p. 1.30. § 2. If a subject be postponed to a certain hour Re. 30, Sen of the day named, it is not a privileged question before that time. If no hour be stated, it takes precedence of all other business for every part of that day, or so much of it as is necessary for the final decision. § 3. A motion for the order of the day takes precedence of all other questions, and should be first put to vote; unless a motion be made to adjourn, or a question arise respecting the rights and privileges of the assembly, or some of its members. Jeff Man.p this book. 160 and 168, Re. 58, Ho. § 4. The business before an assembly, at the Reps. p. 84 time it is decided to take up the special orders of the day, is affected precisely the same as if it had then adjourned, and comes up, as a matter of course, first on the roll of unfinished business at the next meeting. READING PAPERS. WHEN documents, or papers of any kind, bearing.7, H. directly on the question, are in possession of the p. 127. assembly, any member may demand that they be once read, and it is the duty of the presiding officer to take the vote thereon; or when it appears evident that the reading of a paper will give important information, and tend to dispatch business, he may direct the secretary to read it, but if any member object, a vote should at once be taken as aforesaid. Re.136,Ho. Rep. p. 103. Re.55,Ho. Reps. p. 82. Re. 50, Ho. Reps. p. 81. ORDER OF BUSINESS. § 1. IF an important motion, or business of any kind, be obstructed by some rule or regulation, it may be suspended, for the purpose of disposing of the same by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. § 2. A motion to suspend should always be put before the consideration of the question which would be in order by the rules of the assembly. § 3. No motion or proposition on a subject different from that under consideration, should ever be allowed, by way of amendment. THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. § 1. WHEN the previous question is moved, and seconded by a majority, the presiding officer should rise and say, "The previous question has been moved and seconded. Shall the main question* be now put?" § 2. The object of a call for the previous question is, generally, to wind up a tedious and unprofitable debate. This question, if decided in the affirmative, suspends all further consideration of the main subject, and stops all debate or amendment pertaining thereto,† and the vote is at once taken without further deliberation. *The main question is the principal and original subject. See the note to Rule 50 at the bottom of the 81st page. In Congress, the mover of the previous question aims to get an affirmative decision, and bring the subject to a direct vote. In Parliament, on the contrary, the design is to get a negative decision, and suppress a vote on the question altogether. A negative decision, accord § 3. A direct vote may be taken on any subject, without the previous question, by a rule that after a specified time, appropriated to its consideration, all debate thereon shall cease, and that the assembly shall vote directly on all questions pertaining thereto. Reps., p. 76. § 4. Or a society may make a rule that no mem- Re. 34, Ho. ber shall speak more than once, nor longer than a certain number of minutes. Reps. p. 82. § 5. No debate should ever be allowed on the Re. 51,Ho. previous question after it is properly demanded, but the vote should always be first taken on the auxiliary, or as they are sometimes called, subsidiary questions, provided the main subject is so encumbered. Reps. p. 81. § 6. For example, suppose it has been moved Re. 50, Ho. and seconded to refer the main question to a committee previous to the call for it; then the vote should first be taken on that proposition, and should it prevail, the main question would be disposed of. But if not, the next vote should be on amendments, if any, reported by a committee; then on amendments, if any, proposed in the assembly; and lastly on the main question itself.* Re. 46, Ho. § 7. If, when the previous question is called, Reps. p. 79 ing to Parliamentary usages, puts off all further consideration of the main question; but by a negative decision, according to the custom of Congress, the debate goes on the same as if the motion for the previous question had not been made. * The Parliamentary practice is contrary to the Congressional rule in regard to this question. See previous question, Jefferson's Manual, page 172 this book. Re. 55, Ho. Reps. p. 82. there be no secondary questions pending, then the vote should be taken directly on the main question. § 8. A motion to postpone to a certain day may be amended by the substitution of a different time, provided it be within the session of the assembly, so as not to make the subject different from the one first under consideration. Re. 46, Ho. Reps. p. 79. Re. 46, Ho. Reps. p. 79. THE MOTION TO COMMIT. § 1. THE motion to commit is next in order, and may be amended by substituting a different committee, by increasing or diminishing the number, or by instructing the committee to introduce some particular amendment. § 2. When a motion to commit, or recommit, as the case may be, is decided in the affirmative, the principal question, and every thing pertaining thereto, is removed, for the time being, from the assembly; but if it be negatived, it will still remain, and must be disposed of in some other way. Jeff. Man. p. 174, this book. AMENDMENTS. § 1. THERE are three different ways of making amendments: 1st. By inserting or adding some specified word, phrase, sentence or section. 2d. By striking out some specified word, phrase, sentence or section. * Or if the subject has been once before a committee to re-commit. 3d. By striking out some particular part, and inserting, or adding in its stead, or otherwise, some word, phrase, sentence or section. Reps. p. 102. § 2. Every proposition of several sections ought Re.127,Ho. to be first read throughout by the secretary. Then the presiding officer should read it, by clauses, beginning immediately after the preamble, and pausing, at the end of each clause, to give room for inquiries, amendment, &c. Jeff. Man. Clause 2d, book. § 3. After any portion of a bill, or paper, has been amended, it is not in order to go back and 164, this make any additional alteration or amendment. The only means to reach this point is by reconsideration. § 4. The right way to consider and amend every paper, is to commence at the beginning and go through it by clauses. But on the second reading by the presiding officer, the preamble, if any, should be omitted till all the other parts have been acted on, for the reason, that on the examination of the balance of the paper, such changes may be made therein as to require the alteration of the preamble. * § 5. It is in order to move an amendment to an amendment, but no further. When, in the opinion of any member, an amendment to the amendment may be improved, he may give notice that if rejected in the form A. B., in which it is presented, he will move it again in the form C. D., in which he desires it. *It is never in order to amend an amendment to an amendment. See page 288. Custom of Jeff Man, Cong. and Clause 3d p.164. Cust. Ho. Reps. |
