1. Decide it in the shape it then has.

1. Decide it in the shape it then has.

2. Suppress all consideration of it or action on it.

3. Postpone it until a future time.

4. Refer it to a committee to be put in a better form.

5. Amend it themselves before deciding it.

We will consider these different ways of treating a question in their order.

1.—DECISION.

It is always to be taken for granted that the assembly is willing to decide a motion at once, unless some one moves to adopt one of the other courses. It may be repeated first, and when no one rises, the chair asks if they are ready for the question; if no one responds, it is put to vote.

2.—SUPPRESSION.

1. Sometimes the assembly does not wish to discuss a motion at all. In that case a member may move that it be indefinitely postponed. If this is debated, the matter remains as it was before. If it prevails, the matter is ended, and can only be brought up as a new question.

2. The motion to lay a subject on the table has nearly the same effect. If it prevails, the subject cannot be taken up without a motion to that effect.

3. The famous “previous question” has a totally different purpose in this country and England. There it is used to postpone a question. Its form is, “Shall the main question now be put?” and it is moved by those who wish to obtain a negative decision, the effect of which is to remove the question from before the house for that day, and by usage for the whole session.

4. In this country it is used to prevent debate, and is only moved by those who wish an affirmative decision. When this is carried the question must be voted upon without further remarks. A majority ought to use this power of stopping debate very sparingly, and never without good reason.

3.—POSTPONEMENT.

If the assembly is not prepared to act upon a question, or has more important business before it, the proper course is for some one to move that it be postponed until a certain time. If no time is fixed the question is suppressed altogether. If the assembly is dissolved before the appointed day, the effect is the same.

4.—COMMITMENT.

If the form of the motion is crude, it may be given into the hands of a committee to perfect. If it first came from a committee, it may be given back to them, which is called a recommitment. The whole or a part of a subject may be committed, and the assembly may, by vote, give such instructions as it desires. This motion is sometimes made use of for the purpose of procuring further information.

5.—AMENDMENT.

The assembly may alter, increase, or diminish any proposition at its pleasure. Its nature is often changed entirely.

1. Every complicated question may be divided by a regular vote. This is usually done, if no objection is offered, without a vote, but it cannot be required by a single member as is sometimes stated. A motion to divide should specify the manner of division.

2. If blanks are left in resolutions, these must be filled by motion. If these embrace figures, and several numbers are proposed, that which includes the others may be put to vote first. But it is usually as well to put first that which is moved first.

3. All motions to amend, except by division, must be to amend by inserting or adding, or by striking out, or both.

4. An amendment may be accepted by the mover of a resolution, if no objection is made, for then general consent is presumed; but not otherwise.

5. It is strict parliamentary law to begin with the beginning of a proposition, and after the latter part is amended, not to return to a former part; but this is seldom insisted on in common societies.

6. Every amendment is susceptible of amendment, but this can go no further. But the second amendment may be defeated, and then a new one made to the principal amendment.

7. Whatever is agreed to, or disagreed to by the acceptance or rejection of an amendment cannot again be changed.

8. What is struck out cannot be inserted by another amendment, unless with such additions as to make it a new question. Neither can what is retained be changed.

9. Before putting the question on an amendment, the passage should be read as it was; then the amendment; lastly the passage as amended.

10. A paragraph that is inserted by vote Cannot be changed, but it may be amended before the question is put.

11. When the amendment is both to strike out and insert, these two may be divided by vote or general consent, and then the question is taken first on striking out.

PREFERRED MOTIONS.

When a motion is before the assembly, it must be disposed of before anything else can be brought forward, with the exception of three classes of questions. These are privileged, incidental, and subsidiary questions.

1.—PRIVILEGED QUESTIONS.

1. The motion to adjourn takes precedence of every other, except when it has been moved and defeated, when it shall not be moved again until something else has been done. It cannot be moved while a member is speaking, or a vote being taken. But to be entitled to such precedence, it must be a simple motion to adjourn, without question of time or place. If these are added, it must take its regular turn. An adjournment without any time being fixed, is equivalent to a dissolution, unless this has been provided for by custom or especial rule. At adjournment every pending question is taken from before the assembly, and can only be brought up again in the regular way.

2. Any question affecting the rights and privileges of members, as in quarreling, the intrusion of strangers, etc., comes next in order to adjournment, and displaces everything else.

3. If the assembly fix on an order of business for a certain time, when that time arrives, a motion to take up this order has precedence of all questions, but the two preceding.

2.—INCIDENTAL QUESTIONS.

Incidental questions are those that grow out of other questions, and must be decided before them.

1. Questions of order. If there is a breach of rules it is the duty of the chair to enforce them, and any member to call for their enforcement. This should be done at once. When there is a doubt as to what constitutes a breach of the rules, it is first decided by the chair, subject to an appeal to the assembly, which may be put in this form, “Shall the decision of the chair stand as the decision of the assembly?” On this the chair may debate as well as others, but the vote is final.

2. When papers are laid on the secretary’s table for the information of the assembly, any member may demand to have them read; but other papers can only be read after a regular motion is carried to that effect.

3. After a motion is stated by the chair, permission may be given to withdraw it by a regular vote.

4. A rule that interferes with the transaction of any business may be suspended by a unanimous vote, or in accordance with the provisions of a special rule which points out the majority requisite, such as two-thirds, three-fourths, etc.

3.—SUBSIDIARY QUESTIONS.

These relate to the principal question as secondary planets do to their primaries. They are of different degrees among themselves, and with a few exceptions are not applied to one another.

1. “Lie on the table.” This takes precedence of all the subsidiary motions. If carried, it takes the principal question and all that belongs to it from the consideration of the assembly, and they can only be brought up by a new motion. If decided in the negative, this question, like all the others of the same class, except the previous question, has no effect whatever.

2. “Previous question.” This motion can only be superseded by that to lay on the table. If lost, the question is not before the house for the remainder of that day.

3. A motion to postpone may be amended by fixing the time or changing it. If several days are mentioned, the longest time should be put first.

4. A motion to commit takes precedence of a motion to amend, but stands in the same rank with the others, except to lay on the table, and cannot be superseded by them, if moved first.

5. A motion to amend may be amended. It is not superseded by the previous question, or a motion for indefinite postponement, but is by a motion to postpone till a time certain, or to commit.

It is very important that the order of these secondary questions be carefully observed, as there may be many of them pending at once.

DEBATE.

Debate in a society organized for the purpose of discussion, and in a deliberative body are quite different. In the former reply is expected, and may be bandied back and forth several times. In the latter the object is supposed to be giving information, and each member is limited to one speech, unless special permission is received to speak again. The chair must not take part in debates.

1. When a member wishes to speak, he obtains the floor in the same manner as if to offer a motion. The mover of a resolution is usually allowed the floor first, but this is a matter of courtesy rather than right.

2. When a speaker gives up the floor for any purpose, he loses his right to it, though as a favor he is often allowed to continue his speech.

3. No names are to be used in debate, but when it becomes necessary to designate an individual, some description may be used, as, the gentleman on the right, etc.