A MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE. FOR THE USE OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

Washington City: Printed by Samuel Harrison Smith, 1801.. [199]pp. 12mo. Antique-style mottled in calf, tooled in gilt, spine richly gilt, raised bands, gilt morocco label. Contemporary ownership inscriptions on front flyleaf and titlepage (see below). First seventy-nine pages hand-numbered in upper margin. Old stain on titlepage, continuing near gutter of first handful of leaves, else very good. In a half calf and cloth clamshell box, spine gilt. The first edition of Jefferson's seminal work on parliamentary procedure - one of only three books he published in his lifetime (the others are NOTES ON THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, and his defense of his policy on the New Orleans batture, published in 1812).

This copy bears the ownership signature on the titlepage of Jacob Holgate (1767-1832), a Pennsylvania politician and businessman, who was a member of the Democratic-Republican party and a supporter of Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Andrew Jackson. A further note on the titlepage indicates that this copy was bought from Holgate on April 2, 1803 by another member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Frederick Eichelberger (1783- 1836).

When Jefferson became vice president in 1797, he also became presiding officer of the U.S. Senate. He decided to compile a manual of legislative procedure as a guide for him and for future presiding officers, and also with an eye to minimizing senators' criticism of rulings from the chair. The Virginia polymath sets forth rules of order and procedure - probably more dictating to the legislature than would be tolerated from a president these days. The work is comprehensive, covering everything from daily order to rules, quorums, motions, bills, conferences, treaties, impeachment, and much, much more. For example, in order to bring some decorum to debates, Jefferson instructs that "no one is to disturb another in his speech by hissing, coughing, spitting, speaking or whispering to another" ("Order in Debate" section).

"The chief significance of Jefferson's service as presiding officer of the Senate lies in the fact that out of it emerged his Manual of Parliamentary Practice, subsequently published in many editions and translated into several languages, and even now the basis of parliamentary usage in the Senate" - DAB.

Sabin is in error in calling for an edition issued in 1800. There is another edition that was issued in 1801 consisting of 188,[4] pages, and a second edition of 1812. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 719. SABIN 35887. REESE, FEDERAL HUNDRED 86.