    [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 216-217]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                      sec. xxiii--bills, leave to bring in

    Sec. 398. Obsolete provisions as to introduction of
    bills.

      When  a Member desires to bring in a bill on any subject, he states
    to the House in general terms the causes for doing it, and concludes by
    moving for leave to bring in a bill, entitled, &c. Leave being given, on
    the question, a committee is appointed to prepare and bring in the bill.
    The mover and seconder are always appointed of this committee, and one
    or more in addition. Hakew., 132; Scob., 40. It is to be presented
    fairly written, without any erasure or interlineation, or the Speaker
    may refuse it. Scob., 41; 1 Grey, 82, 84.

    [[Page 217]]

      This provision is obsolete because rule XII provides an entirely
    different method of introducing bills through the hopper. The
    introduction of bills by leave was gradually dropped by the practice of
    the House, and after 1850 the present system of permitting Members to
    introduce at will bills for printing and reference began to develop (IV,
    3365).