ORGANIC LAW OF THE UNION. 2OI 



A committee is one or more members selected to act 

 as a small assembly. The first person named on a com- 

 mittee is regarded as the Chairman until the committee 

 meets, when their first^cluty is to elect a Chairmen. A 

 committee (except a committee of the whole) may 

 appoint a sub-committee. When the business of a com- 

 mittee is finished a motion is not made to adjourn, but 

 "that the committee rise," and the Chairman or some 

 one selected report to the assembly. As soon as the body 

 receives the report the committee ceases to exist, unless it 

 be a standing committee. 



When a report or communication is allowed to be 

 read jJL is "received" without the formality of a motion, 

 unless some one objects, in which event it is not received 

 by the house until a motion to that effect has been passed. 



The form of report for standing committees is "beg 

 leave to submit the following report," but special com- 

 mittees should state what business was referred to them in 

 their report, A minority report should state "the under- 

 signed, a minority of the committee to which was 

 referred," etc. 



When a report contains several sections it is the cus- 

 tom for some member to move that it be adopted by 

 sections, and the proper way to adopt by sections is to 

 fiist have the entire document read through without inter- 

 ruption, then commence at the beginning again and have 

 the first section read and pause to give any member a 

 chance to amend that section; if any amendments be 

 offered they are considered and voted on at once, but the 

 adoption of the section is not then voted on. After the 

 amendments are disposed of, or if no amendments are 

 offered, the President says: "If there are no amendments 

 the Secretary will read the next section." After it is 

 read a pause is again made, and so on till all the sections 

 have been read and offered for amendment. The Presi- 



