yeas and nays on any question, the names of the members shall be called alphabetically.

49. Any member may excuse himself from serving on any committee at the time of his appointment, if he is then a member of two other committees.

50. No member shall absent himself from the service of the House unless he have leave, or be sick and unable to attend.

51. Upon the call of the House the names of the members shall be called over by the Clerk, and the absentees noted; after which, the names of the absentees shall again be called over, the doors shall then be shut, and those for whom no excuse, or insufficient excuses are made, may, by order of those present, if fifteen in number, be taken into custody as they appear, or may be sent for and taken into custody, wherever to be found, by special messengers to be appointed for that purpose.

52. When a member shall be discharged from custody and admitted to his seat, the House shall determine whether such discharge shall be with or without paying fees; and in like manner, whether a delinquent member, taken into custody by a special messenger, shall, or shall not, be liable to defray the expense of such special messenger.

53. A Sergeant-at-Arms shall be appointed, to hold his office during the pleasure of the House, whose duty it shall be to attend the

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57. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Ways and Means to take into consideration all such reports of the Treasury Department, and all such propositions relative to the revenue, as may be referred to them by the House; to inquire into the state of the public debt or the revenue, and of the expenditure; and to report from time to time, their opinion thereon; to examine into the state of the several public Departments, and particularly into the laws making appropriations of moneys; and to report whether the moneys have been disbursed conformably with such laws; and, also, to report, from time to time, such provisions and arrange

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In preparing bills of appropriations for other objects, the Committee of Ways and Means shall not include appropriations for carrying into effect treaties made by the United States; and, where an appropriation bill shall be referred to them for their consideration, which contains appropriations for carrying a treaty into effect, and for other objects, they shall propose such amendments as shall prevent appropriations for carrying a treaty into effect being included in the same bill with appropriations for other objects.

58. At every session of Congress, commencing on the first Monday of December, it shall be the duty of the Committee of Ways and Means, within thirty days after their appointment, to report the General Appropriation bills-for the civil and diplomatic expenses of Government; for the army; the navy; and for the Indian department and Indian annuities; or in failure thereof, the reasons of such failure; and general appropriation bills shall be in order in preference to any other bills of a public nature, unless otherwise ordered by a majority of the House.

59. No appropriation shall be reported in such general appropriation bills, or be in order as an amendment thereto, for any expenditure not previously authorized by law.igo indi

60. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Claims to take into consideration all such neti

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tions and matters or things touching claims and demands on the United States, as shall be presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the House; and to report their opinion thereupon, together with such propositions for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient.

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61. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Commerce to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things touching the commerce of the United States, as shall be presented, or shall or may come into question, and be referred to them by the House; and to report, from time to time, their opinion thereon.

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