USA > Michigan > Michigan official directory and legislative manual for the years 1911-1912 > Part 54
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Bar of the house.
RULE 3. The words "within the bar of the house," when used in these rules, shall mean the space on the main floor of representative hall, together with the cloak. document and toilet rooms.
CHAPTER II.
OFFICERS. SPEAKER.
Duties as presiding officer.
RULE 4. The speaker shall take the chair each day at the hour to which the house shall have adjourned. He shall call the house to order, and, except in the absence of a quorum, shall proceed to business in the manner prescribed by these rules.
RULE 5. He shall preserve order and decorum; may speak to points of order, rising from his seat for that purpose; and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal to the house. When two or more members rise at once, the speaker shall name the member who is first to speak.
Appointment of committees.
RULE 6. He shall appoint all committees, except where the house shall otherwise order.
Naming of acting speaker.
RULE 7. He may substitute any member to perform the duties of the chair, but not for a longer time than one day without leave of the house.
Naming of chairman committee of the whole.
RULE 8. When the house shall have decided to go into the committee of the whole, he shall name a chairman to preside therein.
Voting.
. RULE 9. He shall vote in all elections, on all divisions called for by any member and on all questions taken by yeas aud nays, except on appeals from his decisions.
Putting the question.
RULE 10. He shall distinctly put all questions in this form, to wit: "As many as
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are in favor of (as the question may be), say 'Aye,'" and after the affirmative voice is expressed, "As many as are opposed, say 'No.'" If the speaker doubt or division be called for, the house shall divide-those voting in the affirmative shall first rise, then those in the negative.
Recognition during roll call.
RULE 11. After a question has been stated by the speaker, and the calling of the roll has been begun by the clerk, the speaker shall not recognize a member for any purpose, except to demand the vote of another member or upon points of order, until after the announcement of the vote by the clerk; but he shall preserve order and direct members who are not in their seats to resume them and vote when their names are called.
SPEAKER PRO TEM.
Powers and duties.
RULE 12. In the absence of the speaker, the speaker pro tem. shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of speaker and shall preside over the house unless the speaker shall have designated a member to preside for any day.
CLERK.
Roll call.
RULE 13. The clerk shall call the roll at the opening of each session of the house and announce whether or not a quorum is present. He shall announce the names of the members absent with leave of the house and the names of the members absent without leave and enter the names of all absentees upon the journal.
Conduct of religious exercises.
RULE 14. He shall arrange for the conduct of religious exercises at the opening of each session of the house.
Publication and correction of journal.
RULE 15. He shall make up and complete the journal of the house in conformity with the rules, supervise the daily publication thereof and make such corrections therein from day to day as may be necessary.
Order of business.
RULE 16. He shall keep the several orders of business separate and distinct, and shall prepare and place on the desk of each member each day a list of the business on his desk under each order of business.
Printing, announcement of printing and enrollment of bills.
RULE 17. He shall attend to the printing of all bills, acts or documents ordered printed by the house. He shall announce each day the numbers and titles of all bills, both house and senate, which have been printed and placed upon the files of the members and the numbers and titles of bills which have been enrolled and presented to the gov- ernor.
Responsibility for care of bills; presentation of enrolled bills to governor.
RULE 18. He shall be responsible to the house for the care and preservation of each bill introduced into the house and for each bill received from the senate up to the time of its return to that body, which responsibility shall only be relieved by a receipt from a proper person when the bill passes from his possession. When a bill has been finally passed by the two houses he shall present to the governor an enrolled copy thereof printed in accordance with the statute relating thereto, taking a receipt therefor show- ing the day and hour at which such copy was deposited in the executive office.
Appointment of assistants.
RULE 19. The clerk shall appoint as assistants in the performance of the duties required of him a journal clerk, bill clerk, proofreader, reading clerk, a financial clerk,
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and such other assistants as the house may by resolution authorize, who shall be subject to his orders and to summary removal by him on failure to properly perform the duties assigned them, the reason for such removal to be reported forthwith to the house.
