[106th Congress House Rules Manual -- House Document No. 106-320]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office Online Database]
[DOCID:hrulest-27]

[Page 197-198]

                  sec. xxiii--bills, leave to bring in

  When <> a Member desires to bring in a bill on any subject, he states
to the House in general terms the causes for doing it, and concludes by
moving for leave to bring in a bill, entitled, &c. Leave being given, on
the question, a committee is appointed to prepare and bring in the bill.
The

[[Page 198]]

mover and seconder are always appointed of this committee, and one or
more in addition. Hakew., 132; Scob., 40. It is to be presented fairly
written, without any erasure or interlineation, or the Speaker may
refuse it. Scob., 41; 1 Grey, 82, 84.

  This provision is obsolete, rule XII providing an entirely different
method of introducing bills through the hopper. The introduction of
bills by leave was gradually dropped by the practice of the House, and
after 1850 the present free system of permitting Members to introduce at
will bills for printing and reference began to develop (IV, 3365).