and upon the call of the house, the names of the members shall be taken alphabetically. 17. On a motion made and seconded to shut the doors of the senate, on the discussion of any business which may, in the opinion of a member, require secrecy, the president shall direct the gallery to be cleared; and, during the discussion of such motion, the doors shall remain shut. 18. No motion shall be deemed in order to admit any person or persons, whatsoever, within the doors of the senate chamber, to present any petition, memorial, or address, or to hear any such read. 19. When a question has been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member of the majority to move for the reconsideration thereof; but no motion for the reconsideration of any vote shall be in order after a bill, resolution, message, report, amendment, or motion upon which the vote was taken, shall have gone out of the possession of the senate, announcing their decision; nor shall any motion for reconsideration be in order, unless made on the same day on which the vote was taken, or within the two next days of actual session of the senate thereafter. 20. When the senate are equally divided, the secretary shall take the decision of the president. 21. All questions shall be put by the president of the senate, either in the presence or absence of the president of the United States, and the senators shall signify their assent or dissent, by answering viva voce, aye or no. 22. The vice-president, or president of the senate pro tempore, shall have the right to name a member to perform the duties of the chair; but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment. 23. Before any petition or memorial, addressed to the senate, shall be received and read at the table, whether the same shall be introduced by the president or a member, a brief statement of the contents of the petition or memorial shall verbally be made by the introducer. 24. One day's notice, at least, shall be given of an intended motion for leave to bring in a bill; and all bills, after the first reading shall be printed for the use of the senate. 25. Every bill shall receive three readings previous to its being passed; and the president shall give notice at each, whether it be the first, second, or third; which readings shall be on three different days, unless the senate unanimously direct otherwise. And all resolutions proposing amendments to the constitution, or to which the approbation and signature of the president may be requisite, or which may grant money out of the contingent, or any other fund, shall be treated, in all respects, in the introduction, and form of proceedings on them, in the senate, in a similar manner with bills. 26. No bill shall be committed or amended until it shall have been twice read; after which it may be referred to a committee. 27. All bills on a second reading shall first be considcred by the senate in the same manner as if the senate were in committee of the whole, before they shall be taken up and proceeded on by the senate agreeably to the standing rules, unless otherwise ordered. And when the senate shall consider a treaty, bill, or resolution, as in committee of the whole, the vice-president, or president pro tempore, may call a member to fill the chair, during the time the senate shall remain in committee of the whole; and the chairman so called shall, during such time, have the powers of a president pro tempore. 28. The final question upon the second reading of every bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or motion, originating in the senate, and requiring three readings previ ous to being passed, shall be "Whether it shall be engrossed and read a third time?" And no amendment shall be received for discussion at the third reading of any bill, resolution, amendment, or motion, unless by unanimous consent of the members present: but it shall at all times be in order before the final passage of any such bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or motion, to move its commitment, and should such commitment take place, and any amendment be reported by the committee, the said bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or motion, shail be again read a second time, and considered as in committee of the whole, and then the aforesaid question shall be again put. 29. The titles of bills, and such parts thereof only as R shall be affected by proposed amendments, shall be inserted on the journals. 30. The following standing committees, to consist of five members each, shall be appointed at the commencement of each session, with leave to report by bill or otherwise: A committee on foreign relations. A committee on finance. A committee on commerce. A committee on the judiciary. A committee on the post office and post roads. A committee on the District of Columbia. 31. All committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer of the senate. 32. When nominations shall be made in writing by the president of the United States to the senate, a future day shall be assigned unless the senate unanimously direct otherwise, for taking them into consideration. When the president of the United States shall meet the senate in the senate chamber, the president of the senate shall have a chair on the floor, be considered as the head of the senate, and his chair shall be assigned to the president of the United States. When the senate shall be convened by the president of the United States to any other place, the president of the senate and senators shall attend at the place appointed. The secretary of the senate shall also attend to take the minutes of the senate. 33. Whenever a treaty shall be laid before the senate for ratification, it shall be read a first time for information only; when no motion to reject, ratify, or modify, the whole, or any part, shall be received. Its second reading shall be for consideration; and, on a subsequent day, when it shall be taken up, as in committee of the whole, and every one shall be free to move a question on any particular article, in this form: "Will the senate advise and consent to the ratification of this article ?" or to propose amendments thereto, either by inserting or by leaving out words; in which last case, the question shall be, "Shall these words stand as part of the article?" and in every of the said cases, the concurrence of twothirds of the senators present shall be requisite to decide affirmatively. And when through the whole, the proceedings shall be stated to the house, and questions shall be again severally put thereon for confirmation, or new ones proposed, requiring, in like manner, a concurrence of two-thirds, for whatever is retained or inserted; the votes so confirmed shall, by the house, or a committee thereof, be reduced into the form of a ratification, with or without modifications, as may have been decided, and shall be proposed on a subsequent day, when every one shall again be free to move amendments, either by inserting or leaving out words; in which last case, the question shall be, "Shall these words stand part of the resolution?" And in both cases, the concurrence of twothirds shall be requisite to carry the affirmative, as well as, on the final question, to advise and consent to the ratification in the form agreed to. 34. When an amendment to be proposed to the constitution is under consideration, the concurrence of twothirds of the members present shall not be requisite to decide any question for amendments, or extending to the merits, being short of the final question. 35. When any question may have been decided by the senate, in which two-thirds of the members present are necessary to carry the affirmative, any member who votes on that side which prevailed in the question, may be at liberty to move for a reconsideration; and a motion for reconsideration shall be decided by a majority of votes. 36. All confidential communications made by the pre sident of the United States, to the senate, shall be by the members thereof kept secret; and all treaties which may be laid before the senate shall also be kept secret, until the senate shall, by their resolution, take off the injunc tion of secrecy. 37. All information or remarks, touching or concerning the character or qualifications of any person nominated by the president to office, shall be kept secret. 33. When acting on confidential or executive business, the senate shall be cleared of all persons, except the secretary, the sergeant-at-arms, and door-keeper, or in his absence, the assistant door-keeper. 39. Extracts from the executive record are not to be furnished but by special order. 40. Every vote of the senate shall be entered on the journal, and a brief statement of the contents of each petition, memorial, or paper, presented to the senate, be also inserted on the journal. 41. No paper or document shall be printed for the use of the senate, without special order. 42. The proceedings of the senate, when they shall act in their executive capacity, shall be kept in separate and distinct books. 43. The proceedings of the senate, when not acting as in a committee of the whole, shall be entered on the journal as concisely as possible, care being taken to detail a true and accurate account of the proceedings. 44. Messages shall be sent to the house of representatives by the secretary, who shall previously indorse the final determination of the senate thereon. 45. Messengers are introduced in any state of business, except while a question is putting, while the yeas and nays are calling, or while the ballots are counting. 46. When the yeas and nays shall be taken upon any question, in pursuance of the 16th rule for conducting business in the senate, no member shall be permitted, under any circumstances whatever, to vote after the division is pronounced from the chair. 47. The presiding officer of the senate shall examine and correct the journals before they are read, and shall have the regulation of such parts of the capitol and its passages as are or may be set apart for the use of the senate and its officers. |