 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

      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.