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.

BILLS, THIRD READING. 85
cause this would be to pass on two readings on the
same day. At the third reading, the clerk reads the
bill, and delivers it to the Speaker, who states the title,
that it is the third time of reading the bill, and that the
question will be, Whether it shall pass? Formerly,
the Speaker, or those who prepared a bill, prepared
also a breviate or summary statement of its contents,
which the Speaker read when he declared the state of
the bill at the several readings. Sometimes, however,
he read the bill itself, especially on its passage.Iiakew. 136, 137. 153; Coce, 22. 115. Latterly, instead of this, he, at the third reading, states the whole
contents of the bill, verbatim; only instead of reading
the formal parts, "be it enacted," &c., he states, that
"the preamble recites so and so; the first section
enacts, that, &c.; the second section enacts," &c.
But in the Senate of the United States, both of these formalities are
dispensed with; the breviate presenting but an imperfect view of the
bill, and being capable of being made to present a false one; and the
full statement being a useless waste of time, immediately after a full
reading by the clerk; and especially as every member has a printed
copy in his hand.
A bill, on the third reading, is not to be committed fol
the matter or body thereof; but, to receive some particular clause or proviso, it hath been sometimes suffered,
but as a thing very unusual. —akew. 156; thus, 27 El.
1584, a bill was committed on the third reading, having
been formerly committed on the second; but it is declared not usual.-D'lwes, 137, col. 2. 414, col. 2.
When an essential provision has been omitted, rather
than erase the bill, and render it suspicious, they add
a clause on a separate paper, engrossed and called
a rider, which is read, and put to the question three
times.-EJlsynge's MIemnorials, 59; 6 (Grey, 335; 1
Blackst. 183. For examples of riders, see 3 Hiats.
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