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.

78 AMENDMENTS.
blanks for time. But when a specific time stands part
of a motion, that may be struck out as well as any
other part of the motion; and when struck out, a motion may be received to insert any other. In fact, it
is not till they are struck out, and a blank for the time
thereby produced, that the rule can begin to operate,
by receiving all the propositions for different times,
and putting the questions successively on the longest.
Otherwise, it would be in the power of the mover,
by inserting originally a short time, to preclude the
possibility of a longer. For, till the short time is
struck out, you cannot insert a longer; and if, after it
is struck out, you cannot do it, then it cannot be done
at all. Suppose the first motion has been to amend
by striking out "the second Tuesday in February,"
and inserting, instead thereof, "the first of June."
It would have been regular then to divide the question,
by proposing first the question to strike out and then
that to insert. Now this is precisely the effect of the
present proceeding; only, instead of one motion and
two questions, there are two motions and two questions
to effect it: the motion being divided as well as the
question.
When the matter contained in two bills might be
better put into one, the manner is to reject the one,
and incorporate its matter into another bill by way of
amendment. So, if the matter of one bill would be
better distributed into two, any part may be struck
out by way of amendment, and put into a new bill.
If a section is to be transposed, a question must be
put on striking it out where it stands, and another for
inserting it in the place desired.
A bill passed by the one Iouse, with blanks.
These may be filled up by the other, by way of amendments, returned to the first, as such, and passed.-3
Bats. 83.