When either House, _e. g._ the House of Commons, sends a bill to the other, the other may pass it with amendments. The regular progression in this case is, that the Commons disagree to the amendment; the Lords insist on it; the Commons insist on their disagreement; the Lords adhere to their amendment; the Commons adhere to their disagreement. The term of insisting may be repeated as often as they choose, to keep the question open. But the first adherence by either renders it necessary for the other side to recede or adhere also; when the matter is usually suffered to fall.--10 _Grey_, 148. Latterly, however, there are instances of their having gone to a second adherence. There must be an absolute conclusion of the subject somewhere, or otherwise transactions between the Houses would be endless.--3 _Hats._ 268, 270. The term of insisting, we are told by Sir John Trevor, was then [1679] newly introduced into Parliamentary usage, by the Lords.--7 _Grey_, 94. It was certainly a happy innovation, as it multiplies the opportunities of trying modifications which may bring the House to a concurrence. Either House, however, is free to pass over the term of insisting, and to adhere in the first instance--10 _Grey_, 146. But it is not respectful to the other. In the ordinary Parliamentary course, there are two free conferences at least before adherence.--10 _Grey_, 147.
Either House may recede from its amendment, and agree to the bill; or recede from their disagreement to the amendment, and agree to the same absolutely, or with an amendment. For here the disagreement and receding destroy one another, and the subject stands as before the disagreement.--_Elsynge_, 23, 27; 9 _Grey_, 476.
But the House cannot recede from or insist on, its own amendment with an amendment, for the same reason that it cannot send to the other House an amendment to its own act after it has passed the act. They may modify an amendment from the other House by ingrafting an amendment on it, because they have never assented to it; but they cannot amend their own amendment, because they have, on the question, passed it in that form; 9 _Grey_, 353; 10 _Grey_, 240. In Senate, March 29, 1798. Nor where one House has adhered to their amendment, and the other agrees with an amendment, can the first House depart from the form which they have fixed by an adherence.