CHAPTER XII.

The Previous Question.

Rule 53. The "previous question" shall be put as follows: “Shall the main question now be put?" and, until it is decided, shall preclude all amendments or debate. When, on taking the previous question, the Convention shall decide that the main question shall not now be put, the main question shall be considered as still remaining under debate. The "main question" shall be on the passage of the proposed amendment to the Constitution, resolution or other matter under consideration, but when amendments thereto are pending, the question shall first be taken upon such amendments in their order, and when adopted in Committee of the Whole, and not acted on in the Convention, the question shall be taken upon such amendments in like order.

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CHAPTER XIII.

The Convention Chamber and Privileges of Admission to the Floor.

Rule 54. The following classes of persons, besides officers and members of the Convention shall be entitled to admission to the floor of the Convention during the session thereof, viz.:

1. Governor, Lieutenant-Governor and ex-Governors of the State.

2. Judges of the Court of Appeals and of the Supreme Court.

3. The members of the Senate and Assembly and ex-Speakers.

4. The State officers, Deputies and Commissioners.

5. The Regents of the University.

6. United States Senators and Congressmen.

7. The Capitol Commissioners.

8. Persons in the exercise of an official duty directly connected with the business of the Convention.

9. The reporters for the press, as provided by subdivision 7 of Rule 2.

No other person shall be admitted to the floor during the session, except upon the permission of the President or by vote of the Convention; and persons so admitted shall be allowed to occupy places only in the seats in the rear of the Assembly Chamber. All permits granted by the President may be revoked by him at pleasure, or upon the order of the Convention. No person shall be entitled

to the privileges of the floor of the Convention as a legislative reporter of a newspaper who is interested in pending or contemplated constitutional revision, or who is employed by, or receives compensation from any corporation, except a newspaper, news or press association. The doors of the Convention shall be kept open to the public during all its sessions.

CHAPTER XIV.

General Rules.

Rule 55. Equivalent motions, resolutions or amendments thereto shall not be entertained. If any question contains several distinct propositions, it shall be divided by the Chair at the request of any member, but a motion to "strike out and insert" shall be indivisible.

Rule 56. All proposed action touching the rules and order of business, except by unanimous consent, shall be referred to the Committee on Rules; such committee may sit during the session of the Convention without special leave, and report at any time. on rules or order of business. It will be in order to call up for consideration at any time a report from the Committee on Rules. Any member may object to its consideration until the next legislative day, and if sustained by twenty-four other members, the consideration shall be so postponed, but only once. Pending the final consideration thereof, but one motion that the Convention adjourn may be entertained, and no other dilatory motion shall be entertained until such report is fully disposed of. A motion to suspend the rules shall in all cases state specifically the object of the suspension, and every case of suspension of a rule under such notice and motion shall be held to apply only to the object specified therein. Provided, that whenever a standing committee shall make a report on a constitutional amendment or other subject, or at any time, the Committee on Rules may report a rule limiting the time of debate; and if approved or unquestioned by the Convention, such report shall stand as the time limited for debate on the subject-matter referred to in such rule, and the previous question or other motion to close debate shall not be in order until the expiration of the time allotted, or the debate has been closed; the time thus allotted for debate shall be equally divided between those in favor and those opposed to the subject-matter under consideration.

Rule 57. The yeas and nays may be taken on any question whenever so required by any fifteen members (unless a division

by yeas and nays be already pending), and when so taken shall be entered on the Journal.

Rule 58. When the Convention shall be equally divided on any question, including the President's vote, the question shall be deemed to be lost.

Rule 59. In considering the report of the Committee on Revision and Engrossment, each article shall be open to amendment germane to such changes as may have been reported by the committee, without previous notice, but no one shall speak more than five minutes, or more than once, on any proposition to amend.

Rule 60. When a blank is to be filled and different sums or times shall be proposed, the question shall be first taken on the highest sum and the longest time.

Rule 61. A majority of the Convention shall constitute a quorum. In all cases of the absence of members during its sessions, the members present may take such measures as they shall deem necessary to secure the presence of the absentees, and may inflict such censure or pecuniary penalty as they may deem just on those who, on being called on for that purpose, shall not render sufficient excuse for their absence.

Rule 62. For the purpose of securing the attendance of members, a call of the Convention may be made, but such call shall not be in order after the main question has been ordered, nor after the voting on any question has commenced, nor after the third reading of an amendment has been completed.

Rule 63. When less than a quorum vote on any subject under consideration by the Convention, it shall be in order, on motion, to close the bar of the Convention, whereupon the roll of members shall be called by the Secretary, and if it is ascertained that a quorum is present, either by answering to their names or by their presence in the Convention, the yeas and nays shall again be ordered by the President, and if any member present refuses to vote, such refusal shall be deemed a contempt, and unless purged, the Convention may order the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove said member or members without the bar of the Convention, and all privileges of membership shall be refused the person or persons so offending until the contempt be duly purged.

Rule 64. Whenever any person shall be brought before the bar of the Convention for adjudged breach of its privileges, no debate shall be in order, but the President shall proceed to execute the judgment of the Convention without delay or debate.

Rule 65. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep the Journal of each day's proceedings, which shall be printed and laid on the table of members on the morning after its approval. In addition to bis other duties, he shall prepare and supervise the printing of the Calendars of the orders of the day and cause them to be placed on the files before the beginning of each day's session. All appointments of officers and employes shall be entered on the Journal of the Convention, with the date of appointment.

Rule 66. It shall be the duty of the stenographer of the Convention to be present at every session of the Convention. He shall take stenographic notes of the debates in the Convention and in Committee of the Whole, and shall, at each day's session of the Convention, furnish a copy of the debates of the day before, written out in long-hand, and file the same with the Secretary, who shall keep the same in his office, and the same shall at all times be open to the inspection of delegates.

Rule 67. At a reasonable time, to be determined by the Convention, and at least five days before final adjournment, the Committee on Revision and Engrossment shall be instructed to accurately enroll and engross the present State Constitution, with all amendments thereto properly inserted, or the proposed new Constitution; and the same shall be reported by said committee to the Convention, read through therein, and submitted to a final vote prior to its final adjournment. When an article of the Constitution is amended, or a new article substituted or added, such amended article, or new article, shall be enrolled and engrossed entire in its proper place in the Constitution.

CHAPTER XV.

Miscellaneous Provisions.

Rule 68. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall, under the direction of the Committee on Printing, receive from the printer all matter printed for the use of the Convention, and keep a record of the time of the reception of each document and the number of copies received, and cause a copy of each to be placed on the desk of each member immediately after their reception by him. Subject to the direction of the President, he shall enforce the rules of the Convention.

Rule 69. Separate files of the daily Journal, reports of committees and of all documents ordered to be printed shall be prepared and kept by the Sergeant-at-Arms, and one copy shall be placed upon the desk of each member of the Convention and of the Secretary.

Rule 70. There shall be printed, as of course, and without any special order, 1,000 copies of the Journal and of all reports of committees on the subject of constitutional revision.

Rule 71. Five hundred copies of the Journal and 500 copies of the reports, as printed, shall be bound and distributed as follows, viz.: To each member of the Convention, two copies; State library, five copies; the library of the Senate, five copies; the library of the Assembly, five copies; the office of each county clerk, one copy, and the remaining copies to such libraries and other institutions as shall be designated by the President or by the Convention.

JOSEPH H. CHOATE,

Chairman.