A manual of parliamentary practice, composed originally for the use of the Senate of the United States. By Thomas Jefferson. With references to the practice and rules of the House of representatives. The whole brought down to the practice of the present time; to which are added the rules and orders, together with the joint rules of both houses of Congress. And accompanied with copious indices.

61 PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS.
a day certain, to commit, or to amend; which several motions shall
have precedence in the order they stand arranged, and the motion for
adjournment shall always be in order, and be decided without debate.
-Rule 11.
When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but
to adjourn, to lie on the table, for the previous question, to Dostpone to
a day certain, to commit or amend, to postpone indefinitely; which
several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are
arranged: and no motion to postpone to a day certain, to commit, or
to postpone indefinitely, being decided, shall be again allowed on the
same day, and at the same stage of the bill or proposition. A motion
to strike out the enacting words of a bill shall have precedence of a
motion to amend, and if carried, shall be considered equivalent to its
rejection.-Rules H. R. 41
It is no possession of a bill, unless it be delivered
to the clerk to be read, or the Speaker reads the
title.-Lex. Parl. 274; Elsynge, Mem. 85; Ord.
House Commons, 64.
It is a general rule, that the question first moved
and seconded shall be first put.-Scob. 28, 22; 2 Hats.
81. But this rule gives way to what may be called
privileged questions; and the privileged questions are
of different grades among themselves.
A motion to adjourn, simply takes place of all
others; for otherwise the House might be kept sitting
against its will, and indefinitely. Yet this motion
cannot be received after another question is actually
put, and while the House is engaged in voting.
Orders of the day take place of all other questions,
except for adjournment. That is to say, the question
which is the subject of an order, is made a privileged
one, pro hac vice. The order is a repeal of the general
rule as to this special case. When any member moves,
therefore, for the orders of the day to be read, no
further debate is permitted on the question which was
before the House; for if the debate might proceed, it
might continue through the day, and defeat the order.