recorded on the back thereof; and it shall be the duty of the Speaker, whenever any motion relative to a petition is to be stated to the House, to state in the first place the substance of the petition as minuted on the back thereof.

20. After a motion is stated by the Speaker, it shall be in possession of the House, but may be withdrawn at any time before a division or amendment.

21. When a question is under debate, no motion shall he received, but, 1st-To adjourn; 2d, To lie on the table; 3d, To postpone indefinitely; 4th, To postpone to a day certain; 5th, To commit; and 6th, To. amend; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged. Motions to adjourn, and lie on the table, shall be decided without debate.

22. When a question is postponed indefinitely, the same shall not be acted upon during the session.

23. Any member may call for the division of a question, when the sense will admit of it.

24. A motion for commitment, until it is decided, shall preclude all amendment of the main question-and all motions and reports may be committed at the pleasure of the House.

25. No new motion shall be admitted under color of amendment, as a substitute for the motion under debate.

26. No vote shall be re-considered, unless the motion for reconsideration be made by a member who voted with the majority, nor unless notice of such motion be given on the same day on which the vote passed, or on the next day between the hours of ten and twelve o'clock.

27. When the reading of a paper is called for and objected to by any member, it shall be determined by a vote of the House.

28. Any member may excuse himself from serving on any committee at the time of his appointment, if he is then a member of two other committees, who have not reported. No member shall nominate more than one person for the same committee, provided the person nominated shall be chosen-nor shall any person after having been himself appointed, nominate one for the same

committee.

29. Each member shall seasonably, and punctually, attend his duty in the House; and no one shall absent himself from the service of the. House, unless he have leave, or-be sick and unable to attend.

30. When the House adjourns, each member shall rise and keep his place, until the Speaker leaves the chair.

31. The Speaker shall appoint a sergeant-at-arms whenever it may be necessary, to execute the commands of the House, and process issued by its authority.

OF STANDING COMMITTEES.

32. The following standing committees shall be appointed early in the June session:

A committee on Elections; a committee on the Judiciary; a committee on Banks; a committee on the State Prison; and a committee on Public Lands-to consist of ten members each.

A committee on Agriculture and Manufactures; a committee on Finance; a committee on Military affairs; and a committee on Unfinished Business-to consist of seven members each.

A committee on Education; a committee on Incorporations; a committee on Towns and Parishes; and a committee on Roads, Bridges and Canals-to consist of nine members each.

A committee on Bills on their second Reading; a committee on Printer's Accounts; a committee on Military Accounts; and a committee on Claims-to consist of five members each.

A committee on the Alteration of Names, to consist of three members.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Elections, to examine and report upon the certificates or other credentials of the election of the members returned to serve in this House, and to take into consideration all such petitions and other matters, in relation to elections and returns, as shall or may be presented, or come in question, and shall be referred to them by the House.

It shall be the duty of the committee on the Judiciary to take into their consideration all matters in relation to the Judiciary system of this State; to examine and report what laws have expired or are near expiring, and require to be revived or further continued, and report their opinion on all constitutional questions that may be referred to them by the House.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Banks, to consider all applications for the incorporation of banks, and all subjects relating to such institutions, that may by referred to them by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on the State Prison to take into consideration all matters in relation to the State Prison, to examine all the reports and accounts that may be submitted by the Warden, and make such report, either by bill or otherwise, as they think the interest of the State requires.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Public Lands to consider all proposals and applications for the sale of public lands, and every matter in relation to them, that may be referred to the committee by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Agriculture and Manufactures, to take into their consideration all matters concerning the agricultural and manufacturing interests of the State, and the incorporation of agricultural societies and factories, that shall be referred to them by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Finance to examine and take into their consideration the state of the Treasury; to report what sum it may be necessary to raise as a State tax, and on every subject touching the financial interests of the State, that may be referred to them by the House.

