[House Rules Manual -- House Document No. 104-272]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office Online Database]
[Pages 191-192]
[DOCID:hrmanual-29]                         

 
                 sec. xxiii.--bills, leave to bring in.

  When <<NOTE: Sec. 398. Obsolete provisions as to introduction of 
bills.>> 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 

[[Page 192]]

being given, on the question, a committee is appointed to prepare and 
bring in the bill. The 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  This provision is obsolete, clauses 1-4 of rule XXII providing an 
entirely different method of introducing bills. 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).