Incapacity of clerk.
RULE 20. In case of the inability of the clerk, from sickness or other cause, to per- form the duties of his office, temporarily, the journal clerk shall be charged with the responsibility of the clerk and shall perform his duties.
Notices in cases of extra sessions.
RULE 21. Whenever the legislature shall be called to meet in extraordinary session, the clerk of the house shall notify to be present at the opening of the session such of the clerks and employes of the house as the speaker of the house shall designate.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.
Powers and duties.
RULE 22. The sergeant-at-arms shall be the chief police officer of the house. He shall have charge of the keepers of the cloak and committee rooms, janitors and mes- sengers, and control of all police regulations. He shall attend to the heating, lighting and ventilation of the hall of representatives, committee rooms and connecting corridors. He shall serve all subpoenas and warrants issued by the house or any duly authorized officer or committee.
CHAPTER III.
MEMBERS.
Conduct in debate.
RULE 23. When any member is about to speak in debate, or present any matter to the house, he shall rise from his seat, and respectfully address himself to "Mr. Speaker;" he shall confine himself to the question under debate, and avoid personalities.
Members called to order.
RULE 24. If any member in speaking transgress the rules of the house, the speaker shall, or any member may, call him to order; in which case the member so called to order shall immediately sit down, and shall not rise unless to explain or proceed in order.
Times members may speak.
RULE 25. No member shall speak more than once on the same question without leave of the house, unless he be the mover of the matter pending or chairman of the committee who reported it, in which case he shall be privileged to speak twice.
Voting.
RULE 26. Every member who shall be within the bar of the house when the question is stated from the chair shall vote thereon, unless he be directly interested in the question, and no member shall be obliged to vote on any question unless he be within the bar when the question is so stated.
Recording of votes; demands for votes.
RULE 27. The vote of no member shall be recorded by the clerk, unless such member shall be in his seat when he gives his vote; and, if the vote of any member be demanded during the calling of the roll on any question, it shall be the duty of the speaker to direct such member who may be away from his seat but within the bar of the house to return to his seat and announce his vote. If a member shall refuse to vote after being directed so to do by the speaker he shall be deemed to be in contempt of the house and shall suffer such punishment as the house may direct, and a statement of the contempt and the determination of the house shall be entered on the journal.
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Conduct during roll call.
RULE 28. 'While the speaker is putting any question, or while the roll is being called by the clerk, no member shall walk out of or across the house; nor in such case or when a member is speaking, shall entertain private discourse or pass between him and the chair.
Conduct on adjournment.
RULE 29. When the house adjourns, the members shall keep their seats until the speaker announces the adjournment.
CHAPTER .IV.
COMMITTEES.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
Names and number of members.
RULE 30. All standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of the session.
The committees on city corporations, fish and fisheries, general taxation, judiciary, liquor traffic, private corporations, public lands and forestry interests, railroads, revision . and amendment of the statutes, state affairs, and ways and means shall consist of nine members each.
The committeess on apportionment, elections, and revision and amendment of the constitution shall consist of thirteen members each.
All other committees shall consist of five members each.
The standing committees of the house shall be as follows:
1. Agricultural college.
2. Agriculture.
3. Apportionment.
4. Asylum for criminal insane.
5. Central Michigan normal school.
6. City corporations.
7. College of mines.
8. Drainage.
9. Eastern asylum for insane.
10. Education.
11. Elections.
12. Federal relations.
13. Fish and fisheries.
14. Game laws.
15. General taxation.
16. Geological survey.
17. Home for feeble minded.
18. Horticulture.
19. Industrial home for girls.
20. Industrial school for boys.
21. Institution for the deaf.
-22. Insurance.
23. Judiciary.
24. Labor.
25. Liquor traffic.
26. Local taxation.
27. Lumber and salt.
28. Michigan asylum for insane.
29. Michigan employment institution for the blin 1
30. Military affairs.
31. Mines and minerals.
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32. Northern asylum for insane.
