Jefferson's Manual
Jefferson's Manual , published under the title A Manual of Parliamentary Practice , is a book written by Thomas Jefferson in 1801 that examines and concisely arranges the parliamentary rules of procedure of the time. Originally written for the Senate , it is still a binding supplement to the House of Representatives' rules of procedure .
Jefferson based the book on transcripts he had made while studying with William Small at the College of William and Mary . Jefferson attended the meetings of the Senate, which he presided over from 1796 to 1800 , as vice-president , noticed the confusion and disorder created there by the often unclear rules of procedure, and decided to transform his notes into a stringent work.
At the moment, it is mainly in the public debate because, in addition to the proposal by a majority in the House of Representatives, it provides another option for starting an impeachment process. One possibility that some of George W. Bush's opponents considered:
- In the House there are various methods of setting an impeachment in motion: by charges made on the floor on the responsibility of a Member or Delegate ... by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State or territory ...
- There are several ways in the House of Representatives to initiate an impeachment process: through allegations made by an MP or delegate in the plenary chamber ... or through allegations made by the legislature of a state or territory ...
That section of the manual had been forgotten until Illinois Representative Karen Yarbrough rediscovered it on January 24, 2006. As a result, draft resolutions were put on the agenda in California , Illinois and Vermont , which, if passed, would have set the impeachment process in motion. Other states with a democratic majority in parliament discussed this.
The original manuscript of the manual is in the Library of Congress .
Web links
- Full text of the US Constitution from Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives
- Full text of the manual with a modern introduction