call to, effect of rule to be observed while presiding officer is speaking when two members rise to speak.. not to vote unless within the bar filling blanks tie vote reading papers and smoking prohibited. 52 54 55 16 32 THE RULES AND ORDERS. OF THE SENATE. 1. CALLING SENATE TO ORDER. The Lieutenant Governor of the State, who, by the 8th section of the 5th article of the Constitution, is constituted ex-officio President of the Senate, shall, when present, take the chair at the hour fixed for the meeting of the Senate, when he shall immediately call the members to order, who shall thereupon take their seats, and continue with their heads uncovered, while the Senate remains in session; the Clerk shall call the roll of members, and as soon as a majority is present, the journal of the preceding day shall be read, to the end that any mistake may be corrected. DUTIES OF PRESIDENT. 2.The President shall preserve order and decorum; may speak to points of order in preference to other members, rising from his seat for that purpose; and shall decide points of order, subject to an appeal to the Senate by any member. TEMPORARY PRESIDENT. 3. The President shall have the right to name any member to perform the duties of the Chair temporarily, and who shall be invested, during such time, with all the powers of the president; but no member shall be excused from voting on any question by reason of his occupying the Chair; nor shall such substitute's authority as presiding officer, extend beyond a day's adjournment of the Senate. PRESIDENT PRO TEM. 4. In the absence or inability of the President, except as provided in rule three, the Senate shall appoint a President pro tempore, who shall possess all the powers and prerogatives of the President of the Senate for the time being. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. 5.—Whenever the Senate determines to go into Committee of the Whole, the President shall name one of the members as Chiarman, who shall, for the time being, be invested with all the anthority of the presiding officer of the Senate. 6. DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT. -The President shall appoint all committees, unless otherwise directed; he shall sign all acts, memorials, addresses and resolutions; and all writs, warrants and subpoenas that may be issued by the Senate, shall be signed by him and attested by the Clerk. DISTURBANCES IN THE LOBBY. 7.Whenever any disturbance or disorderly conduct shall occur in the lobby, the President (or Chairman of the Committee of the Whole) shall have power to cause the same to be cleared of all persons except the members and officers of the Senate. QUESTIONS-HOW STATED AND DECIDED. 8. -Questions may be stated by the President while sitting, but he shall rise to put a question, and shall use this form: "As many as are of the opinion that (as the question may be,) will say aye: " and after the affirmative voice is expressed, "As many as are of a different opinion, will say no." If the President doubt as to the voice of the majority, or a division be called for, the Senate shall divide-those in the affirmative of the question shall first rise and be counted; or, if there still be a doubt, or a count be called for, the President shall appoint two tellers, one from each side, to make the count and report the same to the President, who shall declare the same to the Senate. QUORUMS. 9. A majority of all the members elected to the Senate must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of ordinary business; three-fifths of the members elected to the Senate must be present to constitute a quorum for the passage of appropriation bills, as provided by the Constitution of the State; a smaller number, however, can adjourn from time to time, and have power to compel the attendance of absent members. 10. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. -No member or officer of the Senate, unless from illness or other cause he shall be unable to attend, shall absent himself from the sessions of the Senate during an entire day, without first having obtained leave of ab sence. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 11. Any committee required or entitled to report upon a subject referred to them may make a majority and minority report; any member of such committee dissenting in whole or in part, from either the conclusion or the reasoning of both the majority and minority, shall be entitled to present to the Senate a brief statement of the reasons of such dissent, which, if decorous in its language, and respectful to the Senate, shall be entered on the journal in connection with the majority and minority reports. CLERK-ELECTION OF AND DUTIES. 12. A Clerk shall be elected at the commencement of each session, to hold his office at the pleasure of the Senate; he shall keep a correct journal of the daily proceedings of the Senate, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him; he shall superintend the recording of the journal proceedings, the engrossing, enrolling, transcribing, and copying of bills, resolutions, etc.; shall permit no records nor papers belonging to the Senate to be taken out of his custody, otherwise than in the regular course of business; shall report any missing papers to the notice of the President; and generally shall perform, under the direction of the President, all duties pertaining to his office as Clerk. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS. 13.-A Sergeant-at-Arms shall be elected at the commencement of each session, to hold his office at the pleasure of the Senate. It shall be his duty to execute all orders of the President of the Senate, and to perform all duties they may assign to him, connected with the police and good order of the Senate Chamber; to exercise a supervision over the ingress and egress of all persons to and from the Chamber; to see that messages, etc., are promptly executed, and the requisite fires are kept up during the appropriate season; and to perform all other services pertaining to the post of Sergeant-at-Arms. COMMITTEES. 14. The following Standing Committees shall be elected by the Senate at such time as may be designated, unless otherwise directed: [The committees on the Judiciary and Railroads shall consist of five mem bers each, and all other committees of three members each.] 1. On the Judiciary. 2. On Finance. 3. On Education, School and University Lands. 4. On Incorporations. 5. On Internal Improvements. 6. On Roads, Bridges and Ferries. 7. On Town and County Organizations. 8. On Military Affairs. 9. On Privileges and Elections. 11. On Benevolent Institutions. 15. On Banks and Banking. 16. On Engrossed Bills. 17. On Contingent Expenditures. 19. On Enrolled Bills. 20. On State Prison. 10. On Agriculture and Manufactures. 22. On Federal Relations. The following shall be joint committees and shall be constituted as follows: 1. On Claims.*-Five from Assembly; two from Senate. 2. On Local Legislation.t-Three from Assembly; two from Senate. 3. On Charitable and Benevolent Institutions.‡-Three from the Senate and six from the Assembly-one from each Congressional District. REPORTERS, PERSONS PRIVILEGED TO FLOOR OF SENATE. 15.-Reporters for newspapers can have seats assigned them by the President, within the bar of the Chamber, for the purpose of taking down the proceedings, but not so as to interfere with the convenience of the Senate. The Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Senators, and ex-Senators, and Members of Congress, Judges of any Courts, Members and ex-members of State Legislatures, and Members of the *See secs. 18 to 22 inclusive, of chap. 9, R. S., page 122. + See chap. 370, general laws of 1860, page 381. See chap. 165, general laws of 1868. |