33. Northern state normal school.
34. Printing.
35. Private corporations.
36. Public health.
37. Public lands and forestry interests.
38. Railroads.
39. Religious and benevolent societies.
40. Revision and amendment of the statutes.
41. Revision and amendment of the constitution.
42.
Roads and bridges.
43. Rules and joint rules.
44. School for the blind.
45. Soldiers' home.
46. State affairs.
47. State capitol and public buildings.
48. State house of correction.
49. State library.
50. State normal college.
51. State prison.
52. State public school.
53. State sanatorium.
54. Supplies and expenditures.
55. Towns and counties.
56. University.
57. Upper Peninsula hospital for the insane.
58. Upper Peninsula prison.
59. Village corporations.
60. Ways and means.
61. Western state normal school. 1
Chairmen of committees.
RULE 31. The first named member of any committee shall be the chairman, unless the committee by a majority of their number elect a chairman.
Sitting of committees during sessions of house.
RULE 32. No committee shall sit during the sessions of the house, without special leave of the house.
Notices of adverse reports.
RULE 33. All standing committees before reporting without recommendation or adversely to any bill shall notify the member presenting such bill when and where he may meet such committee to explain the same; such notice to be given by mail in the house postoffice twenty-four hours, or in person at any time, before so reporting.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
General orders of the day.
RULE 34. All bills reported favorably by any committee of the house shall be ordered printed and referred to the committee of the whole. Such bills shall be kept on file in the order of their reference for consideration by the committee of the whole and such file shall be called the "General orders of the day."
Consideration of bills.
RULE 35. When the house shall have arrived at the "General orders of the day." it shall go into committee of the whole upon such orders, or a particular order designated by a vote of the house, and no business shall be in order until the whole are considered or passed, or the committee rise; and unless a particular bill is ordered up by the house the committee of the whole shall consider, act upon or pass the general orders according to the order of their reference.
Reading; debate; amendment.
RULE 36. In committee of the whole bills shall be read and debated by sections
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leaving the bill as a whole to be last considered. The body of the bill shall not be defaced or interlined, but all amendments shall be entered on separate pieces of paper, and reported to the house by the chairman standing in his place.
Motion that committee rise.
RULE 37. A motion that the committee rise shall always be in order and shall be decided without debate.
Reconsideration.
RULE 38. A motion to reconsider shall be in order in committee of the whole.
Application of house rules.
RULE 39. The rules of the house shall be observed in committee of the whole, so far as they may be applicable, except that it cannot refer matter to any other com- mittee; it cannot adjourn, the previous question shall not be ordered, the yeas and nays shall not be called, a motion to indefinitely postpone shall not be in order, a member may speak more than once, and the title or enacting words of the bill shall not be amended or stricken out.
CHAPTER V.
TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS.
ORDER OF BUSINESS.
RULE 40. The order of business of the house shall be as follows:
1. Presentation of petitions.
2. Announcement by clerk of printing and enrollment of bills.
3. Reports of standing committees.
4. Reports of select committees.
5. Messages from the governor.
6. Communications from state officers.
7. Messages from the senate.
8. Notices.
9. Introduction of bills.
10. Third reading of bills.
11. Motions and resolutions.
12. Unfinished business.
13. Special orders of the day.
14. General orders of the day.
PETITIONS.
Printing in journal.
RULE 41. No memorial, remonstrance, or petition shall be printed in full in the daily journal without having been first read to the house.
MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS. IN GENERAL.
Stating motions.
RULE 42. When a motion is made and, when necessary under the rules, seconded, it shall be stated by the speaker; or, if in writing, it shall be handed to, and read aloud by the clerk before being debated.
Reducing to writing.
RULE 43. Every motion shall be reduced to writing if the speaker or any member shall request it, and shall be entered on the journal, together with the name of the member making it, unless withdrawn or ruled out of order by the speaker.
When in possession; withdrawal.
