BILL. 
but more especially is addressed to the 
lord-chancellor, for inconscionable wrongs 
done. It contains the thing or fact com- 
plained of, the damage sustained, and a pe- 
tition or process against the defendant for 
redress; and is used both in criminal and 
civil cases. In a criminal case, the words 
Billa Vera are indorsed by the grand 
jury upon a presentment, thereby signify- 
ing, that they find the same made with pro- 
bable evidence, and on that account worthy 
of further consideration. 
Bier in parliament, a paper containing 
propositions, offered to the Houses to be 
passed by them, and then presented to the 
King to pass into a law. To bring a bill 
into the House, if the relief sought by it is 
of a private nature, it is first necessary to 
prefer a petition ; which must be presented 
by a member, and usually sets forth the 
grievance desired to be remedied. This 
petition (when founded on facts that may 
be in their nature disputed) is referred to a 
committee of members, who examine the 
matter alleged, and accordingly report it 
to the House ; and then (or, otherwise, upon 
the mere petition) leave is given to bring in 
the bill. In public matters, the bill is 
brought in upon motion made to the House, 
without any petition at ali. The persons di- 
rected to bring in the bill present it in a 
competent time to the House, drawn out on 
paper, with a multitude of blanks, or void 
spaces, where any thing occurs that is dubi- 
ous, or necessary to be settled by the Par- 
liament itself, (such, especially, as the pre- 
cise date of times, the nature and quantity 
of penalties, or of any sums of money to be 
raised); being, indeed, only the skeleton of 
the bill. In the House of Lords, if the bill 
begins there, it is (when of a private na- 
ture) referred to two of the judges, who 
examine and report the state of the facts 
alleged, to see that all necessary parties 
consent, and to settle all points of techni- 
cal propriety. This is read a first time, 
and, at a convenient distance, a second 
time ; and, after each reading, the Speaker 
opens to the House the substance of the bill, 
and puts the question, whether it shall pro- 
ceed any farther ? The introduction of the 
bill may be originally opposed, as the bill 
itself may, at either of the readings; and, 
if the opposition succeeds, the bill must be’ 
dropped for that session ; as it must also, 
if opposed with success, in any of the sub- 
sequent stages. After the second reading 
it is committed ; that is, referred to a eom- 
nuuee : which is either selected by the 
House; in matters of small importance, or 
else, upon a bill of consequence, the House 
resolves itself into a committee of the 
whole House. A committee of the whole 
House is composed of every member; and, 
to form it, the Speaker quits the chair, 
(another member being appointed chair- 
man) and may sit and debate as a private 
member. In these committees, the bill is 
debated clause by clause, amendments 
made, the blanks filled up, and sometimes 
the bill entirely new modelled. After it 
has gone through the committee, the chair- 
man reports it to the House, with such 
amendments as the committee have made ; 
and then the House considers the whole bill 
again, and the question is repeatedly put 
upon every clause and amendment. When 
the House has agreed, or disagreed, to the 
amendments of the committee, and some- 
times added new amendments of its own, 
the bill is then ordered to be engrossed, or 
written in a strong gross hand, on one or 
more long rolls (or presses) of parchment, 
sewed together. When this is finished, it is 
read a third time, and amendments are 
sometimes then made to it ; and if a new 
clause be added, it is done by tacking a 
separate piece of parchment on the bill, 
which is called a ryder. The Speaker then 
again opens the contents ; and, in holding 
it up in his hands, puts the question, whe- 
ther the bill shall pass ? If this is agreed 
to, the title to it is then settled; which 
used to be a general one for all the acts 
passed in fee session, till in fee fifth year 
of Henry VIII. distinct titles were intro- 
duced for each chapter. After this, one of 
the members is directed to carry it to the 
Lords, and desire their concurrence ; who, 
attended by several more, carries it to the 
bar of the House of Peers, and there de- 
livers it to their Speaker, who comes down 
from the woolsack to receive it. It there 
passes through the same forms as in the 
other House (except engrossing, which ig 
already done); and, if rejected, no more 
notice is taken, but it passes sub silentio, to 
prevent unbecoming altercations ; but if it 
is agreed to, fee Lords send a message by 
two masters in chancery, (or sometimes two 
of the judges) that they have agreed to the 
same ; and the bill remains with the Lords 
if they have made no amendments to it ; 
but if any amendments are made, such 
amendments are sent down with the bill to 
receive the concurrence of the Commons. 
If the Commons disagree to the amend- 
ments, a conference usually follows be- 