It shall be the duty of the Military committee to consider all applications for altering or amending laws regulating the Militia of this State, and for the removal of militia officers, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Roads, Bridges and Canals, to consider all applications for the incorporation of Turnpikes, Rail Roads, Bridges or Canals, and for the alteration of tolls, and all matters relative thereto, that may be referred to them by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Education, to consider all subjects relative to the regulation of school districts and schools, and all matters concerning education that may be referred to them by the House and report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Towns and Parishes, to consider all applications for the incorporation of towns or parishes, for the alteration of town or parish lines, that may be referred to them by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Incorporations to consider and report on all applications for acts of incorporation, and all other matters which may come in question relative to bodies corporate, that may be referred to them by the House, excepting those relating to towns, parishes, turnpikes, rail roads, canals, banks, agricultural societies and Factories.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Unfinished Business, to examine and report from the journals of the last session, all such matters as were then pending and undetermined.

It shall be the duty of the committee on bills on their second reading, to take into consideration all bills on the second reading,

that may be committed for amendment, or otherwise, and to make such report thereon as they may think expedient.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Printers Accounts, to examine and adjust all accounts against the State for printing, and every subject relating to such accounts, that may be referred to them by the House, and to report thereon.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Military Accounts, to examine, adjust and report on all accounts relative to the militia, that may be referred to them by the House.

It shall be the duty of the committee on Claims, to audit, adjust and report on all accounts and claims that may be presented for allowance, except accounts for printing, military accounts, and accounts for engrossing bills.

33. All other committees shall consist of three members, unless otherwise ordered.

34. The standing committees shall attend at their respective committee rooms, two hours before the meeting of the House in the morning, and at such other times as the House shall order, and no committee shall sit during the sitting of the House, unless when the Speaker shall consider it to be necessary.

35. The first named member of any committee appointed by the Speaker of the House, shall be the chairman; and in case of his absence or being excused by the House, the next named member, and so on as often as the case shall happen, unless the committee, by a majority of the number elect a chairman. And when any committee shall report otherwise than by bill, they shall, if the subject admit of it, subjoin to their report a resolution making such disposition of the matter committed to them, as to the committee shall seem expedient.

ON BILLS.

36. Every bill shall be introduced by motion for leave or by an order of the House, on the report of a committee; and no bill shall be introduced by any member, (except on the report of a committee) unless he shall have given at least one day's notice of his intention, and of the object of the bill to be introduced.

37. Every bill shall receive three several readings in the House previous to its passage; the first reading shall be for information, and upon the second reading, if not refected, or committed, or postponed, or laid on the tablet a time shall be assigned for the third reading, and in all eases the time assigned for the third read

ing of a bill shall be on some subsequent day. And all bills for a second reading shall be assigned for eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and all bills for a third reading, for three o'clock in the afternoon, unless otherwise ordered by the House.

38. Before any bill, resolution or vote, shall be sent to the Senate, the Speaker shall read the vote, resolution, or title of the bill. All bills and all votes and resolutions that are necessary to be carried to the Senate for their concurrence may be sent by the Assistant Clerk.

OF COMMITtees of thE WHOLE HOUSE.

39. The House may resolve itself into a committee of the whole House, at any time, on the motion of a member made for that purpose; and in forming a committee of the whole House, the Speaker shall leave the chair, and a chairman to preside in committee shall be appointed by the Speaker.

40. Upon bills and resolutions committed to a committee of the whole House, the bill or resolution shall be first read throughout by the Clerk, and then again read and debated by clauses, leaving the preamble of bills to be last considered; the body of the bill or resolution shall not be defaced or interlined, but all amendments, noting the page and line, shall be duly entered by the Clerk on a separate paper, as the same shall be agreed to by the committee, and so reported to the House. After report the bill or resolution shall again be subject to be debated and amended by clauses, before a question to pass it to a third reading be taken.

41. The rules of proceeding in the House, shall be observed in a committee of the whole House, so far as they may be appli❤ cable, except the rule limiting the times of speaking.

42. No standing rule or order of the House, shall be rescinded, without one day's notice being given of the motion therefor ; nor suspended, unless by a vote therefor of two-thirds of the members present.

ORDER OF BUSINESS OF THE DAY.

43. As soon as the Journal is read, the Speaker shall call for petitions from the members of the respective counties, beginning with the county of Rockingham. The petitions having been presented and disposed of, reports, first from the standing, and then from the select committees shall be called for and disposed of.