RULE 44. After a motion has been stated by the speaker or read by the clerk it shall be deemed to be in the possession of the house, but may be withdrawn at any time before decision or amendment.
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Precedence of motions.
RULE 45. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but-
1. To adjourn.
2. To take a recess.
3. To reconsider.
4. To lay on the table.
5. For the previous question.
6. To postpone to a day certain.
7. To commit.
8. To amend.
9. To postpone indefinitely.
Such motions shall take precedence in the order in which they stand arranged. When a recess is taken during the pendency of any question, the consideration of such question shall be resumed upon reassembling, unless otherwise determined. No motion to post- pone to a day certain, to commit or to postpone indefinitely, being decided, shall be again allowed on the same day and at the same stage of the question.
Always in order, not debatable.
RULE 46. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order; that and the motion to lay on the table, and all matters relating to questions of order, shall be decided with- out debate. A motion for a recess, pending the consideration of other business, shall not be debatable.
Order of putting questions.
RULE 47. All questions shall be put in the order they were moved, except in the case of privileged questions.
Amendments to be germane.
RULE 48. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under con- sideration shall be admitted under color of an amendment.
Division of question.
RULE 49. Any member may call for a division of the question, which shall be divided if it comprehend propositions in substance so distinct that one being taken away a substantive proposition shall remain for the decision of the house. A motion to strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible.
Concurrent resolutions.
RULE 50. Every order or resolution to which the concurrence of the senate shall be necessary shall be read to the house, and shall lie upon the table one day preceding its adoption. Such order or resolution shall be taken up the next day after it is offered under the order of "Motions and resolutions." In case such order or resolution is not reached under that order of business at the next succeeding session it shall be considered thereafter under the order of "Unfinished business."
MOTIONS FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.
Method of ordering.
RULE 51. The method of ordering the previous question shall be as follows: Any member may move the previous question. This being seconded by at least ten members. the chair shall put the question, "Shall the main question now be put?" This shall be ordered only by a majority of the members present and voting. After the seconding of the previous question and prior to ordering the same, a call of the house may be moved and ordered, but after ordering the previous question nothing shall be in order prior to the decision of the pending questions, except demands for the yeas and nays, points of order and appeals from the decision of the chair, which shall be decided without debate. The effect of the previous question shall be to put an end to all debate and bring the house to a direct vote upon all pending questions in their order down to and including the main question. When a motion to reconsider is taken under the previous question and is decided in the affirmative, the previous question shall have
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no operation upon the question to be reconsidered. If the house shall refuse to order the main question, the consideration of the subject shall be resumed as though no motion for the previous question had been made.
MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER.
Motion for reconsideration.
RULE 52. Any member may move for a reconsideration of any question on the same or next succeeding day; and such motion shall take precedence of all other ques- tions, except a motion to adjourn and a motion to take a recess, but shall not be renewed on the same day. A motion to reconsider any question if laid on the table may be taken therefrom and disposed of at any time within the period allowed by this rule for moving a reconsideration. The motion to postpone indefinitely shall require the votes of a majority of the members-elect, and shall not be reconsidered.
Notice of reconsideration.
RULE 53. A notice of intention to move for a reconsideration of any bill may be given by any member, and the bill shall be retained by the clerk of the house until after the time expires during which under rule 52, the motion can be made, unless such notice is given within three days of the time when the house will cease to transact business.
Majority vote.
RULE 54. Any proposition which requires for its adoption a two-thirds vote may, upon failure of adoption, be reconsidered by a majority vote.
MOTIONS FOR CALLS OF THE HOUSE.
Ordering calls of the house.
RULE 55. Calls of the house may be ordered upon motion by a majority of the members present, but such majority shall not be less than fifteen in number. A motion for a call of the house shall not be entertained after the previous question is ordered.
Procedure.
