day, and the member must yield the floor, unless the assembly votes to permit him to continue. (f) For a question of privilege requiring immediate attention. If a member believes that his or another member's rights have suffered serious invasion, or that any action past or pending threatens such invasion, he may rise to a question of privilege, and the moderator will decide whether it is a question of such high privilege as to justify its consideration at that point. If it is so decided, the member who has the floor must yield it until the question of privilege is decided. He may then resume. (g) For adjournment at a time set. A member who holds the floor must yield it if the hour set for adjournment arrives while he is speaking, unless the assembly permits him to continue. But if the time for adjournment has not been set in advance, the member who holds the floor cannot be required to yield it for a motion to adjourn, nor, without his consent, for a motion to fix the time at or to which to adjourn. 52. Yielding for One Purpose or for All. The principle that a member who yields the floor for one purpose yields it for all is true within certain limits. But in three important cases it is not true. If a member is speaking when the time arrives to take recess, and has not exceeded the time allowed for a speech, he may resume after the recess or when discussion of that question is resumed, as though he had not yielded the floor. And if he yields for the asking of a question, his yielding implies the right to answer it, and thereafter to continue as if he had not yielded. And finally, if he yields as a courtesy to the body, in order that it may attend to some urgent matter, he has a right to resume the floor and the house will not seek to take advantage of his courtesy. 53. Speaking to the Question. Except for these purposes a member may not be interrupted while he is in possession of the floor. But he is subject to any special rules governing length of debate which the body has adopted, and to all standing rules, and to the requirements of decorum. It is required of him also that he speak to the question before the house. If he appear to be talking aimlessly, or to consume time, or on some other question, he may be called to order, and if he does not thereafter speak to the question, he may be adjudged out of order, and his right to the floor ceases. 54. General Remarks. A speaker must address his remarks to the presiding officer, and not to individual members of the assembly. VII. THE CLASSIFICATION OF MOTIONS. Motions Unamendable: $66. To adjourn-when another question is before the house, $122. To amend an amendment, §62. To lay on the table, $72. To postpone indefinitely, $71. The previous question, $77. The suppression of a question, $87. To suspend the rules, $84. To take up a question out of its order, §85. To take from the table, $74. To withdraw a motion, $90. The appeal from the decision of the chair (as to decorum), §91. The call to order, $92. Motions undebatable: $47. To adjourn when another question is before the To close, or extend, or limit debate, §§75-76. The suppression of a question, $87. The previous question, $77. To take up a question out of its order, $85. To take from the table, $74. To withdraw a motion, $90. Appeal when referring to indecorum, $91. Motions unreconsiderable: To adjourn, §122. $79. To suspend the rules, $84. An affirmative vote to take from the table, $74. Motions requiring a two-thirds vote: $108. The suppression of a question, §87. To suspend the rules, $84. To amend the rules, $84. To close, extend or limit debate, §§75-76. To make a special order, §83. The previous question, $77. To lay on table (when used to close debate) $73. Require no seconding: $39. The call to order, $92. The suppression of a question, $87. Parliamentary inquiries, $89. Objection to a member speaking after indecorum, $98. In order even when a member be speaking: The suppression of a question, §87. Require more than one second: The motion to vote by ballot, $40. 55. The Main Question. Any motion introduced when no other business is before the house, and having been moved and seconded and stated by the chair, is before the house, and is entitled a Main Question. However small the business to which it relates, this title is used, and distinguishes the original motion from the incidental or modifying motions that may be made while it is under consideration. 56. To What Motions the Main Question Yields. According to the rules of the National Council, when a question is under debate, it yields to the following, and to these only, and these in reverse order of precedence, i. e., in the order of their numbers as given below: 6. To amend. 5. To commit. 4. To postpone to a time certain. 3. To postpone indefinitely. 2. To lay on the table (not debatable). 1. To adjourn (not debatable). To these should be added, as taking precedence of them all, the motion to fix the time to which to adjourn, and certain questions of privilege, all of which will be considered hereinafter. 57. Subsidiary, Incidental and Privileged Questions. Taking the National Council's list of motions that may be made while a main question is pending, we may divide them into three groups: a. Motions that, without postponing, propose in some manner to modify the Main Question, grouped under the head of Motions to Amend. These questions take precedence of the Main Question and of no other. b. Motions that defer action, either by putting the Main Question aside, or by referring it to a committee. These are the motions to commit, to postpone to a time certain, to postpone indefinitely, and to lay on the table. c. Motions that do not in any way relate to the Main Question, but which may rise while it is being considered, and to which it must yield. These are the motion to adjourn, and certain other privileged questions. 58. Subsidiary, Incidental and Privileged Questions, Continued. The classification in the previous section is adequate for most religious assemblies. In strict parliamentary law the classification is somewhat more elaborate. 1. Modifying motions, including all motions to amend, substitute, strike out, fill in blanks, etc. 2. Subsidiary motions, which include motions,-to commit; to postpone to a time certain; to postpone indefinitely; to lay on the table; to limit or extend debate; for the previous question; the suppression of the question, and to reconsider. 3. Incidental motions, being such as arise out of the Main Question, or of some subsidiary motion, including -Suspension of the rules; appeal from the decision of the chair; liberty to read papers; leave to withdraw motion, and generally those questions relating to orders and rules. |