of a bill shall have precedence of a motion to mend, and if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its rejection."-Rule 32 of House of Rep. of the United States.

The Clerk will then rise and read the second section, and the House will proceed to consider each section until the whole are gone through, when the preamble (if there is one) will be read, which is also subject to amendment. The Speaker will put the question, "Preamble of the Bill. As many &c." Next, the title will be read, also subject to amendment. The Speaker will put the question, " Title of the Bill. As many, &c." The title being agreed to, the Speaker will say, "This bill has been read a second time, considered by sections, amended, and agreed to. The question will now be upon ordering it to be engrossed for a third reading." If the bill has come from Council, and has not been amended, it is already engrossed, and the question will be " upon ordering it to a third reading." The opponents of the bill having failed to insert obnoxious amendments, or to destroy the object of the bill by striking out sections, can now make an attack upon the bill as an entirety; may call up remonstrances, state their reasons for opposing it, and rally their strength upon the question of its engrossing; in legislative bodies generally, the question of engrossing a bill, usually tests its strength; in the New Jersey Legislature, this

demonstration of strongth is seldom made until

"As

the question of its final passage.
The ques-
tion in the Assembly, (unless the yeas and
nays are called for,) is taken by rising.
many as are in favor of ordering this Bill, to be
engrossed for a third reading, will rise." The
Speaker rising, counts the members up, begin-
ning at his left, and announces the number: as,
"twenty-four gentlemen up. The gentlemen
will resume their seats. As many as are op-
posed to ordering this Bill to be engrossed for a
third reading, will please to rise." Having
counted as before, he announces, as, "twenty-
three gentlemen up. The ayes have it.

The

bill is ordered to be engrossed for a third reading." The Clerk will then send the bill as amended to the engrossing Clerk.

No amend

Seaker will

third and

p

Engrossing is transcribing the bill as amended in a fair legible hand, without erasure or interlineation.

Sec. 31. Bills on third reading.

its final

The advo
w to mak
the Bill m
he next ses
which will s

uld not de

t or recom

ithin

a fe

9, would

t number
les of th
aded, the
for the qu

As many
is Bill wh
Those of a
his bill pa
alphabe

The engrossed bills are placed, by the engrossing Clerk, on the Speaker's desk, and it is the practice to take them up, immediately before the list of bills upon a second reading. The Speaker calls over the title of a bill, according to its seniority, and it will be taken up, upon motion, without an objection is made; if no motion is made, the Speaker will call the next, and so in succession until he has gone through with the whole number. If the house take up an engrossed Bill, the Clerk will

tame is c

Clerk the

Mr
Mr
The S

passed:

ad the Bill, commencing with the title, and the peaker will compare it, at the same time, with e original bill and amendments, to see if it is orrectly engrossed.

No amendments can now be offered. The peaker will state the question, "This bill is on s third and last reading; the question will be In its final passage." ishte

The advocates and opponents of the Bill are how to make their final efforts. The opponents of the Bill may move to postpone the Bill until The next session of the Legislature, (a motion which will sometimes carry, when the opposition could not defeat it on the final vote,) or to commit or recommit it, which motions, when carried, within a few days of the expiration of the session, would be equally fatal, if its friends could not number votes sufficient to dispense with the rules of the House. The discussion having ended, the Speaker will ask, " Is the House ready for the question?" And will put the question, "As many as are in favor of the final passage of this Bill when their names are called, will say, aye. Those of a contrary opinion, will say, no.

The Speaker then announces, "This bill has

passed is it the pleasure of the House that this.

Private bi

Committee c

generally

Sec. 33 Messages eir Secret

When a

passage of the concurr

immediate

of the Cler title of the is first read

to refer it.

ith or w

"All bil mendmen of Ass

The co bill. If th

mendme tate pape inserted,

to which

ed." T Free." Council

separate

Private bills from Council will be referred to a mmittee comprising one of the members from e county from which the bill originated, who generally first named on the committee.

Sec. 33. Bills from Council amended. Messages from Council are always sent by eir Secretary.

When a message is received, announcing the assage of a bill from Council, and requesting he concurrence of the Assembly, as soon as the nmediate business before the House is disposed f, the Clerk will read the message and bill. The itle of the bill, to save time, is usually taken for ts first reading, and a motion is made and carried o refer it. The committee report the bill either with or without amendment.

"All bills re-committed and reported with amendment, to stand on a second reading."-Rule 10 of Assembly.

The committee have no right to reject the bill. If the bill is reported with amendments, the amendments must be in writing, and on a separate paper, and if adopted, or other amendments inserted, it is ordered "that Council be informed that the bill has passed with certain amendments to which the concurrence of Council is requested." The Council will either "concur or disagree." The question is taken in Council," will Council agree to this amendment," taking them up separately and in order. If Council concur, the