RULE 56. After a call of the house is ordered the members shall not be permitted to go without the bar of the house without leave of the house. The roll of the house shall be called by the clerk and the absentees noted. The doors shall then be closed and the sergeant-at-arms may, upon motion, be dispatched after the absentees. In such case a list of the absentees shall be furnished by the clerk to the sergeant-at-arms, who shall report such absentees at the bar of the house with all possible speed. In case the sergeant-at-arms shall require assistance in addition to the regularly appointed assistant sergeants-at-arms of the house, the speaker may, upon motion, deputize any person properly qualified as a special assistant sergeant-at-arms.
BILLS.
Introduction.
RULE 57. A bill may be introduced in order at any time, without notice, unless it has for its purpose the changing of the charter of a corporation, in which case at least one day's notice shall be given, which notice shall be in writing and shall contain the title of the bill. All bills shall be introduced in duplicate and shall be in typewritten or printed form.
Order of consideration.
RULE 58. The regular order to be taken by bills introduced in the house shall be as follows:
1. Notice of introduction (if a bill proposing an amendment to an act of incor- poration).
2. Introduction, first and second readings of title and reference to a committee by the speaker.
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3. Report by the committee and placing on the general orders (if an appropri- ation bill, reference to the committee on ways and means, report by that commit- tee and then placing on the general orders). .
4. Consideration in the committee of the whole in order of reference.
5. Report by the committee of the whole and placing on order of third reading of bills.
6. Third reading at length and vote on passage.
7. Transmission to senate (if passed).
8. Return by senate and reference to clerk for enrollment printing.
9. Report by clerk of enrollment printing and presentation to the governor. Senate bills shall, as far as possible, take the same course as house bills.
All resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution shall take the same course as bills.
Nothing in this rule contained shall be construed to prevent a majority of the mem- bers-elect of the house from discharging a committee from the further consideration of any measure. A notice of at least one day shall be given of a motion to discharge any such committee, said notice to be in writing and entered in the journal. In case a committee of the house is discharged from the further consideration of a bill, the bill shall be printed, referred to the committee of the whole and placed on the general orders.
The notice above mentioned may, if the motion made thereunder does not prevail, be offered again on succeeding days of the same legislative session, but not upon the same day.
Reading.
RULE 59. Every bill shall receive three several readings previous to its passage. The first and second readings may be by its title only, but the third reading shall be in full, unless otherwise ordered by the house, and on a day subsequent to that on which it receives its second reading or passed the committee of the whole house. No bill shall be passed until it has been printed and in the possession of the house for at least five days. A request by a member that a bill be printed out of regular order must be in writing and shall be referred to the committee on printing for determination.
Commitment and amendment.
RULE 60. No bill shall be committed or amended until it has passed its first and second readings. No bill shall be altered or amended on its passage through the house so as to change its original purpose.
Amendment; vote.
RULE 61. Bills which have been considered in committee of the whole may be amended by the house by a majority vote of all the members-elect. When any bill considered in committec of the whole shall have been recommitted, any amend- ments made thereto by the committee may be concurred in by a majority vote oi the members present and voting thereon.
RULE 62. Bills placed on the order of third reading, or their final passage, with- out having been considered in committee of the whole, may be amended prior to their passage by a majority vote of the members present and voting thercon.
Majority vote on bills.
RULE 63. On the final passage of every bill the vote shall be taken by yeas and nays and entered on the journal. No bill shall be declared passed unless a majority of all the members elected to the house shall have voted in favor of its passage.
Two-thirds vote.
RULE 64. No bill appropriating the public money or property for local or private purposes, or providing for the incorporation of trust companies or corporations for banking purposes, or regulating the business thereof, or amending or repealing any law providing for such incorporation or regulation shall be passed unless two-thirds of the members elected to the house shall have voted in favor of the passage themof
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Title; object; reference to compiler's scctions.
RULE 65. No bill shall embrace more than one object, which shall be expressed in its title. If the bill proposes any amendment to existing laws enacted prior to the last general compilation, the title shall contain also a reference to the compiler's section or sections of the compiled laws.
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