Manual of Style Governing Composition and Proof Reading in the Government Printing Office

by United States. Government Printing Office

BILL REVISING.

17. In sending bills to press there are points to be watched which do not appear in other work. The open character of the pages makes the form peculiarly liable to accident, and each page must be closely scanned for faults. A press reviser must be fully conversant with all the details and peculiarities of bill work and be ready to correct or take counsel upon any seeming error of style or apparent fault. He must see that the indorsements on bills fall on “even” pages and that they back up properly and have the proper make-up; also compare the number of the bill on the indorsement with that on the face, as a safeguard against error. When any change has been made in the side folios, he must run the same to the end of the series and answer for their correctness. He must see that the proper number of copies is written on each signature page, according to the schedule or memorandum furnished him. In short, the reviser is an umpire on bill work whose alertness is his qualification for the work. He is not expected to read the proof, but he must train his eye to detect errors at a glance.

18. Bills are worked in forms of eights. The signatures are made up like the following:

Senate bills:	Senate amendments to House bills:
S. 2433——2	A. H. R. 4864——2
Senate resolutions:	House bills:
S. R. 196——2	H. R. 2142——3
Senate Mis. Docs.:	House resolutions:
S. Mis. 24——2	H. Res. 194——3

19. When a bill is reprinted on account of some error or change, an asterisk is used at the foot of the first page. When more than one signature is reprinted, the asterisk follows the signature number.

20. Committee bills are always confidential. If of more than eight pages the distinguishing signature must be invented and placed on the first as well as succeeding forms. There are usually several prints of committee bills, each of which must be distinguished by serial additions to the signature, as A, B, C, etc.

21. Every paragraph which has been overrun in correcting must be read aloud by copyholder from the proof sheet, which must be followed literally.

SIGNATURE NUMBERS FOR EIGHTS.

1	Title	26	201	51	401	76	601	101	801
2	9	27	209	52	409	77	609	102	809
3	17	28	217	53	417	78	617	103	817
4	25	29	225	54	425	79	625	104	825
5	33	30	233	55	433	80	633	105	833
6	41	31	241	56	441	81	641	106	841
7	49	32	249	57	449	82	649	107	849
8	57	33	257	58	457	83	657	108	857
9	65	34	265	59	465	84	665	109	865
10	73	35	273	60	473	85	673	110	873
11	81	36	281	61	481	86	681	111	881
12	89	37	289	62	489	87	689	112	889
13	97	38	297	63	497	88	697	113	897
14	105	39	305	64	505	89	705	114	905
15	113	40	313	65	513	90	713	115	913
16	121	41	321	66	521	91	721	116	921
17	129	42	329	67	529	92	729	117	929
18	137	43	337	68	537	93	737	118	937
19	145	44	345	69	545	94	745	119	945
20	153	45	353	70	553	95	753	120	953
21	161	46	361	71	561	96	761	121	961
22	169	47	369	72	569	97	769	122	969
23	177	48	377	73	577	98	777	123	977
24	185	49	385	74	585	99	785	124	985
25	193	50	393	75	593	100	793	125	993