London and Its Environs Described, vol. 2 (of 6) / Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round It

by Anonymous

After the Speaker and members have taken the oaths, the standing orders of the house are read, and grand committees appointed to sit on usual days: which being done, the house generally begins with reading some bill left unfinished the sessions before. Any member of parliament is at liberty to move for a bill to be brought in; which being agreed to by the house, the person who made the motion, with some of those who seconded it, are ordered to prepare, and bring it in. When the bill is ready, some of the members who were ordered to prepare it, read the order at the side bar of the house, desiring leave to bring the bill to the table; which upon the question being agreed to, it has a first reading by the clerk at the table; and then the Speaker taking the bill in his hand, reads the abbreviate or abstract of it: which one, after the debate upon the bill, if any happens, he puts the question, Whether it shall have a second reading; and sometimes upon a motion being made appoints a day for it.

When the bill has been read a second time, the question is put, Whether it shall be committed, which is either to a committee of the whole house, if the bill be of importance; or to a private committee, any member at pleasure naming the persons to be of that committee; and their names being read by the clerk at the table, they are ordered to meet in the Speaker’s chamber, and report their opinion to the house. Accordingly meeting there, they chuse their Chairman, and either adjourn to some other time, or proceed upon the bill, which in this last case, the Chairman orders a clerk who attends them to read, then taking the bill himself, and reading it paragraph by paragraph, he puts every clause to the question, fills up the blanks, and makes amendments according to the opinion of the majority of the committee, of whom there must be eight of the persons named, to proceed regularly, though five may adjourn.

When the committee have gone through the whole bill, the Chairman by their desire makes his report at the side bar of the house, reading all the alterations made by the committee, and how any of these amendments have altered the scope of the bill, the clerk having before written down in what page and line of the bill those amendments are to be found; and if the committee have thought fit to add any clauses, they are marked alphabetically, read by the Chairman, and delivered to the clerk, who reads all the amendments and clauses. The Speaker then puts the question, Whether they shall be read a second time, and if this be agreed to, he then reads them himself, and particularly as many of them as the house agrees to. After which the question is put, Whether the bill so amended shall be engrossed, that is, written fair on parchment; and read the third time some other day. It being at length read the third time, the Speaker holds the bill in his hand, and puts the question, Whether the bill shall pass, and if the major part be for it, the clerk writes on the bill Soit baillé aux Seigneurs, i. e. Be it delivered to the Lords.

When an engrossed bill is read, and any clauses referred to be added to it, they must be on parchment engrossed like the bill, which are then called riders; and if agreed to, they are added to the bill.

Petitions are offered like bills at the bar of the house, and brought up and delivered at the table, by the member who presents them.

When a member speaks to a bill, he stands up uncovered, and addresses himself only to the Speaker; but if he be answered by another, he is not allowed to reply the same day, unless personally reflected on: for nobody is to speak to a bill above once in a day, unless the whole house be turned into a committee, and then every number may reply as often as the Chairman thinks proper. But if a bill be rejected, it cannot be any more proposed, during the same sessions.

Messengers from the Lords, and all persons appearing at the bar of the house, are introduced by the serjeant attending the house, with the mace upon his shoulder.

While the Speaker is in the chair, the mace lies upon the table, except when sent upon any extraordinary occasion into Westminster hall and the court of requests, to summon the members to attend. But when the members resolve themselves into a committee of the whole house, the mace is laid under the table, and the Chairman to that committee takes the chair where the clerk of the house usually sits.

Forty members are necessary to make a house, and eight a committee. But the Speaker is not allowed to vote, except the house be equally divided: nor is he to persuade or dissuade in passing a bill; but only to make a short and plain narrative.

The members of the house of Commons vote by yeas and noes; but if it appear doubtful which is the greater number, the house divides. If the question relates to any thing already in the house, the noes go out; but if it be to bring any thing in, as a bill, petition, &c. the ayes go out: where the house divides, the Speaker appoints four tellers, two of each opinion, who after they have told those within, place themselves in the passage between the bar and the door, and tell the others who went out; which done, the two tellers who have the majority take the right hand, and placing themselves within the bar, all four advance bowing three times; and being come up to the table deliver the number, saying, the ayes who went out, are so many; the noes who staid, so many; or the contrary: which is repeated by the Speaker, who declares the majority.